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International panel event
Thursday 19 March 2026
6:00–7:30 pm
Hosted by the Diplomacy Society of University College London (UCL), in collaboration with United Against Inhumanity (UAI)

United Against Inhumanity (UAI) and the UCL Diplomacy Society are pleased to invite students, researchers, activists and all those interested in international affairs and human rights to a timely panel discussion on the crisis in Myanmar, including the situation of the Rohingya.

This event builds on earlier collaborations between UAI and the UCL Diplomacy Society, including a joint panel in January 2023 and a workshop held in September 2025 with the support of the United Nations Association UK. Since then, important political, diplomatic and humanitarian developments have made this conversation even more urgent.

Why this event matters

Myanmar remains at the centre of one of the most serious and neglected crises in the world. The armed conflict continues, the Rohingya remain displaced and denied justice, and humanitarian needs are deepening both inside Myanmar and across the region.

At the same time, the international context is shifting rapidly. Aid budgets are being cut. New regional and global political alignments are taking shape. Hearings at the International Court of Justice have continued. Elections in Myanmar and Bangladesh have raised new questions about legitimacy, power and regional responsibility. Meanwhile, international actors including ASEAN, the UN and neighbouring states are under growing pressure to respond more effectively.

This event offers a space to reflect on these developments and to discuss what they mean in practice — diplomatically, politically and humanitarily.

What we will discuss

The panel will explore questions including:

• What is the likely trajectory of the armed conflict in Myanmar?
• What role can the UN, ASEAN and other international actors play?
• Is there any realistic prospect of ending military rule and moving towards democratic accountability?
• How far can the international humanitarian system respond to the crisis?
• What changes may emerge in refugee policy in Bangladesh and other host countries?
• Can cooperation between IOM and UNHCR be improved in support of Rohingya refugees?
• Is Rohingya repatriation a viable objective, or should other strategies be prioritised?
• What advocacy opportunities exist at this moment?

Panelists

The discussion will feature:

Laetitia van den Assum
Former Ambassador of the Netherlands and member of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, chaired by Kofi Annan (2016–2017)

Lucky Karim
Advocate with Refugees International and founder of Refugee Women for Peace and Justice

Dr Jeff Crisp
Former UNHCR official and UAI volunteer

Ewen Macleod
Independent Consultant

Chair: Dr Melanie Garson, UCL (TBC)

Join us

The event will take place in person at the UCL campus and is aimed especially at students from UCL and neighbouring universities, including King’s and LSE. Some guest speakers may join online if they are unable to travel to London.

The discussion will also be live-streamed on Zoom, and a recording will be made available afterwards.

Whether you are following developments in Myanmar closely or looking to better understand one of the defining humanitarian and diplomatic crises of our time, we warmly encourage you to join us.

The post Beyond Silence: Myanmar, the Rohingya, and the Politics of Inhumanity appeared first on United Against Inhumanity.

On Thursday, 5 March 2026, United Against Inhumanity will co-host, with the Geneva Graduate Institute, a public roundtable asking a pertinent and urgent question:

Economic Warfare: Do Afghan Lives Matter?

📍 Geneva Graduate Institute, Maison de la Paix
🕕 18:30–20:00 CET
🌍 Hybrid: In-person & online

Afghanistan may no longer dominate headlines — but the impact of sanctions, frozen assets, coerced returns, and economic restrictions is shaping daily life for millions.
Behind policy language lie very real consequences: collapsed livelihoods, shrinking public services, deepening poverty, and mounting vulnerability — particularly for women and girls.
This roundtable brings together leading experts and Afghan voices to examine:
The impact of seized sovereign reserves
The long-term effects of sanctions
The consequences of forced refugee returns
The intersection of economic pressure and Taliban governance

Speakers include:
Graeme Smith, Lead author ICG report “After the Aid Axe: Charting a Path to Self-reliance in Afghanistan”
Grégoire Mallard, Geneva Graduate Institute
Alessandro Monsutti, Geneva Graduate Institute
Norah Niland, United Against Inhumanity
Hassina Syed, Afghan entrepreneur

Moderated by Antonio Donini, United Against Inhumanity

This discussion forms part of UAI’s ongoing campaign to release Afghanistan’s sovereign, external reserves and challenge economic policies that perpetuate harm and suffering.

The post Economic Warfare: Do Afghan lives matter? appeared first on United Against Inhumanity.

In her introductory remarks, Boldrini highlighted the significance of the discussion, emphasizing the need for immediate and sustained humanitarian efforts. Representatives from each organization provided insights into various facets of the crisis:

Rossella Miccio, CEO of Emergency, and Giovanni Visone, Head of Communications for INTERSOS, detailed the worsening health and humanitarian conditions in Afghanistan. They underscored the increasing impoverishment, escalating needs, and the critical barriers to access. Despite these challenges, both Miccio and Visone noted opportunities to enhance humanitarian and development initiatives.

