Oxford Society for International Development

Zahra Hankir, a Lebanese British journalist and the editor of Our Women on the Ground, writes about the intersection of politics, culture, and society, particularly in the broader Middle East. Her work has appeared in publications including Condé Nast Traveler, The Observer Magazine, The Times Literary Supplement, BBC News, Al Jazeera English, Bloomberg Businessweek, the Los Angeles Times, and The Rumpus. She was awarded a Jack R. Howard Fellowship in International Journalism to attend the Columbia Journalism School and holds degrees in politics and Middle Eastern studies.

Rana Mitter is Professor of the History and Politics of Modern China at Oxford University, and will shortly become S.T. Lee Professor of U.S.-Asia Relations at the Harvard Kennedy School. He is a celebrated British historian, a published author, and a regular presenter for BBC Radio 3. In this episode, he shares his view on how China's relationship with and effect on the rest of the world is likely to change (or not change) and opens up about his personal career journey.

We invite Luisa Leme, who has a decade's worth of experience heading multimedia projects in the Americas Society/Council of the, to share her experience with reporting on South America. Leme is interviewed by our South American Events Officer, Pippa Linden-Howes.

Suzanne Kianpour is an Emmy-nominated BBC journalist. She has reported on the frontlines of conflict all around the world, with her recent work including coverage of the protests in Iran following the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini. Additionally, Kianpour is the creator and host of “Women Building Peace”, a BBC series that connects women trying to bring peace with lived experience in conflict zones with women who are globally influential. In collaboration with the Cherwell, we invite Suzanne about her experience as a frontline journalist, the Iranian protests, and the future of civil action and conflict resolution.  Image credits: Motivate Talent

Regional economic/political unions are some of the most important organisations in our world today. We invite Fandi Achmad to discuss how unions like ASEAN, African Union, Mercosur, etc. can shape individual member states economically, politically, and socially. He is interviewed by marketing director Brandon Sambrano. Fandi Achmad is a DPhil candidate in International Development at Oriel College, University of Oxford. He has over ten years of work experience covering issues of international trade and digital trade policies, competition policy, and financial inclusion. He held various positions in the past, including in the Executive Office of the President of Indonesia, where he monitored the country's strategic issues on industrial and trade policies, and in the ASEAN Secretariat, where he ran regional programmes for the development of competition policy and law and served the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Working Group on competition negotiations between 2013-2016. Fandi is currently a consultant for the St. Gallen Endowment for Prosperity Through Trade to monitor trade and commercial policy changes in ASEAN countries for the Global Trade Alert. He also recently engaged as a consultant for UNESCAP and OECD for a research project on digital trade regulatory restrictiveness in several Asian and African countries. Drawing from these experiences, his doctoral research seeks to investigate the channels on how digital trade affects digital technology diffusion in developing countries. He receives the Jardine Foundation Scholarship Award to sponsor his doctoral study. Fandi holds a Bachelor in Economics Degree from Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia, a Master of Public Policy from the University of Michigan, USA, and a Master of Advanced Studies in Economics from KU Leuven, Belgium. He was also awarded as a Young Leaders for Indonesia by McKinsey & Co. in 2010.

Brian is a geopolitical strategist and advisor publishing extensively on Sino-American relations, statecraft in Asia, and the intersection of nascent technologies, political philosophy, and public policy. Currently pursuing a DPhil in Political Theory at Balliol College, Oxford, Brian graduated with a Distinction in the MPhil in Politics (Theory) at Wolfson College, and First Class Honours from Pembroke with a BA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, having attended Oxford on a full scholarship on a Kwok Scholarship. Brian has taught modules in politics to undergraduate students at Oxford and Stanford Universities (latter on exchange). Brian has presented on Sino-American relations and Chinese foreign policy at Tsinghua, Carnegie-Tsinghua Center, Stanford, the Young China Watcher and Tufts Conferences, and advised leading MNCs on macro risks in Asia. His works and writings look predominantly at citizens' responsibilities under authoritarian regimes, non-ideal/democratic circumstances, and duties towards justice and altruism. In this podcast, Brian sits down to discuss the various facets of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander International Engagement Organisation (ATSIIEO) is a pioneering international development group founded and led by Jesse T Martin of the Wagadagam and Yuin peoples and Jack Collard, a proud Nyoongar man with cultural and ancestral ties to Whadjuk and Balladong country. Joined with them is Adam Hegedus, a Master of Public Policy student at the Blavatnik School of Government Oxford, and Managing Director of Educating The Future – an NGO providing education in Timor-Leste. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture is the longest continuous culture on the planet with over 65,000 years of history. Jesse and Jack speak to how ATSIIEO are uniquely leveraging local systems of knowledge, diplomacy, social relations, trade, language and community to make a difference in how international engagement is done. Together they are not only working towards but redefining how we need to understand transformational justice, decolonisation, localisation, community empowerment and creating sustainable change. ATSIIEO's vision for the future is one where together without a middle man, they can foster and develop Indigenous connections and partnerships internationally with a sharing of culture, values and opportunities.

