On Tuesday 6th December, politicians and journalists met at the Frontline Club to talk with Nujeen Mustafa about her book The Girl From Aleppo and to discuss the West’s response to the Syrian Crisis.

The brutal end of the city’s siege has seen the remains of Aleppo broadcast around the globe. When asked how she felt about these images she replied “relief… but it still hurts.”

Nujeen, who has cerebral palsy, traveled as a refugee across Europe in a wheelchair. She was turned away from borders and the stigma of being a refugee fell heavily on her. However, in her characteristically understated way, she refers to her portrayal as a danger to host countries as “annoying”.

The misrepresentation of refugees was at the forefront of the evening’s discussion. Christina Lamb, Sunday Times Foreign Correspondent and co-author of Nujeen’s book, mentioned that a major difficulty in reporting the refugee crisis was stopping stories getting lost in the vast numbers: “thats why I wanted to tell Nujeen’s story…she wanted people to know that refugees are just like us.”

In the Syrian conflict, control of the message is all important.

Lamb said that the Syrian state had “created their own narrative”. Assad, whom Lamb interviewed last month, was confident of winning the conflict, stating that between him and Al-Nusra, Syrians would be prepared to settle for him.

Andrew Mitchell MP believed that the conflict would end in one of two ways. Given that no military victory was possible, the war was “bound to … end in negotiation”. He added that there was a silver lining in Trump’s election in that, together with Putin, they might be able to reach an agreement in their efforts to unite against ISIS.

This was small comfort to much of the panel. Journalist and analyst Mina Al-Oraibi found it hard to believe that a populace pitted against such violence would accept a brokered peace so willingly: “Our greatest hope for a resolution is that Trump can make a deal with Putin? … How do you tell Syrian’s that?”

Indeed, it is Assad’s forces that is the greatest threat to civilians. The Syrian Network For Human Rights placed 93% of civilian deaths in the hands of Assad’s forces. Lamb backed this up: “I never met a single Syrian refugee who said they were leaving because of ISIS.”

The panel agreed that the crisis highlighted problems within organisations like the UN. Echoing words that he later used in parliament, Mitchell said “the international rules based system is in great jeopardy at the moment”. This comes at an important time, when the world needs more multilateral cooperation whilst nationalism is on the rise. These final statements matched Nujeen’s own: Many people “only think about the differences, not what we have in common. Which is everything I suppose.”

On Wednesday 27 April 2016, in front of a packed audience of wildlife conservationists and advocates, the Frontline Club played host to an impassioned discussion on the dark links between organised crime, terrorist groups and illegal wildlife trafficking – the latest in a series of events in partnership with the Scientific Exploration Society (SES).

@SES_explore kicking off tonight's discussion #ExplorationAtTheFrontline @frontlineclub on Illegal Wildlife Trade! pic.twitter.com/qzNSqCO8Vo

— Peter Kohler (@PeterKohlerPK) April 26, 2016

Chaired by Andrew Mitchell, founder of the Global Canopy Program and chairman of the SES, the discussion sought to debate the causes and possible solutions to one of the greatest concerns of our time. Joined by an esteemed panel of explorers, scientists and experts, Mitchell began proceedings by opening the floor to the panel to share their experiences.

Dr Susan Canney, who has been involved in the WILD Foundation’s Mali Elephant Project since 2003, began by explaining the importance of attitudinal shifts among communities towards endangered species. Discussing one successful instance, she said: “The elders made a sanction which would be transmitted far and wide, including to the leaders of armed groups, that anybody who kills elephants is a thief – something very shameful to be labelled in those cultures.”

For three years this contained the poaching problem, with only about 20 elephants killed the intervening period. But then early last year, something suddenly changed. Dr Canney said: “People in the elephant range were being phoned up by trafficking networks. Somebody who was a very good shot began behaving very strangely… eventually we lost 63 elephants in just six months.”

While the introduction of the Malian army has stemmed the tide, Dr Canney conceded that it was impossible to know when there would be a resurgence in the criminal activities.

