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The Lid is On

© Eric Eugene Murangwa

WATCH: ‘Football saved my life’ says genocide survivor

April 7 marks three decades since the beginning of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. An almost unimaginable slaughter, which saw an estimated 800,000 people killed in just 100 days, and shocked the world.

Eric Eugene Murangwa was a football at the time, playing for Rayon Sports, one of the top teams in the country, based in the capital Kigali.

As a Tutsi, he was in extreme danger when the genocide began. But, despite being well know, he managed to survive, despite the attempts to kill as many Tutsis as possible. He says that football saved his life.

Audio Duration
16'35"
© Unsplash/Markus Spiske

PODCAST: Bringing order to the AI ‘Wild West’

This episode of The Lid Is On focuses on cutting edge online technology, and the UN’s role in making sure that it benefits humanity, rather than causing us harm.

Proponents of AI point to the immense benefits these tools could bring to society, but the clamour for robust regulation of AI is growing louder. Similarly, the car industry is forging ahead with plans to ramp up autonomous driving technology, promising a safer future on the roads, but fears surrounding driverless “robot cars” persist.

Audio
25'16"
UN News/Daniel Dickinson

PODCAST: Breaking barriers around teen pregnancy in Thailand

Thailand has been lauded for the progressive legislation it has passed into law which ensures that women and girls have the right to a range of sexual and reproductive health services, but many teenagers struggle to access the care they need. The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has been working with organizations in the South East Asian country to make sure those young people receive the support they are entitled to.

Music Credit: Within the Earth by Ketsa

Audio Duration
24'55"
MINUSCA/Francis Yoga-Yabendji

PODCAST: Crises and international division ‘challenging’ says UN peacekeeping chief

UN peacekeeping operations are facing more challenging political and security conditions in Sub-Saharan Africa and require the united and committed support from Member States. However, as the head of UN peacekeeping, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, tells the Lid is On podcast from UN News, a multiplication of crises, and divisions amongst Member States are complicating peacekeeping operations.

Audio
13'8"
UN News/Daniel Dickinson

PODCAST: UN boosts fight against drug trafficking in the Golden Triangle

Countries in Southeast Asia are coming together with the support of the UN to tackle what is being described as “one of the biggest drug-trafficking corridors in the world.” Traditionally, the highly addictive drugs, opium and heroin were trafficked out of the region, but now more dangerous synthetic drugs are being manufactured in remote jungle laboratories in ever larger quantities. Daniel Dickinson travelled to the north of Thailand for this special edition of The Lid Is On.
Audio
24'43"
UN News/ Alexandra del Castello

PODCAST: Can young leaders help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals?

With the world currently recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, and reeling from the economic fallout of the war in Ukraine, progress on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals remains slow.

So, can we pick up the pace in the seven years we have left in this decade, and get closer to realizing the Goals? And can Youth Leaders make a difference?

Audio
18'11"
UN News/ Alexandra del Castello

PODCAST: A new generation of SDG champions picks up the baton

On today’s episode of The Lid Is On, Conor Lennon speaks to three exceptional young changemakers who have been recognized by the UN for the contributions they are making to a more sustainable world.

Vee Kativhu is an award-winning education activist from Zimbabwe, American Paralympian Jamal Hill launched a foundation to cut the number of people who drown each year, and Karen Wang, from China, is the founder of a startup which provides carbon accounting software to help institutions meet their net zero goals.

Audio Duration
15'48"