Rethinking Development Podcast

In this episode, Noaman and Safa reflect on the emergence, spread, political economy and impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on development work. ---> Link to Noaman's podcast ( Introduction to Political Economy). 

Referring to Eve Tuck and K. Wayne Yang's article "Decolonization is Not a Metaphor", Safa and Noaman discuss  the overuse and misuse of the term “decolonization” in the development sector and how Frantz Fanon and Amílcar Cabral can be role models for development workers. Links we mention: Intro to Political Economy Podcast with Noaman AliDecolonization is not a Metaphor by Eve Tuck and K. Wayne Yang

For our Season 4 finale, we share a compilation of clips from our past 50+ episodes! 

Daniel Kobei is the Founder and Executive Director of the Ogiek Peoples' Development Program,  a Kenyan NGO working to secure human and land rights for the Indigenous Ogiek community as well as other Indigenous peoples across Kenya and Africa. Daniel represents Indigenous peoples under the umbrella of the International Indigenous Forum for Biodiversity and the Collaborative Partnership for Wildlife Management, set by the Convention of Biological Diversity. Daniel has been promoting the restoration of the Mau Forest Complex through Ogiek community involvement as a forest dwelling, hunter gathering community. Daniel helped lead the Ogiek to winning an eight year legal battle over land and human rights abuses at the African Court on Human and People's Rights in 2017. But four years later, the Ogiek community are still waiting for the implementation of that legal judgment. We speak about:the violation of the rights of the Ogiek community by the Kenyan stateresisting forced evictions & dispossession of ancestral landswining an 8 year long court case at the African Court on Human and People's Rights the support of regional and international Indigenous rights groups the undermining of Indigenous conservation knowledge the impact of climate change in the Mau Forest complex - and much more!Daniel joins us from Nairobi, Kenya.

Dr. Sabina Faiz Rashid is the Dean of the BRAC James P. Grant School of Public Health at BRAC University in Bangladesh. Dr. Rashid specializes in ethnographic and qualitative research with a focus on urban slum communities and marginalized groups. She's particularly interested in examining the impact of structural and intersectional factors on the ability of those populations to realize their health rights and access to services. In 2008, she founded the Center for Gender, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, and in 2013, co-founded the Center for Urban Equity and Health. Both focus on research, capacity building and influencing program designs and policies in Bangladesh.  We speak about:BRAC’s approach to developmentco-thinking and co-creating with communities unpacking assumptions about the ‘Global South’ solution-based thinking  competency based learningbuilding a youth friendly research culturedecolonizing global health - and much more!   She joins us from Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Giorgos Kallis is an ecological economist, political ecologist, and Professor at the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology in the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies. His research is motivated by a quest to cross conceptual divides between the social and the natural domains, with particular focus on the political-economic roots of environmental degradation and its uneven distribution along lines of power, income, and class. His current work explores the hypothesis of sustainable degrowth as a solution to the dual economic and ecological crisis. Giorgos is the author of the books 'Limits' and 'The Case for Degrowth'. We speak about:his intellectual journey and working across disciplinesthe history of the hegemony of growth  degrowth as one critique of capitalist economies 3 layers of articulating degrowth the climate crisis degrowth in high income countries vs. low income countries collective action and international solidaritiesengaging with a pluriverse of alternatives to capitalist growth - and much more!  He joins us from Barcelona, Spain.  

Mahrukh 'Maya' Hasan is as a designer, researcher and strategic advisor who helps social impact organizations build joyful, equitable and innovative teams. She's the Founder and Director of Azura Labs, a social design and research studio that builds the capacity of international NGOs and UN agencies serving communities in Sub Saharan Africa and South and Southeast Asia. Last March, Maya also founded the Fearless Project, a diversity, equity and inclusion firm, which aims to champion trust, belonging and joy in the social impact sector. We speak about:entry barriers in the sectorresearch ethics and design justice moving beyond the binary of quantitative and qualitative data diversity, equity and inclusion workthe culture of fear amongst leaders emotional agility learning from other sectors - and much more! She joins us from Chiang Mai, Thailand. 

Andrea Cornwall is currently Pro Director of Research and Enterprise and Professor of Global Development and Anthropology at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. She is a political anthropologist and her research focuses on power, inclusion and rights. Some of her work has focused on reproductive and sexual health in Zimbabwe and Nigeria, citizen participation and accountability in health policy and governance in the UK and Brazil, and contestations over gender, empowerment, and rights in international development. She joins us from London, UK.  We speak about:applying an anthropological lens to the development sectorfashions, fads and buzzwords in development work interrogating  participatory methods analyzing power dynamics decolonizing international development studies social movements being the biggest catalysts for change care, leisure and compassion as part of a wholistic approach to development - and much more!

