MIC works with the Global Protection Cluster’s Advocacy Working Group, which is co-led by Save The Children and Oxfam, to produce the ‘Advocating For Protection’ podcast,  featuring voices from Ukraine and Yemen. The series spotlights the experiences and stories of people from across the world who are advocating for the protection of civilians in conflict and crisis.

At the start of 2023, a staggering 160 million people in conflict and crisis were believed to need protection. There has never been a greater need for effective advocacy for the protection of civilians in conflict and crisis. But how do we do this protection advocacy? What skills and techniques can we use? How can we identify decision-makers? What tactics work? How can we manage risk?

It’s these questions that the Global Protection Cluster’s Advocacy Working Group explores in their new podcast ‘Advocating for Protection’, produced by MIC media.

MIC delivers its Blended Service, a combination of podcasting production and training to support members of the group to launch their new series. To create the podcast we worked with members across the world, including here in the UK, Geneva and as far-flung as Mongolia!

Listen to the Advocating for Protection podcast ⬇️

The Podcast

In each conversational episode, you hear from those who are lobbying in the corridors of the UN building in New York, those who are face-to-face with armed actors at the frontlines of conflict zones, and everything in between. 

The series features voices from Ukraine and Yemen who are interviewed about their important work in their respective countries. They tell you about their personal experiences, their successes but also the challenges and how they overcame them.

The first episode is a fascinating conversation between Vittorio Infante, Advocacy Advisor at Oxfam, and Gemma Davies, Research Fellow at ODI’s Humanitarian Policy Group, who shares her analysis and recommendations for effective influencing to protect civilians in conflict.

Global Protection Cluster’s Advocacy Working Group

The network co-led by Save The Children and Oxfam, is a network of nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), international organisations and United Nations (UN) agencies engaged in protection work in humanitarian crises, including armed conflict and disasters. 

Rachel Hastie, Protection Team Officer at Oxfam explains why a podcast was the way forward for the Advocacy Working Group,

There are thousands of people across the world advocating for the protection of civilians in conflict and crisis. Rarely do we hear the real-life stories of their experiences. There’s real value to others working in these areas to hear these stories and learn from them. This is what the Advocating For Protection podcast is all about, offering a mouthpiece to these individuals so that everyone working together in this sector can benefit.

It’s been a great experience working with MIC media to produce this series. We started knowing nothing about creating podcasts, but now we’re confident that we can continue to produce more useful, fascinating and authentic episodes.

Vic Elizabeth Turnbull, CEO and founder of MIC media adds, 

It’s been a real joy for MIC media to work internationally with Oxfam, Save The Children and other global partners in the Advocacy Working Group to produce this important series. It once again demonstrates the power of podcasts and our commitment at MIC to amplify often underheard stories and voices to inspire, inform and influence others on a global scale.

The Advocating for Protection podcast is out now. Listen here.

Looking for support to produce your podcast? Contact MIC here, and let’s have a chat about your podcast ideas.