In this episode we dive deep into the dire humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan- from severe economic struggles, the rise in child labor and early marriages, the state of journalism under Taliban rule, and most importantly the systemic oppression of women. Our Special guest this week- Qais Alamdar, an Afghan researcher, analyst and founder of Intelfocus, also unpacks the complexities of international relations and sanctions affecting the people in Afghanistan. Qais provides insights into the multifaceted challenges faced by the Afghan people, emphasizing the need for humanitarian aid, education, and the formal recognition of gender apartheid to break the oppression of women by The Taliban regime.SPECIAL GUEST: QAIS ALAMDARResearcher, Analyst, Founder- Intelfocus

SUPPORT EDUCATION FOR WOMEN IN AFGHANISTANSupport education foSupport education for women in Afghanistan. Give them their voice back.

LEARN MORE- www.refocusmedialabs.org/voices-afghan-women

SUPPORT FRACTURED:"Fractured", "Humanitarian Watch” and "DisInfo Watch” are original podcast productions of ReFOCUS Media Labs citizen journalists. To support this program donate on ⁠https://refocusmedialabs.org/donate

or join us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/refocusmedialabs

PRODUCTION FAMILY:

Host: Sonia Nandzik-HermanDouglas Herman

Production Family:

Dawoud Nouri, Antonis Lytrianis, Ziad Ibrahim, Angel Sifontes,Rahel Dejen, Melek Moussa, Maria Zhuk, Wassim Ahmed,Philomene Cazaubon, Coralie Duteil

Citizen Journalists:

Yaser Taheri, Milad Ebrahimi, Yaser Akbari, Naqib Rasuli, Mohammad Ali Alami

Mentorship: Douglas Herman

Producers: Sonia Nandzik-Herman, Douglas Herman

Graphic Design: Eli Fazlollah for designs by Eli go to: ⁠https://refocusmedialabs.org/shop⁠ MUSIC:

Theme- "Intro for Legends" by Bonkers Beat Club (Epidemic Sound)

Additional- "Mogul" by Blue Steel (Epidemic Sound)

SPECIAL THANKS:

To the extended ReFOCUS Family for their dedication, passion and creativity all year long. We’re not where we are today without all the effort from Florian Krauer, Louise Holm, Chryssa Kouroukli, Natalia Tsarenko, Fine Bieler, Tommaso Stingo, Nazanin Foroghi, Yaser Akbari, Dariia Stepanova, Rada Valchanova, Walker Watson, Eleonora Giacomelli, Joseph Murray, Omer Butt, Wojtek Paluch, Matthew Goncalves O’Kelly, Jennifer Perez, Jule Pehnt, Majid Bakhshi, Paul “Al” Simon, Jaime Moro Saavedra, Joëlle Hübscher, Beni Rietmann, Jakob Mayr, Jurek Edel, Francisco Ibanez, Bart Van Son, Federico Bustamente, Myriam Rey, Lotta Luley, Federico Rinaldi, Fatima Al Ali, Karina Kozłowska, Grace Neely, Marion Olang, Beryl Waindi. Evi Amersfoort, Dominika Pawlik

CONTACT:

Thoughts or questions about this episode? Suggestions for topics we can cover later in the season?

Contact: ⁠sonia@refocusmedialabs.org

At the beginning of November the German chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that for Syrians living in Germany, the grounds for asylum no longer apply — because the war in Syria is considered over. He appeared to contradict his foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, who after a visit to Damascus the week before expressed doubt that many Syrians would choose to return given the devastation and ongoing instability, which he said made a dignified existence hard to imagine.

Why does this issue become such a big point of discussion in Germany in the current political situation?

SUPPORT:

"Fractured" is an original production of ReFOCUS Media Labs citizen journalists. To support this program donate on ⁠https://refocusmedialabs.org/donate

or join us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/refocusmedialabs

PRODUCTION FAMILY:

Host: Sonia Nandzik-HermanDouglas Herman

Production Family:

Dawoud Nouri, Antonis Lytrianis, Ziad Ibrahim, Angel Sifontes,Rahel Dejen, Melek Moussa, Maria Zhuk, Wassim Ahmed,Philomene Cazaubon, Coralie Duteil

Citizen Journalists:

Yaser Taheri, Milad Ebrahimi, Yaser Akbari, Naqib Rasuli, Mohammad Ali Alami

Mentorship: Douglas Herman

Producers: Sonia Nandzik-Herman, Douglas Herman

Graphic Design: Eli Fazlollah for designs by Eli go to: ⁠https://refocusmedialabs.org/shop⁠

