Shows
Erbil EditionAmerica and Kurdistan: People to people relationsIn this episode former US soldier, adventurer, Amideast country director Zack Bazzi tells us about US-Kurdish military, cultural and historic ties, horse riding in Central Asia, exploring the mountains of Kurdistan, and partnerships Amideast is creating among universities and educational institutions inside the Kurdistan Region and abroad.
2026-02-211h 04Erbil EditionSurveying, mapmaking, understanding a place from spaceMAPCOM CEO Mohammed Faisal tells us what it means to monitor the ground from space, the importance of satellite mapping, remote sensing and environmental impact assessment for development, climate work and infrastructure planning.
2026-01-261h 02Erbil EditionOne man's mission to save Kurdistan's nomadic textilesLolan Mustafa has spent the last 35 years collecting and preserving nomadic textiles from across Kurdistan. He has put his collections on display at the Kurdish Textile Museum on top of the Erbil citadel, which he opened in 2004.
2026-01-2123 minErbil EditionGoing back in time, with UK Consul General Andrew BizleyIn this episode UK Consul General in Erbil Andrew Bizley reflects on his different trips to Shanidar Cave, the relationship between humanity and landscape, British diplomatic mission in the Kurdistan Region, illegal migration, and other topics.
2026-01-021h 04Erbil EditionHiking in America, Halabja pomegranates and natureMariwan Hama is an American-Kurdish researcher and project manager. In this episode he tells us about what it is like to hike on American Vs. Kurdistan mountains while also comparing California and Halabja pomegranates. We discuss America Kurdistan relations, and more.
2025-12-2555 minErbil EditionThree decades of visiting Kurdistan with Dr. David RomanoDr. David Romano first came to the Kurdistan Region more than three decades ago and not long after the region had gained autonomy from Iraq. Since then, he has been visiting Kurdistan on numerous occasions, be it a sabbatical or speaking at a conference. Here he tells us about the evolution of the Kurdistan Region and the state of Kurds in the Middle East in general. We met and spoke at the Middle East Peace and Security (MEPS) conference in Duhok, Oct. 20205
2025-12-1351 minErbil EditionFrom Australia to Erbil: Ticking off the ancient citiesCaden Allison traveled from Perth in Western Australia to Erbil as part of a Middle East trip to see the ancient cities of Babylon, Erbil and Damascus. He tells us about his style of traveling, impressions along the way and life on an Australian farm.
2025-12-0357 minErbil EditionClimate mobility, consumerism and behavioral changeIndependent consultant and specialist on climate peace and security, Abdullah J Alfayadh tells us of the correlation between consumerism and supply and demand, of behavioral change for the sake of the environment, of climate security, an more.
2025-11-241h 17Erbil EditionEnvironmental assessment: Taking people and the planet into accountA conversation with Simone Filippini, Vice Chair of Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment on the importance of taking people and their environment into account before carrying out any project by governments or companies. She was in Erbil to discuss this subject with Kurdish officials and future cooperation on how institutions here can prioritize sectors and helping them do their own assessments in the future.
2025-11-1559 minErbil EditionPeace before conflict, preserving one's identityA special new episode with Dr. Hellen Almoustafa, a cultural heritage specialist, on preserving a people or a city's cultural identity while welcoming others into your society.
2025-11-071h 19Erbil EditionFrom California to Kurdistan: Life on a motorcycleAfter 72 countries and 80,000 kilometers on her Honda motorcycle, Crystal, who started out in California, is now exploring Kurdistan.
2025-10-311h 07Erbil EditionKurdistan's digital journey, AI race, future outlookIn this episode Hiwa Afandi, Head of Kurdistan Region's Department of Information Technology (DIT) tells us about the Region's digitalization journey, KRDPass and MyAccount projects, our place in the AI race and future outlook.
