SMC - Ep. 18 - Armenia - Maggie Arutyunyan & Gevorg Vardanyan - CFTJ - Uncovering War Crimes

SMC - Ep. 18 - Armenia - Maggie Arutyunyan & Gevorg Vardanyan - CFTJ - Uncovering War Crimes

This is a conversation about the Armenian people, justice, and the preservation of the truth. We are honored to speak with Gevorg Vardanyan and Maggie Arutyunyan, two lawyers with the Center for Truth and Justice, or CFTJ. Their mission? To document and collect witness testimony for evidence of war crimes committed by Azerbaijan in Artsakh, more commonly known as Nagorno-Karabakh. Set up in 2020 in response to the 44 Day War between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the team at CFTJ have made it their goal to hold the perpetrators of these atrocities to account. Maggie and Gevorg share powerful stories about their personal experiences from the war, their motivations on working with CFTJ, the atrocities they've documented as part of their work, and the strength of the Armenian people. We also discuss the process of documenting war crimes and presenting them to international tribunals and governments in order to ensure that the world does not forget what has happened in Armenia, and much more. Stay strong, stay safe, and stay brave,  Andrew and Miloš To learn more about the work of the CFTJ in Armenia, check out their website here [https://www.cftjustice.org/] To directly support the CFTJ in their pursuit of justice, check out their donation page here [https://www.cftjustice.org/donate/] Drop us an email at saintmartinscloak@protonmail.com [saintmartinscloak@protonmail.com] or give us a follow on Instagram @saintmartinscloak_pod [https://www.instagram.com/saintmartinscloak_pod/]

SMC - Ep. 17 - Mohanad El-Balal - Khartoum Aid Kitchen - Sudan - June 3, 2026

The world is not talking about Sudan enough. At Saint Martin’s Cloak we are committed to changing that. We spoke with Mohanad El-Balal [https://x.com/MohanadElbalal], the co-founder of Khartoum Aid Kitchen [https://www.khartoumaidkitchen.org/] about the realities that the Sudanese people are enduring amid the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, how the Sudanese led efforts and volunteers of Khartoum Aid Kitchen are saving lives on the ground on a daily basis, the history of UAE support to the RSF militia in Sudan, Colombian mercenaries, the impact of foreign aid cuts, misconceptions of Sudan in the media, how the international community has failed Sudan, the human stories behind the headlines, and much more. If you are involved with humanitarian aid that the world needs to know about, we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at saintmartinscloak@protonmail.com [saintmartinscloak@protonmail.com] or follow us on Instagram at saintmartinscloak_pod [https://www.instagram.com/p/DVI66V3EVFq/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link] Stay strong, stay safe, and stay brave,  Andrew and Miloš To donate to Khartoum Aid Kitchen’s life saving efforts, click here [https://www.gofundme.com/f/fight-hunger-in-sudan-the-khartoum-kitchen-appeal?attribution_id=sl:727ebbf3-c199-4dd9-b3d0-e3f043a2ccbe&utm_campaign=unknown&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=widget] To follow and get in touch with Khartoum Aid Kitchen -  1. Khartoum Aid Kitchen website [https://www.khartoumaidkitchen.org/about-kak] 2. Khartoum Aid Kitchen Twitter [https://x.com/KhartoumKitchen]  3. Mohanad ElBalal personal Twitter [https://x.com/MohanadElbalal] Reports on genocide, war crimes, and foreign involvement in Sudan - 1. Limkin Institute [https://www.lemkininstitute.com/] Active Genocide Alert [https://5d6eef0c-085c-40d1-8ffb-7cddabd099b3.filesusr.com/ugd/547226_0b342174fba44f669053f143c041b5bf.pdf] in Sudan  2. Refugees International report [https://www.refugeesinternational.org/statements-and-news/refugees-international-calls-for-action-new-evidence-of-united-arab-emirates-fueling-genocide-in-sudan/] on UAE enabling of RSF genocide in Sudan   3. Antony Blinken declaration [https://2021-2025.state.gov/genocide-determination-in-sudan-and-imposing-accountability-measures/] of RSF genocide in Sudan  1. UN report [https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/02/1166997] on RSF genocide in al-Fasher  2. Conflict Insights Group (CGI [https://www.conflictinsights.org/]) report [https://static1.squarespace.com/static/6967365f36aacc18599406e8/t/69e7da4dad33435e658c982c/1776802495385/BloodMoneyCIG.pdf] on Colombian mercenaries presence in al-Fasher  3. BBC article [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1422nrgm1jo] on UAE recruitment of Colombian mercenaries

SMC - Ep. 16 - Jessie Ebersole - Washington English Center - American Immigration Series (Part 1)

America is a nation of immigrants and so we’re proud to be kicking off our American immigration series - to provide actionable ways you can help immigrants in America right now. In today’s episode, we’re speaking with Jessie Ebersole, who is the Director of Programs at the Washington English Center. The mission of the Washington English Center is “To provide affordable English-language instruction and workforce programs to adult immigrants using volunteers.” We hear from Jessie about her personal motivations to teach English language classes to immigrants and refugees, how language instruction can change someone's life, the importance of community, the personal stories of some of the students she’s worked with, how the Washington English Center is making a real impact in people's lives, and much more.  To reach out to the Washington English Center and register to volunteer, sign up for classes, and support their mission, click here [https://www.washingtonenglish.org/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22980104042&gbraid=0AAAAACMfn3flYFb-cmMjU1o60Wh2-qOx3&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_b_QBhCSARIsAP6hR4ehESSKgraTaFoxIBGDR2s0dvBLn4uPV3sidlRkpBUS2zBSk0fKvk0aAh8KEALw_wcB]www.washingtonenglish.org [http://www.washingtonenglish.org] To reach out to Jessie directly to learn how you can support the Washington English Center, email her at - jebersole@washingtonenglish.org [jebersole@washingtonenglish.org]  Drop us an email at saintmartinscloak@protonmail.com [saintmartinscloak@protonmail.com] or give us a follow on Instagram @saintmartinscloak_pod Stay strong, stay safe, and stay brave, Andrew and Miloš

SMC - Ep. 15 - Andrea Tracy - Sudan - Proximity 2 Humanity - Mutual Aid Sudan Coalition

How can you help save lives in Sudan? In today’s episode, the first of what will be our long running coverage on Sudan, we speak with Andrea Tracy, the Director of the Mutual Aid Program at Proximity 2 Humanity. Andrea has over 25 years of international aid experience and with her teammates at Proximity 2 Humanity and the Mutual Aid Sudan Coalition, she is leading international support efforts to Sudanese grassroots aid. This is truly life saving work. We hear from Andrea about the devastating impact of USAID cuts both in Sudan and around the world, Sudan’s grassroots Emergency Response Rooms and the local volunteers who operate them, the critical Women’s Response Rooms lead by Sudanese women on the ground, how Proximity 2 Humanity gets 95 cents of every dollar to aid efforts on the ground, and much more.  To donate to the life saving work of the Mutual Aid Sudan Coalition, click here [https://www.mutualaidsudan.org/donate] Follow them on Instagram @mutual.aid.sudan  [https://www.instagram.com/mutual.aid.sudan/] Click here [https://www.proximity2humanity.org/donate] to support Proximity 2 Humanity  [https://www.proximity2humanity.org/] For a New York Times article on the Ebola outbreak Andrea discusses in the interview, click here [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/18/world/africa/congo-ebola-testing.html] Further reading on Sudan: 1. Sudan’s Humanitarian Crisis Explained [https://www.cfr.org/articles/what-extent-sudans-humanitarian-crisis] - by Mariel Ferragamo and Diana Roy for the Council on Foreign Relations [https://open.spotify.com/show/65u6jcFyV5BnlVhhzSi7UJ] 1. The Specter of Genocide Returns to Darfur [https://www.cfr.org/articles/the-specter-of-genocide-returns-to-darfur] - by David J Scheffer for the Council on Foreign Relations [https://www.cfr.org/] 2. Nicholas Kristof New York Times [https://www.nytimes.com/]articles on Sudan - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/22/opinion/holiday-gift-guide.html [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/22/opinion/holiday-gift-guide.html] https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/30/opinion/famine-darfur-civil-war.html [https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/30/opinion/famine-darfur-civil-war.html] 1. The Most Nihilistic Conflict on Earth [https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/09/sudan-civil-war-humanitarian-crisis/683563/?utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=the-atlantic&utm_medium=social&utm_content=edit-promo] by Anne Applebaum for The Atlantic [https://www.theatlantic.com/world/] Drop us an email at saintmartinscloak@protonmail.com [saintmartinscloak@protonmail.com] or give us a follow on Instagram @saintmartinscloak_pod [https://www.instagram.com/saintmartinscloak_pod/] Stay strong, stay safe, and stay brave,  Andrew and Miloš

SMC - Ep. 14 - Sabine Choucair - Clown Me In - Lebanon

Can the shackles of trauma be beaten by laughter? On today’s episode, we sat down with Sabine Choucair, co-founder of Clown Me In. With qualifications in performing arts from London and social therapy from New York, she has dedicated her life to using her performance and clowning background to spread joy and laughter among disadvantaged communities around the world. We hear about Sabine’s experiences transitioning to the humanitarian field, what goes into the preparations for performances in Lebanon, Gaza, and Türkiye, and how storytelling connects us all as humans regardless of our backgrounds. You can support Sabine and Clown Me In here [https://clownmein.com/support-us/]or visit - https://clownmein.com/support-us/ [https://clownmein.com/support-us/] Give them a follow on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/clownmein/] @clownmein Be sure to check out our previous episodes about Lebanon to learn about additional ways you can support efforts on the ground directly. Have a question or suggestion for a topic/participant? Drop us an email at saintmartinscloak@protonmail.com [saintmartinscloak@protonmail.com] or check out our Instagram @saintmartinscloak_pod Stay strong, stay safe, and stay brave, Andrew and Miloš