MUSIC:

Theme- "Intro for Legends" by Bonkers Beat Club (Epidemic Sound)

Additional- "Mogul" by Blue Steel (Epidemic Sound)

SPECIAL THANKS:

To the extended ReFOCUS Family for their dedication, passion and creativity all year long. We’re not where we are today without all the effort from Florian Krauer, Louise Holm, Chryssa Kouroukli, Natalia Tsarenko, Fine Bieler, Tommaso Stingo, Nazanin Foroghi, Yaser Akbari, Dariia Stepanova, Rada Valchanova, Walker Watson, Eleonora Giacomelli, Joseph Murray, Omer Butt, Wojtek Paluch, Matthew Goncalves O’Kelly, Jennifer Perez, Jule Pehnt, Majid Bakhshi, Paul “Al” Simon, Jaime Moro Saavedra, Joëlle Hübscher, Beni Rietmann, Jakob Mayr, Jurek Edel, Francisco Ibanez, Bart Van Son, Federico Bustamente, Myriam Rey, Lotta Luley, Federico Rinaldi, Fatima Al Ali, Karina Kozłowska, Grace Neely, Marion Olang, Beryl Waindi. Evi Amersfoort, Dominika Pawlik

CONTACT:

Thoughts or questions about this episode? Suggestions for topics we can cover later in the season?

Contact: ⁠sonia@refocusmedialabs.org

Shawn VanDiver, president and founder of #AfghanEvac, discusses the critical situation of Afghan allies left behind after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. He shares the formation of #AfghanEvac, the challenges faced by Afghan refugees, and the impact of U.S. government policies on their resettlement. The conversation emphasizes the importance of advocacy, coalition building, and the need for continued support for Afghan women and children. VanDiver calls for action from individuals and organizations to help improve the situation for Afghan refugees and highlights the responsibility of the U.S. government in addressing these humanitarian issues.

SPECIAL GUEST: Shawn VanDiver - President and Chairman, #AfghanEvac

SUPPORT: "Fractured" is an original production of ReFOCUS Media Labs citizen journalists. To support this program donate on ⁠https://refocusmedialabs.org/donate

or join us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/refocusmedialabs

PRODUCTION FAMILY:

Host: Douglas Herman

Production Family:

Dawoud Nouri, Antonis Lytrianis, Ziad Ibrahim, Angel Sifontes,Rahel Dejen, Melek Moussa, Maria Zhuk, Wassim Ahmed,Philomene Cazaubon, Coralie Duteil

Citizen Journalists:

Yaser Taheri, Milad Ebrahimi, Yaser Akbari, Naqib Rasuli, Mohammad Ali Alami

Mentorship: Douglas Herman

Producers: Sonia Nandzik-Herman, Douglas Herman

Graphic Design: Eli Fazlollah for designs by Eli go to: ⁠https://refocusmedialabs.org/shop⁠

MUSIC:

Theme- "Intro for Legends" by Bonkers Beat Club (Epidemic Sound)

Additional- "Mogul" by Blue Steel (Epidemic Sound)

SPECIAL THANKS:

To the extended ReFOCUS Family for their dedication, passion and creativity all year long. We’re not where we are today without all the effort from Florian Krauer, Louise Holm, Chryssa Kouroukli, Natalia Tsarenko, Fine Bieler, Tommaso Stingo, Nazanin Foroghi, Yaser Akbari, Dariia Stepanova, Rada Valchanova, Walker Watson, Eleonora Giacomelli, Joseph Murray, Omer Butt, Wojtek Paluch, Matthew Goncalves O’Kelly, Jennifer Perez, Jule Pehnt, Majid Bakhshi, Paul “Al” Simon, Jaime Moro Saavedra, Joëlle Hübscher, Beni Rietmann, Jakob Mayr, Jurek Edel, Francisco Ibanez, Bart Van Son, Federico Bustamente, Myriam Rey, Lotta Luley, Federico Rinaldi, Fatima Al Ali, Karina Kozłowska, Grace Neely, Marion Olang, Beryl Waindi. Evi Amersfoort, Dominika Pawlik

CONTACT:

Thoughts or questions about this episode? Suggestions for topics we can cover later in the season?

