Humanity, dignity, agency: a call for shifts in humanitarian leadership - In conversation with Marina Kobzeva

How can solidarity transform humanitarian leadership to truly centre communities?

In this candid leadership-focused conversation, Marina Kobzeva speaks with Ka Man Parkinson about the humanitarian sector at a critical juncture - and the unlearning, reflection and change required of all of us. 

Drawing on her lived experience and two decades as a humanitarian leader, Marina explores how the system "projectises" crisis, and why the most effective response is often led by communities themselves outside formal humanitarian structures. 

Through powerful personal storytelling - from unnecessary chlorine tablets in aid packages to a small act of kindness that transcends conflict and division - Marina illustrates what solidarity looks like when stripped of bureaucracy.

This is a conversation about unlearning, transformation, and the raw power of human connection.

Visit the episode webpage for speaker bios, conversation transcript and links:

www.humanitarianleadershipacademy.org/resources/humanity-dignity-agency-a-call-for-shifts-in-humanitarian-leadership-in-conversation-with-marina-kobzeva

Thanks for listening. Please help us to grow this podcast by subscribing and leaving a review on the platform you're listening from. Thank you! For more resources for the humanitarian community, visit humanitarianleadershipacademy.org/resources

The views and opinions expressed in our podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of their organisations.

Chapters

• 0:00 Chapter 1: Introduction
• 4:38 Chapter 2: "Flattening your own humanity"
• 12:19 Chapter 3: “Technocratising solidarity” – the need to centre local leadership
• 28:50 Chapter 4: Lived experience as an "immunisation" to flattening humanity
• 39:25 Chapter 5: Challenging conversations, unlearning and rebuilding with solidarity
• 45:37 Chapter 6: "It's one of the things giving me hope" - locally led humanitarian action
• 59:49 Chapter 7: An expression of solidarity: a broken gate latch and an unspoken gesture
• 1:06:52 Chapter 8: Marina's closing reflections and hopes for 2026