Growing up around the buzz of the Radio Fiji studios, Talei Tora is a born storyteller. As the daughter of a radio announcer, Talei learnt from an early age the importance of how a story is told—and for whom.

Fast forward to today and Talei is an extensively experienced communications expert, with more than two decades under her belt as a television and film producer, journalist and communications specialist. From her early experiences in the Fijian military, Talei transitioned her career to tell the unheard stories of her community through roles in the development sector, including as a roster member for RedR Australia.

In this episode, Sally and Talei delve into two mammoth topics affecting the Pacific—colonialism and localisation. They discuss the role of storytelling in development and the importance of silence in Pacific culture. And we get a glimpse into Talei’s not-so-secret life—as a brewer and scientist for her ginger beer business, GingerLei.

You can find out more about RedR Australia’s roster here.

You can join our conversations on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

You can read the transcript here.

Host: Sally Cunningham

Guest: Talei Tora

Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar

In Pacific Island countries such as Fiji, the first education for a young child is often learning traditional knowledge. And for humanitarian Simione Bula, preserving and protecting this valuable knowledge is vital to navigating future disasters in the region.

Simione is a highly experienced disaster management and disability inclusion specialist, with nearly two decades of experience across organisations like the Pacific Disability Forum, Samoa’s Disaster Management Office and CBM Australia.

In this episode, Simione shares his experiences growing up on a remote island of Fiji and learning the traditional warning signs of approaching disaster. He chats with Sally about the intimate connection between people, land and sea, how he transitioned from being a school teacher to becoming a humanitarian, and how the best place to start with disability inclusion is to put disability aside—and see people with disabilities as people first.

You can find out more about RedR Australia’s roster here.

You can join our conversations on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

You can read the transcript here.

Host: Sally Cunningham

Guest: Simione Bula

Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar

From taking cover in bomb shelters in Ukraine, to herding donkeys in Afghanistan, to drinking kava in Fiji, Richard Simpson has many rich insights from 25 years as a humanitarian leader, innovator and educator.

After a serendipitous meeting with a United Nations official in Turkey in the 90s, followed by a degree in anthropology and Latin American studies, Richard found a path into the humanitarian sector via a role in Timor Leste.

Since then, Richard has accrued more than two decades of humanitarian experience working in 25 countries around the world. Richard’s experience spans international NGOs and United Nations agencies. In 2022, he was in Ukraine as the country director for CARE and he recently returned from Palestine where he supported Oxfam with their response to the crisis in Gaza.

In this episode, Richard talks with Sally about the importance of listening—to communities, colleagues and oneself. He explains the benefit of making measured—but swift—decisions at the onset of a disaster. And he ruminates on the challenges of working in an active conflict zone, and how important supportive families are for humanitarian workers.

You can find out more about RedR Australia’s training courses here.

You can join our conversations on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

You can read the transcript here.

Host: Sally Cunningham

Guest: Richard Simpson

Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar

Hailing from ‘a tiny drop in the ocean’ in eastern Fiji, Vuli Gauna survived a cyclone when he was just two years old. Observing the growing intensity of storms as he grew up, he was inspired to volunteer and eventually work for a wide range of Red Cross societies across the Pacific, as well as the IFRC.

Now, with nearly 30 years’ experience in disaster preparedness, response and recovery, Vuli is a highly respected humanitarian leader. He is also a very experienced trainer and is well-known throughout the Pacific for his work developing and facilitating training, while also sharing his wealth of knowledge on RedR Australia’s Essentials of Humanitarian Practice course.

In this episode, Vuli discusses traditional ways of living with disasters—and how that’s changing due to climate change. He also explores the importance of sovereignty during disaster responses, why relationships are central to effective disaster responses, and the deep connection Pacific Islanders have to their oceans and each other.

You can join our conversations on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

You can find out more about RedR Australia’s training courses here.

You can read the transcript here.

Host: Sally Cunningham

Guest: Vuli Gauna

Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar

For Hannah Jay, the inspiring power of women and girls has fueled her life’s work. As a gender expert in the humanitarian sector for more than a decade, Hannah has dedicated her career to addressing gender-based violence in humanitarian contexts.

She’s worked extensively across Asia and the Pacific, supporting a wide range of organisations including the United Nations, the World Bank and Save the Children. Hannah is also an associate trainer on RedR Australia’s courses, and a researcher and investigator for international crimes against children.

In this episode, Hannah discusses the incredible power of adolescent girls and where the world is at with gender equality. She also talks frankly about the challenges of being a woman in the humanitarian sector, how to safely manage a disclosure of violence, and how she cares for her own mental health in this challenging career.

If you’re in Australia and you need resources or support, please visit 1800respect.org.au or call 1800 737 732 for their free, 24-hour counselling service. For those outside Australia, please contact your national counselling and support service.

Read the transcript here.

Host: Sally Cunningham

Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar

You can join our conversations on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

It’s not a glamorous job working with toilets. But having access to clean water, sanitation and good hygiene is lifesaving stuff, and thankfully for us it’s Kathryn Harries’ dream job.

A highly experienced water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) engineer and humanitarian leader, Kathryn worked for Sydney Water Corporation for a decade before transitioning to the international humanitarian sector.

Since then, for nearly 20 years, Kathryn has devoted her life to helping provide clean water and sanitation for people affected by humanitarian disasters around the world.

In this episode, Sally chats with Kathryn about the power of her life-saving work, the moment she realised she wanted to become a WASH engineer, her work in academia with the Centre for Humanitarian Leadership at Deakin University, and what she loves about being an associate trainer with RedR Australia.

As part of her PhD, Kathryn developed a guide called the Field Team Impact Kit, which aims to help technical teams in humanitarian and development organisations to be more effective, sustainable and locally led.

You can learn more about Kathryn’s Field Team Impact Kit here.

You can find out more about RedR Australia’s training courses here.

Read the transcript here.

Host: Sally Cunningham

Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar

Join our conversations on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Passionate, persistent, patient—these are three qualities Dr. Helen Durham AO says are essential for humanitarians. And whether she’s addressing the UN Security Council in New York or mediating with the military in times of conflict, Helen embodies them all—while staying true to her humanitarian imperative.

A trailblazer in international humanitarian law, RedR Australia’s CEO Dr. Helen Durham has devoted her 30-year career to protecting people whose lives are affected by war and conflict. She was a key player in the drafting of an historic resolution to prohibit the use of nuclear weapons; she played an important role in clarifying rape as a war crime; and she played a key role in the creation of the International Criminal Court at The Hague. In 2017, she was awarded the prestigious Officer of the Order of Australia.

In this episode, Helen and Sally chat about the power and importance of humanitarian work—from the impact it can have on individual lives, to the power of law to change entire nations, to the delicate balance of courage and compassion that all humanitarians must hold.

You can join our conversations on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

You can read the transcript here.

Host: Sally Cunningham

Guest: Dr. Helen Durham AO

Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar

Growing up as the child of migrants, Melissa Bencik always knew she wanted to work with people from diverse backgrounds. Now a deeply experienced humanitarian, Melissa has worked across Asia, Africa, the Pacific and Australia, predominantly in protection and inclusion. She is also a RedR Australia roster member.

In this episode, Mel chats with Sally about a wide array of topics—from the power of empathy, to her journey from social worker to humanitarian, and what it means to be a woman working in this challenging sector.

Find out more about the RedR Australia roster on the RedR Australia website.

You can also join our conversations on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

You can read the transcript here.

Host: Sally Cunningham

Guest: Melissa Bencik

Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar