Episode 23 Insights on Fiction and Humanitarianism from Aida Mengistu

Stories and Humanitarian Action

Aida Mengistu is the Deputy Head of the Inter Agency Standing Committee’s Peer-to-Peer Support Project which provides targeted support to humanitarian leaders in country operations. She is a graduate of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and a mother of three kids.

She says, "It’s important to understand the day-to-day life of people caught up in these difficult situations. With fiction, you can incorporate their realities into the story in a way that's more palpable. You can imagine yourself in that situation and have more compassion and empathy for the people affected by a crisis. I think that's incredibly powerful. I know it’s fiction but it’s based on people’s lives and it can communicate to the rest of the world what's happening, what are some of the concerns and important for these communities.