Global Development Institute podcast

PhD Researcher Anuradha Ganapathy interviews Payal Arora, Professor of Inclusive AI Cultures at Utrecht University and co-founder of two initiatives, Inclusive AI Lab for Debiasing Tech and Fem Lab. The pair discuss Payal's recent book, From Pessimism to Promise: Lessons from the Global South on Designing Inclusive Tech (MIT Press), digging into the role of academia in discussing Big Tech, the positive potential in technologies such as AI, especially in the Global South, and how to bridge the gap between critique and constructive engagement. Find out more about the Global Development Institute: WebsiteBlogBlueSkyLinkedIn FacebookInstagram Newsletter Intro music Anna Banana by Eaters

Brought to you by the combined voices of the African Cities Research Consortium and the Global Urban Futures and Environment Policy and Planning research groups, this episode features Dr Taibat Lawanson. Taibat is an associate professor of urban planning at the University of Lagos and a Leverhulme Professor at the University of Liverpool. In this episode, she explores the past and the future of urban spaces and how essential heritage is to urban planning. Lean more about Taibat Lawanson here. Find out more about the Global Development Institute: WebsiteBlogBlueSkyLinkedIn FacebookInstagram Newsletter Intro music Anna Banana by Eaters

In this episode, GDI's Senior Lecturer Saumik Paul discusses the recently published United Nations Development Programme report on the Multidimensional Poverty Index, 'Poverty Amid Conflict', with Yanchun Zhang, one of the report's authors. Find out more about the Global Development Institute: WebsiteBlogBlueSkyLinkedIn FacebookInstagram Newsletter Intro music Anna Banana by Eaters

GDI students Ellen Logan and Alex Pettifer interview Dr Nadia Naser-Najjab (University of Exeter), covering the discipline of Palestine Studies, how Israel-Palestine can advance our understanding of broader issues surrounding decolonisation, and how people can enrich their understanding of Palestinian histories. Details of resources mentioned in the episode are accessible on our blog: https://blog.gdi.manchester.ac.uk/recommended-resources-on-palestine-and-decolonisation/ Read more about Nadia's upcoming lecture here: GDI Lecture: The War on Gaza: Historical Context and Future Possibilities | Events at The University of Manchester Find out more about the Global Development Institute: WebsiteBlogBlueSkyLinkedIn FacebookInstagram Newsletter Intro music Anna Banana by Eaters

In this episode, GDI's very own Tekle Weldemichel discusses his recent paper, 'Tigray war: Modern geographies of mass violence and the invisibilization of populations'. The paper critically examines the strategies and tactics employed by the Ethiopian government and its allies to sustain a “zone of invisibility” around the Tigray war. Read the paper here: Tigray war: Modern geographies of mass violence and the invisibilization of populations - ScienceDirect Tekle recently joined GDI as Lecturer in Environment and Development. Read more about Tekle's work: Teklehaymanot Weldemichel - Research Explorer The University of Manchester Find out more about the Global Development Institute: WebsiteBlogBlueSkyLinkedIn FacebookInstagram Newsletter Intro music Anna Banana by Eaters

In this episode brough to you by the Sustainable Forest Transitions Project, research associate Lucas Alencar speaks with anthropologist Amy Penfield and ecologist Filipe França from the University of Bristol. Lucas, Amy and Filipe discuss the roles anthropology, ecology and other disciplines can play in conservation both in isolation and in collaboration with one another to build policy, networks and action. Find out more about the Global Development Institute: WebsiteBlogBlueSkyLinkedIn FacebookInstagram Newsletter Intro music Anna Banana by Eaters

Towards the end of 2024, GDI's Professor Uma Kothari delivered a lecture titled 'Decoloniality: Beyond a Metaphor'. We're fortunate enough to have recorded the lecture, in which Uma discusses how metaphor can inhibit attempts to decolonise our societies and institutions, as well as the role of material reparations in addressing past and present injustices. Listen to it here. Find out more about the Global Development Institute: WebsiteBlogTwitterLinkedIn FacebookInstagram Newsletter Intro music Anna Banana by Eaters

Towards the end of 2024, GDI's Professor Uma Kothari delivered a lecture titled 'Decoloniality: Beyond a Metaphor'. We're fortunate enough to have recorded the lecture, in which Uma discusses how metaphor can inhibit attempts to decolonise our societies and institutions, as well as the role of material reparations in addressing past and present injustices. Listen to it here. Find out more about the Global Development Institute: WebsiteBlogTwitterLinkedIn FacebookInstagram Newsletter Intro music Anna Banana by Eaters

Chaired by Professor Nicola Banks, this episode brings to you a lecture discussion between Deborah Doane, author of ‘The INGO Problem: Power, Privilege and Renewal’, and Nana Asantewa Afadzinu, Executive Director of the West Africa Civil Society Institute. In the episode, Deborah, Niki, and Nana discuss current challenges within the aid sector, how Southern NGOs are leading calls for structural change in global development, and whether International NGOs are rising to the challenge set. Find out more about the Global Development Institute: WebsiteBlogTwitterLinkedIn FacebookInstagram Newsletter Intro music Anna Banana by Eaters