#China the villain behind wildlife trade? China doing enough?big antipoachin advertising @frontlineclub @SES_explore https://t.co/klKRKdHyBa

— Peter Kohler (@PeterKohlerPK) April 26, 2016

Richard Madden of The Daily Telegraph, who recently returned from two years spent living on safari reserves in countries across Africa, concurred with Dr Canney’s assessment. He said: “Wildlife has to have value for the people, and if they do not feel that they have a stake in all these extraordinary animals who are on the brink of being exterminated – if they feel that they’re worth more to them dead than alive – then we’re absolutely lost.”

Madden then went on to discuss the links between illegal trade and terrorist activities, suggesting that in Namibia, South Africa, Botswana and Kenya illegal trade is not funding terrorism. However, he said: “In central and western Africa it is a very different issue… it’s the unstable countries like Angola and Mozambique which are funding huge amounts of terrorist activities – and they are stockpiling and burying ivory.”

Ian Redmond, the renowned explorer and conservationist, went on to liken the demand from countries such as China to a vacuum sucking up ivory and horn throughout the whole continent. He said: “Only the animals that are protected, sometimes 24/7, can be held down. The rest are sucked up into the vacuum and they’re into the international trade for someone’s mantlepiece, or into somebody else’s medicine.”

“Only the animals that are protected, sometimes 24/7, can be held down”

Julian Newman, the campaigns director for London-based NGO Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), argued that the legislation needed to reduce these crimes already exists. He said: “Based on our recent work on trade in tiger bones, rhino horns and elephant ivory, what we’re talking about is serious transnational organised crime – these are criminals breaking the law.”

Highlighting that wildlife crime is now the fourth largest form of organised crime in the world, according to the UN, Newman urged: “The response that governments put in place is not appropriate to tackle organised crime. These groups span countries and continents, are very well organised and make lots of money – meaning they can bribe and corrupt.

“There’s too much focus on either the poaching or the market,” he continued. “Time is short. We have to look at these criminal syndicates who are making money, disrupt them in the middle and put them in jail. We have the tools to do that but we’re not using them against wildlife criminals. We have to look at anti-corruption, anti money-laundering laws and we have to get serious about this.”

In conclusion, Newman added: “This fight will not be won in the bush, it will be won in the court.”

As part of an ongoing collaboration between the Frontline Club and The Scientific Exploration Society, on Tuesday 9 June BBC Science editor and author David Shukman chaired a discussion examining the past, present and future of the Arctic. Joining Shukman was a panel of experts and an engaged audience of Arctic explorers and enthusiasts.

Andrew Mitchell, chairman of The Scientific Exploration Society, introduced the event. “The idea we had was: why don’t we bring together explorers and journalists who work at the frontline and debate important issues of the day.”

The role of research in the Arctic was discussed in depth, as panelists commented on the colossal volume of knowledge still left to uncover.

Co-director of the Grantham Institute, winner of the Martha T. Muse Prize for Excellence in Arctic Science and Policy, and fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Professor Martin Siegert commented, “as a glaciologist, we are concerned that with global warming and ice sheet melting there is a serious problem ahead for global sea level change, sea level rise.”

He continued: “We still really don’t know an awful lot about the topography beneath the large ice masses on the planet. So our models of projections are fundamentally weakened by that lack of knowledge. It’s a very fortunate position to be in as a scientist. It probably won’t be like this in 20 years… because scientific discovery can only be done once.”

L-R: Frank Hewetson, Charles Emmerson, David Shukman, Martin Siegert, Pen Hadow

The discussion covered the developments over time of the safety of explorers who travel to the region. Despite numerous technological advances, the Arctic climate and consequent harsh conditions remain severely dangerous for human visitors.

Pen Hadow – Arctic Ocean explorer and advocate; the sole person to have reached the North Geographic Pole solo; and founder of the Caitlin Arctic Survey – told audience members that “the six things that are likely to kill you are going to kill you in minutes. It’s immaterial whether you have a phone or a plane on standby.”

He added: “the effect of cold on brain function… it is just like being drunk. The more hypothermic you are, the less able you are to be creative, to think clearly, to anticipate the problems.”

Frank Heweston, who has worked on the Arctic campaign with Greenpeace for over five years, commented: “things go wrong quite quickly… anything at sea, especially the Arctic, has to be taken extremely seriously.”