Antonio Donini, a member of UAI’s governance team, focused on the arbitrary confiscation of the Afghan Central Bank’s external, sovereign reserves. He argued that withholding these funds amounts to economic punishment of the Afghan population. Donini stressed the moral and pragmatic need to recapitalize the Afghan Central Bank (DAB) to restore economic functionality. He condemned the act of starving a population as a form of economic warfare.

Giuliano Battiston of Afgana addressed gender, geopolitical issues, and the importance of diplomatic engagement through “piccoli passi” (small steps). He emphasized that such engagement does not imply recognition of the regime but is essential for supporting the Afghan people.

The main asks from the four organizations were:

1. Advocate for Unfreezing Seized Funds: Italy should publicly support the unfreezing of Afghan Central Bank funds, starting with those held in Italian banks.
2. Promote Pragmatic Dialogue: Italy should engage in flexible and constructive dialogue with Afghan authorities to support humanitarian action and key services.
3. Increase Support to NGOs: Italy should enhance funding for NGOs with strong field experience to boost humanitarian and community-based development projects.

During the subsequent Q&A session, Boldrini echoed the critical points made by the NGOs. She highlighted the forgotten plight of Afghanistan, referring to it as “Italy’s longest war,” and criticized the Italian government for lacking a clear strategy post-NATO withdrawal. Boldrini raised questions about the low response to the UN humanitarian appeal, the complexities of working with the Taliban, and the persecution of minorities. She stressed the importance of addressing the frozen funds issue and supporting Afghan women’s rights.

Boldrini concluded the hearing by announcing her intention to pose a formal question to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, seeking clarification on Italy’s strategy for Afghanistan. She emphasized the need to “do no more harm” and to support Afghan human rights and development aid, reiterating that dialogue does not equate to regime recognition.

Press Release by MP Boldrini: Link

Article Translation in Lettera 22: Afghanistan is back in the Spotlight

This hearing underscored the urgent need for international support and a balanced diplomatic approach to address Afghanistan’s ongoing crisis, ensuring the protection and development of its people.

The post Addressing Afghanistan’s Crisis: UAI at the Italian Parliament appeared first on United Against Inhumanity.

Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council UK denounced the treatment being suffered by people seeking asylum in Europe, at the hands of agents of European states.

Activists for refugee rights from Afghanistan, from the organisations Refugees in Libya and the International Centre for Eritrean Refugees and Asylum-Seekers were joined by speakers from Forum réfugiés (France), EMERGENCY Worldwide (Italy). All urged the audience in Central Hall and around the world to join the campaign, spread the message, and demand that humanity should replace brutality in the treatment of people seeking asylum.

On behalf of United Against Inhumanity (UAI), Jean-Baptiste Richardier issued a clarion call to pursue the campaign until its demands are met.

Dr Jeff Crisp set out the seven demands of the campaign – Stop Pushbacks; End Deterrence by Death in the Mediterranean and at land borders; Humane borders, where all arrivals are treated with respect and dignity; Safe Routes, offering real chances for persecuted families to find safety and opportunity; Justice and Compensation for victims of state abuse; an end to ‘Externalisation’, where countries try to outsource their obligations under international law; to countries on other continents; and a complete overhaul of Frontex, the agency of the European Union. The video of his presentation is available below.

Lord Dubs, a veteran British campaigner for refugee rights, and himself a refugee on the Kindertransport, called for respect for the international law that guarantees the right to seek asylum. He was interviewed by Celester Schorlemer, from the United Against Inhumanity International Executive Committee. You can view this interview below.

Geneva Launch

On 30^th January, hours after the campaign launch event in London, a few dozen civil society and other activists from UAI, HI and fellow campaigners gathered at the “Broken Chair” sculpture on Place des Nations in Geneva and mingled with commuters and tourists distributing flyers to explain the purpose of the “STOP the Inhumanity at Europe’s Borders” banner.

To donate to the campaign, click here.

To find out more, go to the campaign website.

To join the campaign, any civil society organisation can do so by filling out this form.

*On 19 February 2024, the number of signatory organisations reached 100, with the support of Shabaka, a diaspora-led organisation supporting refugees and migrants throughout their journeys.

The post Campaign Demands: Stop the Inhumanity at Europe’s Borders (Video Reports) appeared first on United Against Inhumanity.

On behalf of 76 organisations, as of today*, we warmly invite you to the launch of the Collective Campaign to:

Stop the Inhumanity at Europe’s Borders

*When you read this, we might be more as the number keeps rising!

This is a free event, and you are welcome to join in person and online. Please use the Link above to register via Eventbrite.

In person participation
Please reply by midnight (GMT) on Wednesday 24 January 2024 for ‘in person’ tickets.
Doors open at 10:30 am for refreshments
Event location: The Chapel in Methodist Central Hall Westminster London SW1H 9NH
Accessibility information of the venue is available here.

Online participation
Online tickets will be available until the start of the event.
Online event will start with the formal launch, at 11AM GMT / 12PM CET.
The event will be hosted on Zoom. After your registration on Eventbrite, you will receive a Zoom registration form. Please make sure to register on Zoom to obtain the Zoom link for the Launch Event.