In this episode, GDI's Armando Caroca and Rose Pritchard speak with Joan Martínez-Alier, an economist and emeritus professor of economics and senior researcher at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Throughout his career, Joan has made important contributions to ecological economics and political ecology in his work on environmentalism of the poor. In this episode, we discuss Joan's new book: 'Land, Water, Air, and Freedom: The Making of a World Movement for Environmental Justice' which can be found here. Armando Caroca is a GDI PhD researcher working on topics of mining waste and territories of extraction in Chile. Rose Pritchard is a Presidential Fellow in Socio-Environmental Systems at GDI. Find out more about the Global Development Institute: WebsiteBlogTwitterLinkedIn FacebookInstagram Newsletter Intro music Anna Banana by Eaters

In this episode, GDI PhD researcher Anna Thurlbeck speaks with Dr Portia Roelofs, lecturer in politics at Kings College London. Dr Roelofs provides an unmissable deep dive into the background and key themes of her new book 'Good Governance in Nigeria: Rethinking Accountability and Transparency in the Twenty-First Century'. Listen now! ---- Dr Roelofs has degrees from Oxford, SOAS and LSE. She has held post-doctoral fellowships at the LSE and St Anne’s College, Oxford. She has been a visiting researcher at the Universities of Maiduguri and Ibadan, Nigeria. She is co-convenor of the Political Studies Association special group on Global Development Politics and sits on the editorial board of the African Arguments book series. She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Find out more about the Global Development Institute: WebsiteBlogTwitterLinkedIn FacebookInstagram Newsletter Intro music Anna Banana by Eaters

In this episode, PhD researcher Mariana C. Hernandez-Montilla continues a new series of podcasts linked to the GDI's Sustainable Forest Transitions project. Mariana chats to Dr Pooja Choksi, Postdoctoral Associate at the University of Minnesota and co-founder of Project Dhvani, about her work monitoring the impacts of ecological restoration, including the use of passive acoustic monitoring to track vocalizing species in Indian landscapes. Music I Use: Bensound.com/free-music-for-videos License code: QVPSSG18TYB4DVRS Find out more about the Global Development Institute: WebsiteBlogTwitterLinkedIn FacebookInstagram Newsletter Intro music Anna Banana by Eaters

In this episode, One World Together's co-founder Nicola Banks and Community Space Development Lead Asma Bham speak with one of their community partners: Lwanga Bwalya of Play it Forward Zambia. Lwanga dives into the complexities of navigating projects within the current funding system, as well as his own experiences with community-led initiatives both as a young person and now as a leading member of Play it Forward. Niki, Asma, and Lwanga then explore how we can rethink the system with new models, such as that of One World Together. This episode is not to be missed! You can find out more about Play it Forward Zambia here, and sign up as a global citizen with One World Together here. Find out more about the Global Development Institute: WebsiteBlogTwitterLinkedIn FacebookInstagram Newsletter Intro music Anna Banana by Eaters

Following the launch of the Sustainable Forest Transitions project at Manchester Museum on the 6th March 2024, we bring you a new episode featuring the event's opening remarks and the incredible panel discussion that took place. In this episode, you will hear from Kieran Dodds, Polyanna da Conceição Bispo, Felipe Melo, Adithya Pradeep and Rose Pritchard, with host and project lead Johan Oldekop guiding the discussion. If you want to follow the project or learn more, you can do so here. Find out more about the Global Development Institute: WebsiteBlogTwitterLinkedIn FacebookInstagram Newsletter Intro music Anna Banana by Eaters

Oliver Bakewell, Impact Director at GDI, discusses migration practices along the Ethiopia-Sudan border with Kiya Gezahegne, an ethnographic researcher from the University of Addis Ababa. Kiya and Oliver have worked together on multiple projects exploring local migration realities and policy effects. In this episode, they draw interesting observations by setting Ethiopian and European contexts side by side. Have a listen to their conversation to learn more! About Kiya Gezahegne: Kiya Gezahegne is an experienced feminist researcher and lecturer based at the Department of Social Anthropology, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. She has been involved in ethnographic research for over eight years on a range of migration related areas including experiences of Ethiopian migrants to and from the Middle East, migration management and livelihoods at the Ethiopia-Sudan border, interlinkages between migration and poverty in Ethiopia, as well as understanding migration and the labour market in Addis Ababa among others. Find out more about the Global Development Institute: WebsiteBlogTwitterLinkedIn FacebookInstagram Newsletter Intro music Anna Banana by Eaters