Contact: ⁠sonia@refocusmedialabs.org

Humanitarian Watch is back for Season 05 premiere with Sonia giving in to Doug's burning need to talk about all the disturbing developments in Greek refugee policies and practices.In This Episode:-continuity of suspension of right to asylum-closure of Helios Housing program-cutting refugee aid in half-nationalising services in refugee camps-further criminalisation of refugees-Migration Minister's letter to new arrivalsSUPPORT:"Fractured" is an original production of ReFOCUS Media Labs citizen journalists. To support this program donate on ⁠https://refocusmedialabs.org/donateor join us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/refocusmedialabsPRODUCTION FAMILY:Host: Sonia Nandzik-HermanDouglas HermanProduction Family: Dawoud Nouri, Antonis Lytrianis, Ziad Ibrahim, Angel Sifontes,Rahel Dejen, Melek Moussa, Maria Zhuk, Wassim Ahmed,Philomene Cazaubon, Coralie Duteil Citizen Journalists: Yaser Taheri, Milad Ebrahimi, Yaser Akbari, Naqib Rasuli, Mohammad Ali AlamiMentorship: Douglas Herman Producers: Sonia Nandzik-Herman, Douglas Herman Graphic Design: Eli Fazlollah for designs by Eli go to: ⁠https://refocusmedialabs.org/shop⁠ MUSIC: Theme- "Intro for Legends" by Bonkers Beat Club (Epidemic Sound) Additional- "Mogul" by Blue Steel (Epidemic Sound)SPECIAL THANKS:To the extended ReFOCUS Family for their dedication, passion and creativity all year long. We’re not where we are today without all the effort from Florian Krauer, Louise Holm, Chryssa Kouroukli, Natalia Tsarenko, Fine Bieler, Tommaso Stingo, Nazanin Foroghi, Yaser Akbari, Dariia Stepanova, Rada Valchanova, Walker Watson, Eleonora Giacomelli, Joseph Murray, Omer Butt, Wojtek Paluch, Matthew Goncalves O’Kelly, Jennifer Perez, Jule Pehnt, Majid Bakhshi, Paul “Al” Simon, Jaime Moro Saavedra, Joëlle Hübscher, Beni Rietmann, Jakob Mayr, Jurek Edel, Francisco Ibanez, Bart Van Son, Federico Bustamente, Myriam Rey, Lotta Luley, Federico Rinaldi, Fatima Al Ali, Karina Kozłowska, Grace Neely, Marion Olang, Beryl Waindi. Evi Amersfoort, Dominika PawlikCONTACT: Thoughts or questions about this episode? Suggestions for topics we can cover later in the season? Contact: ⁠sonia@refocusmedialabs.org

The UK’s approach to housing refugees and asylum seekers has shifted dramatically in recent years. Traditionally, long-term private rental housing was preferred, but since 2020, the increase of asylum cases has resulted in increased reliance on temporary and hotel accommodation. As of March 2025, nearly one-third of asylum seekers were in contingency or hotel accommodation - up from just 5% in 2020.​

This temporary housing is not distributed evenly; London and the Southeast now accommodate more asylum seekers than previous years, mainly using hotels. The cost of such housing is significant: between April 2024 and March 2025, the government spent about £5.5 million per day, with hotel accommodation costing roughly six times more than alternative housing types.​ This type of massive accommodation causes lots of problems. Luckily there are initiatives that took a significantly different approach. An organisation called Refugees at Home pairs asylum seekers and Brits with a spare bedroom, which creates a completely new level of hospitality. Amber Bauer - a founder of forRefugees decided on trying out this solution years ago and has been part of the movement and a “mom” to many asylum seekers ever since.

SPECIAL GUEST:

Amber Bauer - forRefugees founder and CEO

Nima Moradi - forRefugees trustee

SUPPORT:

"Fractured" is an original production of ReFOCUS Media Labs citizen journalists. To support this program donate on ⁠https://refocusmedialabs.org/donate

or join us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/refocusmedialabs

PRODUCTION FAMILY:

Host: Sonia Nandzik-Herman

Production Family:

Sude Fazlollah, Eli Fazlollah, Dawoud Nouri, …Citizen Journalists:

Yaser Taheri, Milad Ebrahimi, Yaser Akbari, Naqib Rasuli, Mohammad Ali Alami

Mentorship: Douglas Herman

Producers: Sonia Nandzik-Herman, Douglas Herman

Graphic Design: Eli Fazlollah for designs by Eli go to: ⁠https://refocusmedialabs.org/shop⁠

