Course Correction season 3
Host Nelufar Hedayat takes you on a journey with refugees across the world.
About the series
The UN estimates that there are 84 million forcibly displaced people around the world, and 27 million of those are considered refugees. These numbers are the highest they have ever been. For season 3 of Course Correction, we partnered with UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, to illuminate all aspects of the refugee experience. Host Nelufar Hedayat follows refugees and other forcibly displaced persons from the moment they leave their homes to their eventual resettlement or return, detailing arduous journeys that can sometimes last years or even decades. Course Correction is a production of Doha Debates and Qatar Foundation, with help from Foreign Policy.
Listen to all three seasons of Course Correction, wherever you get your podcasts.
Episodes
Course Correction S3 Trailer
The UN estimates that there are 84 million forcibly displaced people around the world, and nearly 27 million of those are considered refugees. These numbers are the highest they have ever been. For season 3 of Course Correction, we’re partnering with UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, to illuminate all aspects of the refugee experience. The season will follow refugees and other forcibly displaced persons from the moment they leave their homes to their eventual resettlement or return, detailing arduous journeys that can sometimes last years or even decades.
Part I: Escaping conflict
In the premiere episode of our season chronicling the refugee experience, we’ll take a closer look at the moment of displacement and its immediate aftermath. Hear from experts on what causes displacement, and what resources refugees and internally displaced persons have once they decide it’s no longer safe to remain at home. This episode features the story of Mohammed Anwar, a Rohingya refugee who nearly lost his life on a fishing boat while fleeing violence in home country of Myanmar.
Part II: Healing the body
On this episode, we’re focusing on bodily harm. What kinds of injuries do displaced people suffer, and what does it take to tend to those injuries — not just the ones that can be seen, but the invisible ones that might take longer to heal? Featuring a first-hand account from an internally displaced Afghan dealing with a long-term foot injury.
Part III: Healing the mind
In Part III of our season on refugees, we look at the mental-health toll of living as a refugee or an internally displaced person. Host Nelufar Hedayat speaks with an internally displaced Afghan woman about trying to care for herself and her children while living in a shipping container. She also examines different ways that refugees define and experience the trauma of conflict, and she shares stories from aid workers who help displaced persons process their experiences.
Part IV: Pursuing education
Jennifer Roberts, a senior education officer with UNHCR, talks to host Nelufar Hedayat about the 10 million refugee children worldwide who lack access to education, what it takes to educate displaced people and how some host countries are working to meet the challenge. Next, Nelufar speaks with Dr. Saleema Rehman, an Afghan refugee who received her medical degree in Pakistan. Dr. Rehman talks about what it was like to attend school as a refugee and the pride she has now that she’s able to give back to her community. Finally, Nelufar speaks with Academy Award-winning actor Cate Blanchett about her experiences as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador advocating for refugees. Blanchett explains that educating refugee children and young adults provides opportunities to be leaders in rebuilding their homelands while also benefiting their host countries.
Bonus: Malala Yousafzai Town Hall
This week, a bonus episode: A town-hall-style discussion with Malala Yousafzai on the future of women’s and girls’ education in Afghanistan and other conflict areas. In the six months since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan, many schools and universities have closed their doors to young women, and promises to reopen have gone unfulfilled. Education and equality advocate Malala Yousafzai joined students and Afghan refugees for a global town hall conversation at Qatar’s National Library, moderated by Doha Debates correspondent Nelufar Hedayat, on March 28, 2022.
Part V: The path to permanence
More than 85 percent of refugees and asylum-seekers are hosted in developing countries, many of which neighbor the countries being fled. In this episode, host Nelufar Hedayat looks at the role that local communities can play in hosting refugees. Nelufar speaks with Rodaan Al Galidi, who talks about his experiences fleeing Iraq to start a new life in the Netherlands. UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador and acclaimed Pakistani actor Mahira Khan tells Nelufar about her experiences meeting Afghan refugees in Pakistan.
Part VI: Finding acceptance
In the final installment of our six-part series about the refugee experience, host Nelufar Hedayat talks to weightlifter, nurse and refugee Cyrille Tchatchet. Note: This episode discusses suicide.
About Nelufar Hedayat
Nelufar Hedayat is an award-winning Afghan British journalist and the host of Course Correction. Born in Kabul, Afghanistan, Nelufar and her family fled when she was 7 years old, to escape the war and violence. She and her family lived for several years in Pakistan before seeking asylum in the UK as a refugee. Her work often focuses on the cultural upheaval experienced by women, children and families in conflict-ridden societies.
Her work at Fusion TV, Channel 4 and the BBC has earned prestigious awards and nominations, including Livingston awards for excellence in reporting, an international affairs award from the Association for International Broadcasting, best investigation and journalist of the year awards at the Asian Media Awards and the reporter/correspondent Gracie Award from the Alliance for Women in Media.
Nelufar is also Doha Debates’ correspondent, bringing the debate topics and themes to global audiences for continued conversations across digital platforms.
Praise
“[We] have been very impressed by the various aspects of the episodes—the simplification of complex issues for listeners, Nelufar’s interweaving of her own story with that of the refugees and of course, the powerful stories of the refugees.”
—Radhika Bhatnagar, Social media officer, UNHCR Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific
“I love this show for so many reasons! First, the host, Nelufar, is genuinely interested in every topic and every guest she talks with. Her curiosity is infectious! And second, every episode surfaces topics and angles on the issues that I wouldn’t normally think about. As an educator, I appreciate the variety of worldviews that she illuminates! So important for us to break out of our silos and listen to how others see these complex issues. I especially appreciate the personal stories of people living as refugees—their resilience is powerful but the injustice is enraging!”
—Guapa19, Apple Podcasts review