Programme

Speakers:
Enver Solomon, Chief Executive, The Refugee Council
Elise Martin Gomez, Head of EU Advocacy, Forum réfugiés
Lord Alf Dubs, Campaigner for Refugee Rights
Rosella Miccio, President of Emergency
Gulwali Passarlay, Activist and author
Dr Jeff Crisp, Refugee Studies Centre, University of Oxford
Dr Lul Seyoum, Director, International Centre for Eritrean Refugees and Asylum-Seekers, Co-Chair and Director, United Against Inhumanity-UAI UK
Dr Jean-Baptiste Richardier, co-founder United Against Inhumanity. 

Additional speakers to be announced.  
A Question-and-Answer session will follow the presentations.

Background

Throughout the world, refugees, asylum seekers and other migrants are being treated in cruel and illegal ways. Some European states are systematically violating the rights of people attempting to escape from persecution, armed conflict, disasters, and deprivation. At Europe’s borders, such people are confronted with the constant threat of destitution, detention, exploitation, and physical violence. In the worst cases, their lives have been lost, both at sea and on land.

This collective campaign involves an ever-growing number of civil society organisations from fourteen European nations who say such abuses must stop! 

We call on all state authorities to respect fundamental human rights, and act with the humanity that all should demonstrate when interacting with their fellow human beings, and especially so in situations of distress.  

At the collective campaign launch, we will set out our SEVEN Collective Demands to be presented to all European governments and other responsible intergovernmental organisations. These can be read using the link below.

Donations are welcome to support the deployment of the collective campaign and its development overtime. THANK YOU

The post COLLECTIVE CAMPAIGN LAUNCH INVITATION – Register here and full programme appeared first on United Against Inhumanity.

Sign-up and details of the event are coming up on our campaign website very soon. In the mean time Save the date to participate online or in-person.

The post SAVE THE DATE: Campaign Launch: Stop the Inhumanity at Europe’s Borders! – Tuesday 30 January appeared first on United Against Inhumanity.

Lul is introduced by Jean-Baptiste Richardier, member of the International Executive Committee of UAI and Co-Founder of Handicap International.

Lul begs people to remember the refugees from the many countries around the world where there is war and suffering and calls on the young to pick up the torch lit by the founders of UAI.

The speech followed a comprehensive description of the deteriorating situation in Sudan by Dame Rosalind Marsden (former EU Special Representative to Sudan).

Lul is founder and executive director of International Centre for Eritrean Refugees and Asylum Seekers – ICERAS.

To positively impact the lives of her clients, she partners with Initiatives of Change -IofC and hosts training sessions on dialogue facilitation trust building, reconciliation, emotional intelligence, leadership and capacity building programmes for women and emerging leaders.

Lul’s professional experiences spans over 20 years in Trade and Emerging Market Investments. Lul is passionate about human rights, gender equality and contributing to positive change. More recently her efforts have been focused on the plight of refugees in their exodus from their country of origin and transit.

She works with a range of NGOs and organisations such as UNHCR, IOM, MSF, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Refugees Deeply, ICRC, World Vision to raise awareness of the causes surrounding these forced mass migrations.

Lul supports United Against Inhumanity in its mission to give a voice to those who have suffered the inhumanity of war and forced displacement and those who struggle for a chance to re-build their lives in dignity and full enjoyment of their rights.

The post Address to UAI General Assembly – By Lul Seyoum [Video] appeared first on United Against Inhumanity.

The contribution from the floor at the end of the presentation was by Eva Jonsson and relates to ‘Community Sponsorship of Refugees’. This is an organisation that has been in existence since 2016 and is modeled on a scheme that has been used in Canada for a number of years. In the UK it has helped Syrian refugees to the UK find suitable accommodation.

Gill Grunwald (Hon Treasurer & Acting Secretary): Gill has a degree in Chemistry and taught for a number of years before a mid-life career change to work in the field of accountancy and bookkeeping. She has extensive experience of voluntary work on committees in the UK as well as in Thailand and Malaysia. Currently, she is Honorary Treasurer and acting Secretary to the committee and is also their Communications Manager.

The post Report on the UK Government’s Homes for Ukraine Scheme – a collaboration between LBS & UAI in the UK [Video] appeared first on United Against Inhumanity.

Chair: Dr Melanie Garson – Associate Professor (Teaching) in Conflict Resolution and International Security at UCL

Panellists:

‘Alexia’ – activist from Myanmar

Min Ye Kyaw – journalist from Myanmar

Adelina Kamal – formerly of ASEAN ( the Association of South-East Asian Nations)

Sir Charles Petrie – Former UN Resident Coordinator in Myanmar

Dr Jeff Crisp – Former Head of Policy at UNHCR & committee member fo UAO in the UK

Florence Duchet – Recent graduate of UCL and volunteer with UAI

The post [Video] Anarchy, Displacement and Destitution: What Future for Myanmar? appeared first on United Against Inhumanity.