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.

Photo: Getty Images/Europa Press

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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.

Photo: Getty Images.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.