MUSIC:

Theme- "Intro for Legends" by Bonkers Beat Club (Epidemic Sound)

Additional- "Mogul" by Blue Steel (Epidemic Sound)

SPECIAL THANKS:

To the extended ReFOCUS Family for their dedication, passion and creativity all year long. We’re not where we are today without all the effort from Florian Krauer, Louise Holm, Chryssa Kouroukli, Natalia Tsarenko, Fine Bieler, Tommaso Stingo, Nazanin Foroghi, Yaser Akbari, Dariia Stepanova, Rada Valchanova, Walker Watson, Eleonora Giacomelli, Joseph Murray, Omer Butt, Wojtek Paluch, Matthew Goncalves O’Kelly, Jennifer Perez, Jule Pehnt, Majid Bakhshi, Paul “Al” Simon, Jaime Moro Saavedra, Joëlle Hübscher, Beni Rietmann, Jakob Mayr, Jurek Edel, Francisco Ibanez, Bart Van Son, Federico Bustamente, Myriam Rey, Lotta Luley, Federico Rinaldi, Fatima AlAli, Karina Kozłowska, Grace Neely, Steve Otieno, Mousa Al Zidane, Marion Olang, Beryl Waindi.

CONTACT:

Thoughts or questions about this episode? Suggestions for topics we can cover later in the season?

Contact: ⁠sonia@refocusmedialabs.org

This was just a brief excerpt from a much larger conversation with Klaas van Dijken - co-founder of Lighthouse Reports, independent journalist

For the full episode go here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2DFZuEw-MM&list=PLIU3A1qWAMTw2W9iCAhSddO3Rq_XkWTBc&index=24

For a year journalists connected to the Lighthouse Reports investigated the treatment of asylum seekers and migrants in North Africa, particularly focusing on the roles of various governments and militias in facilitating deportations and human rights abuses. In this episode Klaas van Dijken, discusses the systematic arrests, racial profiling, and the complicity of the European Union in these operations.

FRACTURED is a production of ReFOCUS Media LabsBECOME A PATRON- www.patreon.com/refocusmedialabsDONATE TODAY- https://refocusmedialabs.org/donateFOLLOW/SHARE- @refocusmedialabsCONNECT- info@refocusmedialabs.orgMUSIC: Theme- "Intro for Legends" by Bonkers Beat Club (Epidemic Sound). Additional- "Mogul" by Blue Steel (Epidemic Sound)

This was just a brief excerpt from a much larger conversation with Amjid Khazir, founder and CEO of Media Cultured.

For the full episode go here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nh2MnCmUTk&list=PLIU3A1qWAMTw2W9iCAhSddO3Rq_XkWTBc&index=28

In this episode, Amjid emphasizes the importance of engaging youth, understanding the trends in radicalization, and the role of social media in spreading hate. The conversation also touches on the significance of cultural intelligence, diversity training, and the impact of sports in promoting social change.

FRACTURED is a production of ReFOCUS Media LabsBECOME A PATRON- www.patreon.com/refocusmedialabsDONATE TODAY- https://refocusmedialabs.org/donateFOLLOW/SHARE- @refocusmedialabsCONNECT- info@refocusmedialabs.orgMUSIC: Theme- "Intro for Legends" by Bonkers Beat Club (Epidemic Sound). Additional- "Mogul" by Blue Steel (Epidemic Sound)

This was just a brief excerpt from a much larger conversation Ben Rawlence - Founding director of Black Mountains College, Author “City of Thorns”You can WATCH FULL EPISODE HERE - https://youtu.be/KvRWr8YZO_Y?si=mRuGpGtCHHm6V19qBen shares his experiences and insights from his time in the Dadaab refugee camp, discussing the complexities of life for refugees, the cultural tensions between different communities, and the challenges faced by young leaders. He highlights the deteriorating conditions in the camp, the difficulties of returning to Somalia, and the misconceptions surrounding refugee needs in Western politics.FRACTURED is a production of ReFOCUS Media LabsBECOME A PATRON- www.patreon.com/refocusmedialabsDONATE TODAY- https://refocusmedialabs.org/donateFOLLOW/SHARE- @refocusmedialabsCONNECT- info@refocusmedialabs.org

MUSIC: Theme- "Intro for Legends" by Bonkers Beat Club (Epidemic Sound) .Additional- "Mogul" by Blue Steel (Epidemic Sound)