#WorldOceansDay @frontlineclub @SES_explore @davidshukmanbbc @PenHadow wrapping up gr8 #exploration of #Arctic event! pic.twitter.com/VdnBpspf0O

— Peter Kohler (@P_Kohler) June 9, 2015

The increase in tourism was a source of concern for the panel, who offered differing perspectives on the potential results.

Shukman commented that he was “struck by this increase in tourism… The sheer ease with which people can now visit the Arctic with preconceived notions.”

Author of The Future History of the Arctic and associate fellow at Chatham House, Charles Emmerson, said “there are clearly risks to travel in the Arctic, but generally I think it’s a very good thing for more people to see the Arctic… I think it informs people. It gives them the encouragement, the idea that it’s something worth protecting and thinking about.”

Hadow added: “We have to get over this idea that the Arctic is beautiful… We’ve got to de-romanticise it… The Arctic Ocean is an asset ultimately, it’s providing a critical ecosystem service to the North Hemisphere.”

“It could be this year that the North Pole is a puddle… Apparently it’s one of the worst years so far for melting sea ice. Maybe the tourist element will go. There’s no point in visiting open ocean, you can do that anywhere,” added Siegert.

The panel then looked ahead to the future of the Arctic in 30 years time.

Heweston offered a grim prediction. “The militarisation of the Arctic will have happened by then. The drive for further fossil fuel exploration will probably not be stopped… I cannot see that there won’t be some type of military conflict.”

Siegert added: “We will see continued ice sheet retreats and glacier melting… Sea levels go up and the rate of change will be increasing as well.”

The discussion drew to a close with a final audience question, on the subject of what can be done to help on a micro level. The panelists agreed that it was necessary for everyone to take an individual role in monitoring and reducing their own carbon footprint in order to collectively contribute to the safeguarding of the Arctic.

Members of the Frontline Club, the Scientific Exploration Society and all those with a wish to add value and purpose to their travels are invited to a special evening to introduce a new collaboration and to meet some of the foremost pioneering explorers of our time.

With both journalists and explorers operating in high-risk environments with the shared objectives of investigating issues and reporting findings, these two communities, represented by The Scientific Exploration Society and the Frontline Club, are launching an exciting new initiative to begin working more closely together.

The evening’s panel discussion and audience Q&A, identifies the mutual risks, priorities and opportunities for journalism and exploration. Panelists include leading lights from both communities with explorers Andrew Mitchell and Pen Hadow joined by Frontline Club founder Vaughan Smith.

In the months ahead, the initiative will bring together the two communities in a series of presentations, debates, skills workshops, and social events to enhance the safety and productivity of all parties.

Chaired by Vaughan Smith, founder of the Frontline Club, an award-winning independent cameraman and a member of the board of representatives for the Frontline Freelance Register (FFR).

The panel:

Andrew Mitchell is a rainforest explorer & advocate. He is the chairman of the Scientific Exploration Society, a forest canopy explorer, founder of the Global Canopy Programme, co-founder of Earthwatch Europe, and Personal Advisor to HRH The Prince of Wales’ Rainforest Project.

Pen Hadow is an arctic ocean explorer & advocate. He is the founder and leader of the multi-award winning Catlin Arctic Survey (2007-2013), an international research programme on the Arctic Ocean, and the associated environmental research-sponsorship agency, Geo Mission. A decade on, Hadow remains the only person to have reached the North Geographic Pole, solo and without resupply, from Canada.

Ryan Burke is the SES Explorer 2014. Canadian born Burke is a 2nd year DPhil Candidate at Oxford, who is carrying out a detailed study of the Gelada monkey in the Ethiopian highlands to establish their potential role as a keystone species in the Afroalpine ecosystem.  He will tell us about the challenges and benefits of using drones to capture and classify imagery of this stunning ecosystem, and will show some of his fantastic images, a sneak preview of which can be seen at http://ryanjburke.ca/.

Oliver Steeds is an investigative journalist and adventurer. He’s reported for Channel 4 (Dispatches, Unreported World, News), ABC (Nightline), NBC (Today), Al Jazeera (People & Power, Witness, Earthrise). He has led numerous expeditions, hosting 4 series for the Discovery Channels worldwide and the Travel Channel in the US. Steeds is also a director of the educational social enterprise – Digital Explorer – that brings the front lines of journalism and exploration to the classrooms of the world.