Episode 36 – Bringing up the Bodies

Some of the zoomers

Via zoom, we had a special podcast event with the support of The Hague Humanity Hub and the City of the Hague, to discuss how we investigate mass graves. Kathryne Bomberger, the Director General of the International Commission on Missing Persons joined us, together with Agnes Callamard, the UN’s Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions.
For background you can read the new Bournemouth Protocol

browse the PDF of the Bournemouth Protocol here

And Agnes’ most recent report in which she calls on States with burial sites and the international community to “uphold the many rights associated with their existence”.

For recommendations, we were a bit overwhelmed.

Kathryne has Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace on her bedside, is also browsing the History of the North Sea, and reads Guardian recipes to help her relax.

Agnes is exploring the future of Artificial Intelligence and recommended Sea of Rust by C. Robert Cargill.

But we asked the zoom audience too – so here are their ideas too.

  • Molly Quell recommends The Blind Assassin by Margret Atwood. ‘And before I go to bed, I’m reading the Daily Rituals: Women at Work which is a compilation of how creative women get things done.’
  • Iva Vukusic says her current read is: Philippe Sands, the Ratline. Molly Quell agrees: ‘Such a great book Iva – I read it a few months ago’.
  • Melody Waterworth recommended listening to BBC’s Witness History podcast
  • Katharina Becker says ‘I really love the happiness lab podcast from Laurie Santos at Yale, that’s really great for wellbeing tips!
  • Jill Wilkinson recommends The Parable of the Sower and The Parable of the talents by Octavia Butler and Homeland Elegies by Ayat Ahktar
  • Melody Waterworth recommends In extremis – Lindsay Graham
  • Selin Oren has watched ‘The Silence of Others’ documentary about the mass graves during the Franco regime – really incredible (on Netflix).
  • Melody Waterworth recommends War Doctor by David Not
  • Pamela Varela is reading Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza by Gloria Anzaldúa
  • Finally, Susanna Loof says Quo Vadis, Aida is a must-see film. Stephanie agrees, it’s also an Oscar contender this year.