“2.6 billion people don't have access to the internet … if you're not part of the digital revolution, you're not going to be part of the AI revolution – we’ve got to close that gap.”

Doreen Bogdan-Martin’s fascinating career handed her a front row seat for the digital revolution. Now Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), she’s among those leading global efforts to set guardrails on the use of Artificial Intelligence.

“I think we've never seen anything like this before … the plane is in flight and we're building it while we're flying - it's tremendous.”

AI presents huge opportunities for humanity, but also poses great risks. In this episode, Doreen Bogdan-Martin reflects on working to ensure the humane and sustainable use of AI, on connecting the billions around the world who are not yet online, and on juggling a career with four children.

Photo: ©ITU/D.Woldu

Globalizate Radio serves as a crucial lifeline for Venezuelan migrants in the Dominican Republic, offering essential information, community support, and a platform to challenge stereotypes and promote unity.

“[...] don't wait for advice. Don't wait for invitations. Just look around, you will find ways to contribute to change in your own family, in your own community, in your college, in your university and in your country.”

Appointed to a senior UN role aged just 26, Jayathma Wickramanayake’s career trajectory testifies to the power of education. Now senior policy advisor at UN Women, she is working to empower all women and girls to fulfill their potential – whatever their background.

In this episode, Jayathma reflects on the global hunger for learning, her beginnings in conflict-ridden Sri-Lanka, and her hopes for her own baby son.

"I wish that all the children and young people - you know, protesting on the streets, asking for climate justice, being arrested, being detained - I wish that they could just be children [... I wish for a world where my son ] can be light and free and not be bombarded with responsibilities of issues that he didn't have a hand in creating."

Photo: ©UNFPA/Sarah Kenyi

“Somebody who lived in an IDP camp … [is] suddenly back home, in dignity, self-reliant and thinking, ‘I want to reimagine what life means for me’ … Yes, I'm very proud.”

A former child refugee, Mohamed Yahya knows the life-long pain of yearning for a lost home. That’s why some of his most emotional experiences with the United Nations have involved helping displaced people return to their towns years after they fled a brutal conflict.

Until recently working with internally displaced communities in northern Nigeria, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Pakistan is a life-long champion of community-led development.

In this episode, Mohamed Yahya reflects on the challenge of rebuilding scattered communities, on his experiences of being a refugee twice, and on the lasting allure of home.

“There's always a sense of something missing. Because you're deprived of going back to where you were born.”

Photo credit: ©UNDP

Hussen Nasser Al-Yabari, Yemeni environmental journalist, embodies an unwavering courage and dedication as he illuminates critical environmental issues amidst conflict.

Environmental journalism's vital role in highlighting climate impacts and advocating for press freedom, emphasizing the need for accurate information dissemination amid the environmental crisis.

UNESCO has launched a podcast series called "Think Critically, Click Wisely" to improve people's media and information literacy skills. The series has 8 episodes on various topics such as disinformation, hate speech, digital skills, AI, and privacy. Listeners can expect to gain practical insights and skills for navigating the digital world. Today's episode focuses on learning digital skills to navigate safely in digital spaces.

Radio Miraya has been broadcasting its core message of peace across South Sudan since 2006. For World Radio Day, celebrated on 13 February every year, Ben Dotsei Malor shares his thoughts on his time in Juba. 
Audio Credit: Daniel Johnson, UN News

Hurricane Otis highlighted the enduring relevance of radio as a lifeline during emergencies, exemplified by the Otis Brigade's efforts to locate over 100 individuals in Acapulco, Mexico, amidst power outages and communication disruptions.

Radio - one of the oldest forms of media - is celebrating its second century of service in the context of rapid technological innovation. Despite the emergence of various new platforms, radio remains the most widely consumed medium across the globe. Its ability to reach a large audience makes it a powerful tool for shaping society's diversity, and a platform for all voices to be represented and heard. This year’s World Radio Day celebration on 13 February, led by UNESCO, highlights radio's remarkable past, its relevant present, and its promise for a dynamic future.

"Volunteers from all areas of society have helped people who have been directly impacted by the war. They're cooking meals, giving clothing, giving money, opening their homes."

Karolina Lindholm Billing was posted to Ukraine less than a year before the full-scale Russian invasion. As the UNHCR Representative in the country, she draws hope from witnessing the power of community volunteer networks in supporting displaced people in their hour of need.

In this episode, Karolina reflects on Ukrainian resilience, the drive to rebuild, and why people long to stay in their own homes, even in a war zone.

“What I’ve seen so clearly during these last 600 plus days of the war in Ukraine, is how quickly people want to recover…So when we can be a little enabler of that recovery, I think that feels meaningful”

Photo: ©UNHCR/Oleksii Barkov

“Our job is to give hope and help by giving food to those who really need it most. And that's what we do.”

World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director Cindy McCain has many pressing reasons to lie awake at night. As Head of WFP, it is her job to make sure the millions of vulnerable people around the world who are relying on UN food assistance – from Gaza to Sudan to Afghanistan – don’t starve. In this episode, recorded four weeks into the war in Gaza, Cindy McCain reflects on finding hope in desperate situations, and raising her voice for the world’s forgotten millions.

Hunger is still one of the biggest – and most solvable – problems globally, causing 783 million people around the world to go to bed on an empty stomach every night.

“[Donation gaps mean] I'm taking food from hungry people and giving it to starving people. That's a heck of a decision to have to make.”

Photo: ©WFP/JulianCiviero

UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, Melissa Fleming, addressed a meeting of the Security Council on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its impact on hate speech, mis- and disinformation. Ms. Fleming noted that generative AI, if developed and used responsibly, has the potential to improve access to information, health, education, and public services. However, she expressed grave concern over the technology’s potential to “dramatically intensify online harms” by enabling large volumes of convincing disinformation to be created at scale and distributed widely.

UNESCO figures show that 2023 has been a particularly deadly year for journalists who work in conflict zones, with killings almost doubling compared to the past three years. The last three months of this year have already been the deadliest quarter for journalists in conflict zones since at least 2007, with 27 deaths. The ongoing hostilities in the Middle East were responsible for a large majority of conflict-related killings. UNESCO is the United Nations agency with a mandate to ensure freedom of expression and the safety of journalists worldwide.

UNESCO's Youth Hackathon was a key component of Global MIL Week 2023, designed to engage and empower youths under the theme “Youth powering media and information literacy in digital spaces”.