The Seeking Justice Podcast™
Welcome to The Seeking Justice Podcast, a podcast dedicated to exploring and spotlighting issues of justice and injustice throughout the world. I am your host, Benedict Bloggs, a passionate and dedicated social and environmental justice advocate throughout my entire adult life and now a barrister and international human rights advocate based in Brisbane Australia. I want to use this platform to give a voice to the voiceless, to interview interesting guests working on important human rights and social and environmental justice issues and as an independent media mechanism to clarion call forth positive change in our societies.
The Seeking Justice Podcast™
Episode 5 - Dr Natalie Thurtle - Deployments to Gaza & Seeking Medical Justice
[Please note this episode was recorded before Israel violated the January 2025 ceasefire]
In this episode of the Seeking Justice Podcast, Dr. Natalie Thurtle shares her journey as an emergency physician and humanitarian worker with Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders including deploying to Gaza both before and after 7 October 2023. Dr Nat discusses her experiences in conflict zones, the complexities of providing medical care in challenging environments, and the importance of understanding privilege and the white savior complex. Dr. Nat reflects on her deployments in Palestine, the impact of trauma on communities, and the resilience of individuals in the face of adversity. The conversation also touches on the evolving role of international medical staff and the challenges of navigating humanitarian work in politically charged contexts.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Dr. Natalie Thurtle
03:31 Journey into Humanitarian Medicine
07:19 Understanding Privilege and Medicine
11:39 The Intersection of Arts and Medicine
13:27 Evolving Perspectives on Humanitarian Work
14:26 Training and Preparation for Deployment
16:10 Experiences in Sri Lanka
17:16 Negotiating Humanitarian Work and Employment
19:44 The Structure of MSF
21:50 The White Savior Complex
24:41 Navigating Local and International Staff Dynamics
26:47 Cognitive Challenges in Conflict Zones
30:39 Deployment in Gaza: 2020-2021
32:20 Challenges of Treating Conflict-Related Injuries
33:54 The Impact of Conflict on Medical Infrastructure
36:24 Adapting Humanitarian Models in Conflict Zones
39:11 The Challenge of Instrumentalization in Humanitarian Work
42:06 Navigating Transient Staff Dynamics
43:23 Deployment to Gaza Post-October 7th 2023
50:12 Censorship of Palestinian Voices - The Role of Media in Humanitarian Crises
52:11 Understanding Fear and Vulnerability in Conflict
54:00 The Destruction of International Humanitarian Law in Gaza
55:49 Resilience and Creativity Amidst Trauma
57:05 The Impact of War on Human Behaviour
01:02:01 Mental Health Challenges in the Prolonged Genocide in Gaza
01:03:37 The Brain Drain on Healthcare in Palestine
01:06:26 Future Aspirations and Ongoing Work
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