Shanthini Naidoo is a South African writer and former Sunday Times journalist. She is the author of the book which in South Africa is entitled: "Women in Solitary: Inside the Female Resistance to Apartheid" and in North America is entitled: "Women Surviving Apartheid Prisons". The book uses rich interview material to share the stories of four anti apartheid women leaders and activists who were part of “Trial 22” in 1969. They were held in solitary confinement and subjected to brutal torture in a bit to force them to testify against their comrades. They refused to do so, which forced the trial effort to collapse. We speak about:how mainstream media depicts women’s storiesthe role of women leaders in the struggle against apartheidthe context of the “Trial of 22’ that happened in 1969 South Africathe intergenerational legacy of trauma storytelling as a tool for healing the importance of remembering historical struggles for freedom - and much more!Shanthini joins us from Johannesburg, South Africa. 

Marvi Rebueno-Trudeau is the Deputy-Executive Director of the Pilipinas Shell Foundation. She initially studied business management and founded a firm which represented foreign companies at the Asian Development Bank. Later she retired to Palawan, an island in the Philippines archipelago. Once there she was moved to come out of retirement in order to address various social issues in the community, namely malnutrition and high rates of malaria. She joined Pilipinas Shell Foundation, which funded a community-based province wide malaria program. The success of this malaria program enabled the foundation to be selected as a primary recipient of further grants from the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. We speak about:a community based approach to malaria prevention, detection and treatment the importance of fostering the buy-in of government partners using the malaria program as a catalyst for system wide health strengthening  embodying transparency and accountabilitythe role of the private sector in community development ensuring sustainability in programming - and much more! She joins us from Palawan, Philippines. 

Professor Haroon Akram-Lodhi teaches agrarian political economy at Trent University. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Journal of Development Studies, an Associate Editor of Feminist Economics, as well as a member of the Advisory Board for the Woman's Rights program of the Open Society Foundations. He further provides extensive advisory services to various UN agencies, including UN Women and the United Nations Development Program. And recently he repackaged some of his university courses into a podcast entitled: "Peasants, Food and Agrarian Change". We speak about:the gender dimensions of rural political economyfailings of dominant development discoursessocial movements and demanding rightsthe different interests and agendas of development stakeholders facing ethical issues in his consultancies & choosing not to work with some organizationsknowledge mobilization between academia and development agenciesthe human rights based approach /model the farmers protests in Indiathe impact of COVID-19 on development policies He joins us from Toronto, Canada. 

Palwasha Hassan is a women's rights and peace activist who has pioneered many critical  initiatives for the promotion of women's rights and civil society in Afghanistan. She has over 20 years of experience working in development and on women's rights and empowerment issues, both in Pakistan and Afghanistan. She is a founding member of several civil society groups, including the Afghan Women's Education Center, Afghan Women's Network and Roazana. In addition she is a two time elected chairperson of the Afghan NGO coordinating body -ACBAR- and a former advisor to Afghanistan's High Peace Council. She also served as the first Afghan woman to head an international NGO in Afghanistan, as Country Director for Rights & Democracy. She was recognized for her accomplishments as one of the 1,000 PeaceWomen nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005. We speak about:her experiences as an Afghan refugee in Pakistan the role of diaspora groups as one of the stakeholders in development processesworking on law reform in Afghanistan advocating for inclusive peace negotiations building a feminist movementchallenging reductive stereotypes of Afghan womenthe hostility and lack of support by some 'expat' women being overburdened by activist work and fighting on various frontsthe problematic ways some development policies are 'forced' on countries the need for more genuine international feminist solidarity - and much more! She joins us from Kabul, Afghanistan.  

Jessica Oddy is an education in emergencies specialist and a PhD candidate at the University of East London's Centre for Migration, Refugees and Belonging, where she's also a lecturer as part of an Open Learning Initiative Higher Education preparation course for asylum seekers and refugees. Her current research focuses on diverse young people's experiences of education in emergencies, colonial legacies, and how race power and privilege intersect with humanitarian education responses. She has worked with organizations such as Oxfam, War Child UK, Save the Children, Lutheran World Federation, and others. We speak about:education as a protection issueracism in the aid sectorthe politics of knowledge production the demand for programming for adolescents in education in emergencies the narrative of educabilityher PhD journey & action research  equity based design  - and much more!She joins us from London, UK.  

Uma Mishra-Newberry is a global social justice advocate and women's rights leader. She began her career in the US Army before becoming an educator and community organizer in the nonprofit and development sectors. She's the former Executive Director of Women's March Global and the initiator of and lead facilitator for the Racial Equity Index.  We speak about:community organizingbuilding an intersectional feminist movementbeing in a position of leadershipthe crisis of funding in the women’s movementrejecting hustle culture and toxic work environmentsproblematizing white feminisminitiating the Racial Equity Indexworking as a collectivebeing conscious of our own biases - and much more. She joins us from Geneva, Switzerland. 

