Unpacking Development

This week on Unpacking Development, we talk about “The Field!” Tune in to listen to us and our friend Dr. Mohamed Yunus Rafiq (from the New York University in Shanghai) discuss this ubiquitous bit of development jargon, and try to answer questions like: Where exactly is "The Field"? Where does the term come from? What sort of power dynamics does it reinforce?

This week on Unpacking Development, we talk about “Gender Mainstreaming!” Tune in to listen to us and our guest Nani Zulminarni (Founder of PEKKA - Program for Women Headed Households in Indonesia and Ashoka SEA Regional Director). We explore questions like: Did COVID-19 hinder progress for women as much as we think - or did it just reveal that we weren’t as far along as we thought? How can the simple definition of a “household” actually hurt women’s equality? And finally, how what does transformative gender programming in development actually look like?

This week on Unpacking Development, we unpack “Beneficiary” a term often used to talk about the end-recipient of development programs. We explore whether that’s an accurate way to describe these folks (do they always really benefit?) and whether there are other terms that would be more appropriate. We also welcome our friend Mohammed Awal (Senior Research Analyst/Team Leader for Social Accountability with the Center for Democratic Development in Ghana) to get his take on “Beneficiary", how it shows up in his work, and whether it helps/hinders community relationships.

Before we get too far...we provide a quick disclaimer on accountability and ask for your patience with us as we navigate the tricky terrain of global development.

This week on Unpacking Development, we unpack....."Development"! Tune in to get answers to questions like: How do you even explain “development” to your friends and family outside the industry? How is the colonial idea of the “white man’s burden” still shaping what we do in development in the 21st century? And is it really possible to record a first podcast episode that isn’t awkward?

A quick preview of Unpacking Development, the podcast for anyone navigating the global development industry and its jargon.