Every month, Charlie Linney and Lewis Brooks speak to a diverse group of practitioners, experts, and commentators from around the world to discuss the impacts of security policy on contemporary conflict.
Join us to talk about the long-term implications of securitised interventions and policies, both for democratic controls over the use of force in Europe, the US and elsewhere and for the communities most impacted in places like the Middle East, the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, South America and South-East Asia.
Climate, conflict and the transition away from fossil fuels
How are climate change, conflict and peace connected? And what happens when responses to the climate crisis are framed through security and military priorities?
In this episode of Warpod, Charlie Linney and Natalia Chan speak with climate justice activist Mitzi Jonelle Tan and Ellie Kinney from the Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS). Their conversation spotlights reflections from the first international conference on transitioning away from fossil fuels, held in Santa Marta, Colombia, in April 2026.
They discuss the links between fossil fuel dependency, conflict and environmental harm, and explore why some activists and policymakers see a fossil fuel phase-out as part of a wider peacebuilding and conflict prevention project. The conversation examines questions of justice, international cooperation and multilateralism, alongside concerns about rising military spending, the role of armed forces in global emissions, and climate insecurity.
The episode also looks at who is represented in international climate decision-making, how climate impacts are experienced by communities on the front lines, and what a people-centred approach to environmental change could look like in an increasingly unstable world.
Please note – the views, perspectives and opinions expressed in this podcast episode are those of the guests and do not necessarily represent the views of Saferworld as an organisation.
15 Dec 2025
Rethinking UN counter-terrorism
In this episode we explore how the United Nations (UN) counter-terrorism architecture has expanded – and what it means for peace, human rights and multilateral action.
Over the past two decades, counter-terrorism has become one of the UN’s fastest-growing areas of work. From a small footprint with very limited capacity, to a dedicated UN Office of Counterterrorism with 200 staff, the counterterrorism agenda at the UN has seen dramatic growth. Yet despite UN Member State consensus on this agenda, many stakeholders have expressed concern that these developments run contrary to the founding ideals of the UN system. Given the clear harms that abusive counterterrorism measures have produced – for human rights, fundamental freedoms, civic space, peacebuilding and humanitarian action – is it time for the UN system to rethink its approach? As states prepare for major UN reforms and the 20-year review of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the decisions UN Member States take in 2026 will likely shape the multilateral system for years to come.
Ambika Satkunanathan and Ali Altiok join Jordan Street and Charlie Linney to discuss why multilateral counter-terrorism policy matters, why concerns about transparency and accountability are increasing, and what these shifts mean for civil society, local peace efforts and people living in conflict-affected contexts. They also explore how coalitions across peacebuilding, rights and security actors can work together to defend principled, prevention-focused approaches.
This conversation offers clear insights into the big questions facing the UN counterterrorism system – and why a more balanced, rights-affirming direction is essential for the UN’s credibility with people around the world.
11 Aug 2025
What the UK’s security reviews mean for people and peace
In July 2025, the UK government released three major policy reviews that will shape its approach to security and defence for years to come: the Strategic Defence Review (SDR), the National Security Strategy (NSS), and the Comprehensive Spending Review. Together, these documents set the tone for the UK’s defence and foreign policy — but how well do they respond to the threats and challenges that people in the UK and beyond are actually facing?
In this episode of Warpod, Saferworld (https://www.saferworld-global.org/)’s Charlie Linney and Lewis Brooks are joined by Eva Tabbasam, Director of Gender Action for Peace and Security (GAPS) (https://gaps-uk.org/), and Richard Reeve, Coordinator of the Rethinking Security (https://rethinkingsecurity.org.uk/) network, to explore the politics, assumptions and gaps in the government’s vision.
They highlight the risks of preparing society for conflict rather than building peace, and argue for a more sustainable, rights-based, cooperative approach that puts people’s real needs at the centre of national and global policy.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
198,924
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 76 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
86
Social presence
0
YouTube
86
Engagement
81
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