logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2023
36m 39s

Haunted by Tales of Torture - Alice Jill...

UNITED NATIONS, MELISSA FLEMING
About this episode

Dr. Alice Jill Edwards spends many of her days listening to the testimonies of torture victims. Now the UN's Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, she works towards a world in which torture is finally a thing of the past.

"I do remember the faces of most of the people I've met, and in fact, they keep me going in this work. And at the same time, of course, their stories haunt me."

The United Nations Convention on Torture bans all forms of torture and other inhuman treatment, and yet these malpractices are on the rise worldwide in a mounting number of conflicts. In this episode, Dr. Alice Jill Edwards reflects on the challenge of holding states to their commitments, the visible and invisible scars torture leaves behind, and on the need to recharge without guilt.

Up next
Sep 18
On life's journey, make each step count, with Amina J. Mohammed - UN Deputy Secretary-General
How does one out of five sisters from rural Nigeria grow up to be UN Deputy Secretary-General? Blessed with tenacity, determination and grit, Amina Mohammed has always been driven to improve the lives of her fellow human beings and our planet. Rising to the top of the United Nati ... Show More
41m 21s
Sep 11
A ray of hope for cancer patients, with Dr. May Abdel-Wahab - Director of the Division of Human Health at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
Whenever a new cancer patient entered her office in the U.S., Dr. May Abdel-Wahab knew she could help by palliating their pain and working towards a cure. Now, as Director of the Division of Human Health at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), she delivers hope to patie ... Show More
35m 29s
Sep 5
Nothing keeps me awake, everything keeps me going, with Peter Hawkins - UNICEF Representative in Yemen
Every day, Peter Hawkins wakes up filled with determination to make a difference. As the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Representative in Yemen, he puts that boundless energy into helping young people survive one of the world's most intractable humanitarian crises. "Desp ... Show More
39m 44s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2023
Searching for Justice at Guantanamo: Tainted evidence and the fight for accountability
When the prison at Guantanamo Bay was opened, it was announced that it would hold terror suspects, picked up by the US in their War on Terror. It quickly became a dungeon that tortured its inmates and violated some of the most basic principles of humanity. Subsequent presidents, ... Show More
31m 43s
Apr 2024
From the Archive: Heart and Soul - Faith, terrorists and mercy at Guantanamo
An episode of Heart and Soul from our Archive. Dr Jennifer Bryson interrogated suspected Al-Qaeda terrorists at the infamous Guantanamo Bay. She worked at the detention centre in Cuba for two years and says that some of the inmates bragged openly about helping to organise the ter ... Show More
26m 49s
Sep 2020
Trailer: Brainwashed
Brainwashed is an investigative series into the CIA’s covert experiments in mind control – from the Cold War and MKULTRA to the so-called War on Terror. Listen to the voices of the survivors and their families, the conscientious objectors and the lawyers and journalists who have ... Show More
3m 5s
May 2018
From the Past to the Modern Day: Does torture actually work?
<p>It's one of the most ancient practices in human civilization, and one that continues in the modern day. In recent decades experts, military officials and activists alike have argued over the definitions of torture -- and, most importantly, whether it actually works. So how muc ... Show More
59m 41s
Sep 2023
Heart and Soul: Faith, terrorists and mercy at Guantanamo Bay
Dr Jennifer Bryson interrogated suspected Al-Qaeda terrorists at the infamous Guantanamo Bay. She worked at the detention centre in Cuba for two years and says that some of the inmates bragged openly about helping to organise the terrorist attacks of 9/11 that killed 3,000 people ... Show More
27m 15s
Jun 2023
The sexual torture of Ukrainian soldiers
We find out how Russian troops are using sexual torture against prisoners of war (warning: explicit content) Also, FIFA reveals which teams suffered the worse online abuse during the World Cup and how India’s Government is encouraging its civil servants to take regular yoga break ... Show More
10m 10s
Oct 2020
Episode 6: NEVER TOO LATE TO SAY SORRY
MKULTRA has entered popular culture, becoming the butt of jokes, television plot points, and the darling of internet conspiracy theorists. At the very least, the secrecy that still surrounds MKULTRA, or the CIA’s post-9/11 programs, sows distrust of governments, and medical profe ... Show More
34m 9s