In the last episode of our S 3, host Safa shares some reflections and reads out letters from our listeners.  We will be back soon with our S 4! 

Dr. Mohamed Ashmawey worked in program management and leadership in the private sector for 20 years, with organizations such as General Motors and the National Bank of Egypt. Later he joined the nonprofit sector as CEO of Islamic Relief USA, where he was credited with transforming the corporate culture of the NGO. He went on to become the CEO of Islamic Relief Worldwide, where he continued to lead quality improvements and organizational transformation. Since 2019, he has been serving as the CEO of Human Appeal, a British faith based humanitarian and development charity. He spoke to us about:differences between the corporate sector and the charity sectorchallenges to implementing organizational changes the advantages and disadvantages of being a faith based charityrejecting arrogance and working with humility the ongoing investigation of the Charity Commission into Human Appealimplementing accountability processes and practicing transparency the importance of investing in innovative researchactivity based approach vs. impact based approach redefining successthe difference between leadership and management  - and much more! He joins us from Manchester, UK. 

Dr. Deepak Gupta has over 28 years of experience as a program and strategic communication advisor for various UN agencies - including UNFPA, UNODC, UNICEF and WHO. He has designed and managed numerous large strategic communication interventions and advocacy campaigns on various development and health issues. His work on risk communication strategies in emergency situations, such as post-tsunami situations and avian influenza contexts, is particularly well noted. He is also a master trainer and expert faculty member at a number of different Institutes, where he leads courses related to strategic communication for development, and has also published extensively on strategic communication issues. He speaks to us about:The difference between C4D and corporate marketingRejecting the prescriptive approach to development  Participatory methods The importance of interpersonal communication and human touchOvercoming challenges through catalytic change agents The pros and cons of social mediaMisinformation and rumours Contextualizing communication programs within local cultural settingsCOVID-19 strategic communication failures - and more!He joins us from New Delhi, India.

Rita Thapa has over 35 years of experience as a feminist educator and a community activist in Nepal and internationally.  She is the founder of Tewa, the innovative philanthropic Nepal women's fund, and Nagarik Aawaz, a NGO engaged in conflict transformation and peace-building in Nepal. She's also the former Chair of the Executive Board of the Global Fund for Women and former Vice Chair of the Executive Board of the Urgent Action Fund. She currently serves as Chair of the Executive Board of the Global Fund for Community Foundations. Rita was named an Ashoka Fellow in 1998 and was included in the 1000 Women for Peace nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005.  She speaks to us about:overcoming aid dependency in Nepalan alternative model of fundraising and grantmakingdismantling hierarchies in work cultures fostering community ownershipchallenging patriarchy, caste and class divisionspolitics of developmentregional feminist solidarity - and much more!She joins us from Kathmandu, Nepal. 

Noaman Ali is currently Assistant Professor of Political Science at the Lahore University of Management Sciences in Pakistan. His research and teaching concerns the political economy of development. His current research examines rural class struggle, land reforms and sub national state formation in Pakistan, through a case study of the Frontier peasant movement in the former North West Frontier Province, led by the Mazdoor Kisan party in the 1970s. His work is interdisciplinary, bringing a historical and ethnographic sensibility to the study of political science. More broadly, he is interested in social movements, rural politics, state and non state power, agrarian and industrial policy, development states and political economy in general. He speaks to us about:interrogating power relationships and class differentiationsdecoupling development from economic growthredefining development as giving political power to the powerlessstructural transformations and the role of international financial institutionsdebt and capitalist logic incrementalism the unconscious class bias of development practitioners the NGO/development agency industrial complex the negative impact of green revolution technologies the importance of social movements - and much more!He joins us from Toronto, Canada. 

Wafaa Saeed is currently the Deputy Director in the Operations and Advocacy division, covering Eastern and Southern Africa at UN OCHA, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.  She has over 20 years of humanitarian work experience in complex settings. She has worked with WFP, UN OCHA and UNICEF in various roles in Sudan, Somalia, Indonesia, Syria, Pakistan and other countries. Prior to joining the UN, Wafaa worked as a lecturer at the University of Khartoum and as an architect in the private sector. She speaks to us about:her interest in working closely with communities / in the fieldgovernments in the leading role and UN organizations in the supporting roleempowering local government systemsmaking principled decisions / zero tolerance for fraudmaintaining the neutral humanitarian spacethe differential treatment between national vs. international staffthe 3 pillars of the UN reform processworking collectivelyher commitment to localization - and much more! She joins us from New York, USA.