No excuse for lack of health services: UN official

Governments are being reminded of their obligation to provide health services for their citizens, including to ensure that fewer women and babies do not die while giving birth.  That’s the message from the UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Kate Gilmore, who this week participated in a dialogue at UN Headquarters in New York on how human rights, including the right to healthcare reflected in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  I spoke to her prior to the event.

"I lost my dignity in Libya":FGM survivor and refugee speaks out

The harmful traditional practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), considered in some communities to be a rite of passage, has propelled thousands of women and girls to flee their homes, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).  Aisha is one of them.  She ran from her home in Côte d’Ivoire to save her daughter from being cut, but the mother’s nightmare only continued at a detention centre in Libya.  Now safely residing in a refugee reception centre in Italy, Aisha is still kept awake at night reflecting on the three months of abuse she survived in Libya to reach safety.  Natalie Hutchison has her story.

American Filmmaker Melonie Kastman’s film‘Until There is Peace’

After seeing negative news reports about UN peacekeepers, American filmmaker Melonie Kastman was inspired to share positive stories about the blue helmets.  Her film ‘Until There is Peace’ documents her months embedded with peacekeepers at the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  The experience confirmed her belief that UN peacekeepers are dedicated to the goal of achieving peace and protecting civilians affected by conflict.  Liz Scaffidi caught up with Ms Kastman when she was at UN Headquarters for a screening of the film.

Presenter: Paulina Greer

Duration: 10'00″