2025-10-251h 12Erbil EditionKurdistan through the eyes of diaspora KurdsA group of more than one hundred students, graduates, and experts in different fields of Kurdish origin and some European friends visited the Kurdistan Region this month under the Confederation of Kurdistani Diaspora. For some, it was an exploration trip. For others it was reconnecting with the homeland. Listen to this special episode of Erbil Edition with some members of the group.
2025-10-2144 minErbil EditionA brief summer trip from Lithuania to KurdistanLithuanian YouTuber Raimondas came to the Kurdistan Region for a short trip in the summer 2025 and we met in the old town of Akre. He tells us about his time in Kurdistan, his other world travels, Lithuanian winters, and the world of vlogging.
2025-10-151h 33Erbil EditionWater, sustainability, lessons from historyHow crucial is water management for now and the future, and what we can learn from ancient wisdom to tackle water scarcity, biodiversity, and live sustainably with our greater natural world. A great conversation with Thomas Wilson, Climate Action Program Coordinator at IOM (International Organization for Migration.
2025-09-2758 minErbil EditionA decade of war reporting with Wladimir van WilgenburgWladimir van Wilgenburg is an experienced journalist on the Middle East, particularly Iraq and Syria with a focus on Kurdish affairs. He’s covered the ISIS war and many different political and cultural stories. He’s been living in the Kurdistan Region for more than a decade and speaks the local dialects. He tells us about his work now and when he first came to Erbil on a training program from the Netherlands.
2025-09-201h 09Erbil EditionErbil now and in the past, with Sazan MandalawiSazan Mandalawi once wished Erbil was a proper city with shopping malls, gas stations and other conveniences. Having seen the city's transformation, this writer and youth development specialist now has a different look on a few things.
2025-09-131h 11Erbil EditionThe Netherlands in Kurdistan: Agriculture, Dutch Relations, Flowers and DairyConsul General of the Netherlands in Erbil Adriaan IJsselstein speaks about thousands of Dutch-Kurdish citizens in the Kurdistan Region, supporting agriculture in Kurdistan, potato and dairy products, diplomatic and military ties.
2025-09-0642 minErbil EditionKurdish diplomacy, Erbil’s place in the world, climate ambitionsBayan Sami Abdulrahman is a seasoned Kurdish diplomat who has represented the Kurdistan Region in Washington and London and is now Senior Advisor to the KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Foreign Affairs and Climate Change. She tells us of lobbying in America, history of Kurdish-US relations, diaspora communities and Erbil's climate actions and efforts.
2025-08-301h 08Erbil EditionShort trip to Kurdistan turns into a franchiseFilip and Marcus came to Kurdistan on a short trip but ended up staying and they opened a German bakery which they saw lacking. They bring their ingridients from Germany and Italy and are now opening more branches. In this episode they discuss coffee, food and culture.
2025-08-2846 minErbil EditionA doctor's journey from Kurdish hospitals to the UK health systemConsultant physician and endocrinologist Dr. Handrean Soran tells his story of graduating as a doctor in Baghdad in the early 90s, practicing in Kurdistan and moving to the UK where has gained new and unique specialities. He explains the world of medicine in different countries and how the healthcare system in the Kurdistan Region has evolved in the last three decades.
2025-08-281h 10Erbil EditionMedia and Politics in Iraqi KurdistanMedia expert Dr. Mohammedali Taha explains the history of media in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, its historical evolvement and connection to political parties.
2025-08-2851 minErbil EditionThe Snakes of KurdistanWildlife expert and herpetologist Daniel Jablonski tells us about the snakes of the Kurdistan Region, the different venomous and nonvenomous species, their habitat and challenges facing this essential member of the ecosystem. He and Kurdish researchers have just published a book on this topic.
2025-08-2845 min
The World in WordsTelling real stories in translationReporter Aaron Schachter met Iraqi interpreter Ayub Nuri in Baghdad in 2003. Since then, they have forged a relationship based on a shared desire to bear witness.
2014-10-2717 min