Hermione spent several years as a public radio producer in the US and is now a freelance radio and print reporter based in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan. She has lived and worked in London, San Francisco, Washington DC, Amsterdam, Istanbul and Erbil and has covered a wide range of issues — from aid in Africa to public nudism in San Francisco.Since moving to Iraq she has written extensively about the plight of Syrian refugees in the Kurdistan region and, more recently, the ISIL insurgency in the country. She founded and runs the "In Our Own Words: Stories of Displacement" journalism program for Syrian refugees.
Fijian peacekeepers in Iraq aren’t just a battalion — they’re a choir
Fijian soldiers have been part of UN peacekeeping operations in Iraq since 2004. Five have been killed and others are being held captive by the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda. One way the brigade stays committed and strong is to sing. And they believe it keeps them safe, as well.