Awake At Night

Why peace begins with people, not power, with Bintou Keita - Former UN Secretary-General's Special Representative DRC

Bintou Keita knows instinctively that some moments call for a more human response than words alone can offer. Once, at a ceremony to mark the end of the devastating Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone, she found herself hesitating to deliver her pre-prepared statement to a grief-stricken crowd. "I have my statement, but I can't deliver [it] because there's something else I have to do before. And in that moment, what came to me was humming, so I did it. And at that moment, the tears - my own, the tears in the audience - came out. These people were grieving, were still mourning." Bintou Keita has retired after 36 years with the UN, most recently the Secretary-General's Special Representative in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and head of the peacekeeping mission there. In this episode, she reflects on times when peacekeepers saved thousands of lives, on how women can lead the way out of devastating conflicts, and shares why she has learned to never say never. "We kind of lost our way to our heart. We believe that there is a divide between when we are working and when we are not working. And I don't believe in that. I think we are bringing who we are in the work." Transcript, photos and more: https://www.un.org/en/awake-at-night/s12-bintou-keita-why-peace-begins-with-people-not-power

Youth, power and possibility, with Felipe Paullier - UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs

A medical doctor by training, Dr. Felipe Paullier is a passionate advocate for young people. Two years ago, aged just 32, his life took a new turn when he became the first-ever Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, the youngest senior appointment in the history of the United Nations. "Leaving young people at the sidelines of how we find solutions is not the way. It's really bringing them [in], because on many of the things, the solutions will come from them." The UN Youth Office believes that positive change is rooted in empowering young people to meaningfully participate in decisions that impact their lives and futures. In this episode, Felipe reflects on youth demands for peace and opportunity, on the stubborn barriers to change, and shares why he always prescribes reconnecting with nature as a cure for digital overwhelm. "I've heard this from the Secretary General. You know, power, in essence, is not to be given, it's to be taken. " Photos, transcript and more: https://www.un.org/en/awake-at-night/s12-felipe-paullier-youth-power-and-possibility

How to lead forces for peace, with Cheryl Pearce - The UN's Acting Military Adviser for Peacekeeping Operations

After enlisting at 18, Cheryl Pearce battled rigid gender barriers to rise through the military ranks. Now the UN's Acting Military Adviser for Peacekeeping Operations, the Australian-born Lieutenant General is the highest ranking woman in uniform within the United Nations. "Peace for me, is seeing communities having food security, having water security, education, knowing, you know, as a mum myself, knowing that my children can grow up to feel like that. They can have a life and a future and fulfill their dreams and goals." Lieutenant General Pearce knows what it takes to serve in some of the most difficult places on earth, from East Timor to Afghanistan. In this episode, she reflects on the sources of her mental and physical resilience, on making a robust case for peacekeeping in an age of disinformation, and shares why her family wants her to show her chaotic side once in a while. Photos, transcript and more: https://www.un.org/en/awake-at-night/s12-cheryl-pearce-how-to-lead-forces-for-peace

Fighting hunger in a world of plenty, with Jean-Martin Bauer - Director, Food Security and Nutrition Analysis, World Food Programme (WFP)

Jean-Martin Bauer was just a teenager when a visit to his uncle's Haitian rice farm planted the seed of his life-long passion for food security. Now Director of Food Security and Nutrition Analysis at the World Food Programme (WFP) he works to feed hungry people worldwide. "Even now, even during these dark times … there are opportunities to sow seeds for a better future." The world faces a global hunger crisis, with a record 319 million people currently not getting enough to eat. The author of a recent book on hunger in the Twenty-First Century, Jean-Martin Bauer reflects in this episode on the human cost of famine in Gaza and Sudan, the impact of funding cuts on the most vulnerable, and explains why the best solutions are those closest to home. "That island in the south of Haiti was a great message of hope for everyone in the country, because the farmers of Haiti can feed themselves. They can feed the nation if given a chance."

Serving the UN is the honor of a lifetime, with Annalena Baerbock, President UN General Assembly 80th Session

Former German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock is a new face at the United Nations. Sworn in as President of the General Assembly in September, she brings experience and energy at a time of challenges and new beginnings – including the selection of the next Secretary-General. "We need this place where countries, big and small, rich and poor, are coming together and have an equal say and an equal vote." Shaped by her nation's turbulent past and successful reunification Annalena Baerbock entered politics at a young age. In this episode, she reflects on the importance of female pioneers, the impact of online harassment and shares why the UN Charter can still move her to tears.