In this episode, PhD researcher Sandy Nofyanza kicks off a new series of podcasts linked to the GDI's Sustainable Forest Transitions project. Sandy chats to Dr Sreeja Jaiswal, Humboldt Foundation’s International Climate Protection Postdoc Fellow at the University of Heidelberg, about challenges associated with forest restoration efforts and debates surrounding mitigation measures such as carbon offsets. Music I Use: Bensound.com/free-music-for-videos License code: QVPSSG18TYB4DVRS Find out more about the Global Development Institute: WebsiteBlogTwitterLinkedIn FacebookInstagram Newsletter Intro music Anna Banana by Eaters

In this episode, Francisco V. Ayala discusses his new book, Cash Transfers for Poverty Reduction: An International Operational Guide (Routledge, 2023), co-authored with GDI’s David Lawson. The book offers the first systematic discussion of the design and implementation of cash transfer programmes, including practical guidance for students and key stakeholders who are – or will be – responsible for designing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating such programmes. Francisco is an international social protection consultant and President of Ayala Consulting Corporation/SOPROEN. David Lawson is Senior Lecturer in Development Economics and Public Policy at the Global Development Institute. Find out more about the Global Development Institute: WebsiteBlogTwitterLinkedIn FacebookInstagram Newsletter Intro music Anna Banana by Eaters

Selim Iyidirli hosts a conversation around One World Together and its model for Global Citizenship with Jon Alexander, author of Citizens: How the Key to Fixing Everything is All of Us, and Nicola Banks and Chibwe Masabo Henry, Co-Founders and Chief Stewards of One World Together. Have a listen, and then come and join their wave of change! More about Jon Alexander Jon Alexander began his career with success in advertising, winning the prestigious Big Creative Idea of the Year before making a dramatic change. Driven by a deep need to understand the impact on society of 3,000 commercial messages a day, he gathered three Masters degrees, exploring consumerism and its alternatives from every angle. In 2014, he co-founded the New Citizenship Project to bring the resulting ideas into contact with reality. Citizens: How the Key to Fixing Everything is All of Us Find out more about the Global Development Institute: WebsiteBlogTwitterLinkedIn FacebookInstagram Newsletter Intro music Anna Banana by Eaters

The division of the world into ‘developing’ and ‘developed’ countries has grown increasingly problematic in the past decades. Nonetheless, it remains embedded in legal documents, foreign policy discourse, and colloquial use. In this lecture, Dr Deborah explores this complexity by unpacking the different ways in which the ‘developing’ label is used in the international system, arguing that understanding the complexity around its use requires a rigorous analysis of the label’s diverse meanings and consequences. Deborah Barros Leal Farias is a Brazilian-born Senior Lecturer at UNSW Sydney's School of Social Sciences, where she teaches Politics and International Relations. She has a multidisciplinary background: PhD in Political Science from UBC (Canada), as well as an MA in International Relations, a bachelor degree in Economy and another in Law, all from Brazilian institutions. Her current main areas of interest involve hierarchy in global governance, particularly the interaction of non-great powers in international organizations, and Brazilian politics. Find out more about the Global Development Institute: WebsiteBlogTwitterLinkedIn FacebookInstagram Newsletter Intro music Anna Banana by Eaters

This episode comes from the African Cities Research Centre, based at the Global Development Institute. Urban reform coalitions can play a critical role in building inclusive, sustainable and productive cities. Made up of diverse stakeholders who collaborate to achieve common goals, these coalitions can work to strengthen relationships between disadvantaged groups and influential state/non-state actors. This collective action can be powerful in challenging socioeconomic inequality and enabling marginalised groups to capitalise on political opportunities for inclusive reform. So where do researchers come in? This podcast episode is a recording from a webinar ACRC held in September 2023 to discuss the role that academics, action researchers and professionals can play in fostering the formation and functioning of urban reform coalitions. In doing so, they wanted to give special focus to how knowledge and evidence can catalyse urban reform coalitions. Chaired by ACRC research associate, Ezana Haddis Weldeghebrael, the webinar comprised presentations from three panellists, who talked about their experiences of working with urban reform coalitions and shared valuable lessons learned, followed by a question-and-answer session. Shalini Sinha is the urban Asia lead and home-based work sector specialist at Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO). She discusses the “I, Too, am Delhi” campaign, including the importance of having multi-sectoral partnerships and an intersectional perspective, along with the need to “demystify the technical”. Catherine Sutherland is an associate professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She shares her experiences and lessons from co-producing knowledge with disadvantaged groups in the Palmiet Catchment Rehabilitation Project, aimed at building flood resilience in Durban, South Africa. Paul Mukwaya is coordinator at the Urban Action Lab and ACRC's city lead for Kampala. He talks about his experiences as part of the Just City and Informality Working Group, led by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Uganda. Ezana Haddis Weldeghebrael is a research associate at the African Cities Research Consortium, supporting research across the crosscutting themes of finance, gender and climate change. Find out more about the Global Development Institute: WebsiteBlogTwitterLinkedIn FacebookInstagram Newsletter Intro music Anna Banana by Eaters