PRIO's Peace in a Pod

For some children, the scars of war are present from the very beginning of life.

Children born of war are found in virtually every conflict worldwide. Most are born to local women and fathered by members of enemy forces. Some of these relationships are consensual – occasionally even rooted in love. Many, however, are the result of rape.

Across contexts, these children carry the burden of a complex and often violent history, as well as stigma that frequently follows them into adulthood. For decades, societies have struggled to acknowledge their existence, let alone protect their rights.

Today, that is slowly beginning to change.

In June 2025, Ukraine took a decisive step by criminalising war crimes against children – crimes that became particularly prevalent following Russia’s invasion. Yet globally, the path to recognition and justice remains long.

In this special episode of PRIO’s Peace in a Pod, Arnaud Siad speaks with Ajna Jusić, a Bosnian human rights activist and founder of the Forgotten Children of War Association. Ajna’s advocacy helped secure a landmark moment in 2023, when Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted the Law on the Protection of Civilian Victims of War, formally recognising children born of war as a distinct social category with equal rights.

She is joined by Lejla Damon, spokesperson for the organisation, who speaks to the situation of children born of war in Bosnia and internationally.

The conversation also includes Inger Skjelsbæk, Professor at the University of Oslo and Research Professor at PRIO, and leader of the EuroWARCHILD project, which examines the experiences, rights, and needs of children born of war across Europe.

Ajna and Lejla were in Oslo to receive the University of Oslo Human Rights Award on behalf of the Forgotten Children of War Association – and to share their personal experiences, research, and ongoing fight for recognition, justice, and dignity.

PRIO’s Peace in a Pod is hosted by Arnaud Siad.

Photo: Getty Images/Derek Hudson.
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January 2026 has barely begun, yet the pace of global upheaval is already staggering.

In just a few weeks, the United States has seized Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro, issued threats against allies, and signalled a willingness to reshape the world order.

At the same time, international law and human rights are under unprecedented strain – from Ukraine to Sudan, from Gaza to Iran. Ceasefires fail to end the violence. Humanitarian organisations are expelled. Journalists and academics are silenced.

As 2026 begins, a fundamental question looms: are we witnessing a temporary crisis of the international system – or its steady unravelling?

In this episode, Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International and former UN Special Rapporteur, and Jørgen Jensehaugen, Research Professor at the Peace Research Institute Oslo and a leading expert on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, examine the erosion of global norms, accountability, and multilateral institutions – and ask what, if anything, can still hold the system together.

PRIO’s Peace in a Pod is hosted by Arnaud Siad.

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After nearly a decade as PRIO Director, Henrik Urdal has wrapped up his tenure. Taking over is Nina Græger, who returns to PRIO after leading the Department of Political Science at the University of Copenhagen.

In this special episode of PRIO’s Peace in a Pod, host Arnaud Siad sits down with both leaders for a wide-ranging conversation about what it means to steer a peace research institute in a time of global turbulence.

Henrik reflects on his years at the helm - the challenges, guiding values, and what makes PRIO unique. Nina shares her vision for the institute and the role of peace research in an era marked by resurging conflict, rising defense budgets, and shifting geopolitical alliances.
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2024 marked one of the most violent years since the end of the Cold War, with 61 armed conflicts recorded across 36 countries. This sobering tally comes from PRIO’s latest Conflict Trends: A Global Overview report, drawing on data from the Uppsala Conflict Data Program.

But behind the numbers lies a deeper human toll. From Gaza to Sudan, children are among the most vulnerable in today’s wars - facing displacement, trauma, and the collapse of education and health systems.

In this episode, we speak to Inger Ashing, CEO of Save the Children, about what it means to protect childhood in the midst of war. And to Siri Aas Rustad, Research Director at PRIO and lead author of the report, who walks us through the data and its implications.

PRIO's Peace in a Pod is hosted by Arnaud Siad.

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The European Commission has unveiled a bold 800 billion euro plan to ramp up defense spending - marking what many are calling a historic shift in Europe’s security architecture.

With the United States signaling a more distant role under the Trump administration, Europe is under growing pressure to stand on its own.

Is this a turning point for NATO? Can Europe match the military and strategic weight of other global powers? And what might this shift mean for the values that have long underpinned the Western alliance?

In this episode, host Arnaud Siad is joined by Kori Schake, Director of Foreign and Defense Policy at the American Enterprise Institute and former foreign policy adviser to President George W. Bush, and Bruno Oliveira Martins, Senior Researcher at PRIO, to unpack the changing transatlantic relationship and what lies ahead for Europe’s security future.

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