This podcast episode features a conversation sparked by a newly premiered 2025 film Rule Breakers, which follows Afghanistan’s first all-girls robotics team and their journey to challenge societal norms and push boundaries. Rule Breakers is a story of determination, defying limitations, and carving out space in science and technology despite the odds. The Raoul Wallenberg Institute had the pleasure of organizing a conversation between our Afghanistan research Fellow Palwasha Mirbacha and Roya Mahboob, the robotics team’s co-founder, to talk about the role of alternative learning spaces, the fi ..read more

Mark Gibney is the Carol Belk Distinguished Professor of Humanities and Political Science at the University of North Carolina at Asheville and the Affiliate Professor at RWI. In this episode, Professor Gibney challenges us to rethink how countries are held accountable — not just within their borders, but on a global scale. We’ll discuss his groundbreaking Political Terror Scale, which tracks government oppression in over 185 countries, and explore how a reimagined sense of responsibility could transform the way governments uphold justice and protect human rights. The episode is moderated by Da ..read more

Ambassador Olof Skoog, since March 2024, has been the EU Special Representative for Human Rights. He is a Swedish diplomat with extensive experience represen­ting both Sweden and the European Union. Most recently he was EU Ambassador to the UN in New York. Last month, he was with us in Lund to deliver the 2024 annual Anna Lindh Lecture under the title “The Strategy of Human Rights”. The episode is moderated by Edwina Magnus, a Library Assistant at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute's Human Rights Library. Edwina is currently pursuing an LL.M in International Human Rights Law at Lund University and ..read more

Ambassador Olof Skoog, EU Special Representative for Human Rights, delivered the 2024 annual Anna Lindh Lecture on 19 November on the theme of “The Strategy of Human Rights.” This podcast episode is a live recording of the lecture as it was delivered at Lund University Hall ..read more

Marthe is a Cameroonian human rights, gender and peace activist. Since the 1990s, she has worked to prevent and fight sexual violence against children. She founded her organization ALDEPA in 1998, where she supports the well-being of girls through education, bro-bono legal assistance and psychosocial care. In 2019 she was awarded the Right livelihood award for her work in defending the rights of local communities affected by the exploitation of natural resources in Cameroon ..read more

Morten Koch Andersen, expert on human rights and corruption explains ..read more

Maliha Shirzay-Research Fellow, RWI Afghanistan Programme in 2024 is collaborating with other research fellows to support the mandate of the Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett on Human Rights in Afghanistan. More specifically, in this episode dedicated tshe shares insights from her research on investigating the rights of Afghan women, particularly focusing on education and empowerment. Maliha delves into the marginalized position of ethnic groups, specifically the Uzbek women in Afghanistan, and the obstacles encountered by Muslim women. Her research delves into the intricate nature of interse ..read more

Hamid A. Formuli is a human rights practitioner, former career diplomat and a Research Fellow with RWI's Afghanistan program in 2024. His tenure at the Afghan foreign service spans over 8 years, boasting an impactful career across various roles, starting from a consular associate, law and treaties officer to special aide to the deputy foreign minister for economic cooperation. Hamid previously served as the Head of the Human Rights Section of the Permanent Mission of Afghanistan to the UN in Geneva, and alternative permanent representative to the Human Rights Council during Afghanistan’s first ..read more

Humaira Rasuli is an Afghan human rights lawyer, women empowerment activist and the Co-Founder and Director of Women for Justice Organization in Afghanistan (WJO). She has been with RWI in 2024 as a Research Fellow with the Afghanistan Program. In 2018, Humaira Rasuli co-founded Woman for Justice Organization (WJO) to better safeguard women’s rights by strengthening the state’s institutional response and accountability to violence against women using legal strategies, pushing for law reform, training the emerging advocates and conducting peace advocacy. Humaira performed as a leading lawyer in ..read more

Mitra Tanomand, Research Fellow with RWI Afghanistan Programme is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Global Development with a focus on Education in the UK. Her project is focusing on researching human rights issues in Afghanistan, focusing on girls’ education and “Unveiling the post-2021 Realities within Women’s Protection Shelters in Afghanistan: Navigating Challenges Amidst Socio-Political Shifts ..read more