In recent years there has been a rise of right-wing extremism and radicalisation which has had an effect on mainstream politics and attitudes in society. Are our governments doing enough to combat this? What does it mean for the development of our societies? In this episode we discuss the topic with Dr Daniel Koehler, the co-founder of the first peer-reviewed open-access journal on de-radicalization and the director of the German Institute on Radicalization Studies. The links to some of Dr Koehler's work are attached below. The German Institute on Radicalization Studies http://girds.org/ Right-Wing Extremism and Terrorism in Europe Current Developments and Issues for the Future https://cco.ndu.edu/PRISM/PRISM-Volume-6-no-2/Article/839011/right-wing-extremism-and-terrorism-in-europe-current-developments-and-issues-fo/ Violent extremism, mental health and substance abuse among adolescents: towards a trauma psychological perspective on violent radicalization and deradicalization https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14789949.2020.1758752 Switching Sides: Exploring Violent Extremist Intergroup Migration Across Hostile Ideologies https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/pops.12633

The Refugee Crisis has been an ongoing phenomenon these past few years especially, which continuously makes the news in various formats. But what are the implications of being a refugee, and how does Britain especially deal with this? In this episode, Sara Al Soodi interviews immigration and asylum barrister Colin Yeo on this topic, including a discussion on Britain's immigration system and much more. Colin Yeo is a barrister at Garden Court Chambers in London and has most recently published his book in 2020, "Welcome to Britain: Fixing Our Broken Immigration System", charting and examining immigration policy over the last thirty years and setting out some ideas for how to start putting things right.

Marnie speaks with Andrea Philippi who works for Peace for Women Across the Globe. Started in 2008 this organisation is committed to the active participation of women in peace processes and to a peaceful and secure world for all. In this episode we discuss their projects in Palestine and Ukraine as well as looking at their campaigns in their home country Switzerland. We debate the tensions present in feminist thought in the area of development and methods of aiding women toward achieving their goals whilst remaining vigilant of interventionism. Andrea would like to recommend al-Shabaka, a fantastic organisation, that is interesting for anyone who wants to learn more about Palestinian perspectives The Transition to Transformation publication (which is mentioned) can be found here. Podcast by Marnie Ashbridge. Find out more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org

Is Democracy under threat? In this episode, Esther, our Europe Events Officer, speaks with Niheer Dasandi, a senior lecturer in Politics and Development at Birmingham University and author of ‘Is Democracy Failing?' Throughout the interview, they talk about the challenges that contemporary democracy is facing as well as recent trends. There are discussions about populism, social media, the European Union, covid-19 and climate change. Key considerations include the efficacy of democracy and its future. Podcast by Esther Coomber. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Find out more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org

On this podcast, our Events Director, Zilun, speaks to Prof. Julien-François Gerber about the viability of degrowth for developing countries. They discuss in depth how changing the way we measure and understand development beyond measures of economic growth can help tackle important issues developing countries face. Podcast by Zilun Lin. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Discover more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org

This week, our Co-President, Helena, speaks with Steve Killelea about the topic of his latest book, Peace in the Age of Chaos. The book is available at a 40% discount to OxSID members. Send us a message to receive the discount code! Expect discussion of the application of systems thinking to sustainable development; the relationship between peace, conflict and prosperity; the pandemic's effects on terrorism; and how we can create more resilient societies in an age of unprecedented global change. A Luxembourg Peace Prize winner and two-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Steve is the creator of the Global Peace Index, the world's leading measure of peace that ranks 163 countries by their relative levels of peacefulness each year and provides data-driven insights into the state of global peacefulness and its economic value. Podcast by Helena Holter. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Find out more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org

In this week's podcast, our event director, Zilun, talk about ‘degrowth', the radical idea which tries to understand development beyond economic growth. Instead, degrowth focuses on sustainability, equality, fairness and justices alongside simple measures of economic prosperity. To supporters of degrowth, it is the way to understand development holistically and with a sharper focus on well-being - all of which are currently overlooked by economic growth. Zilun is joined by Dr. Giacomo D'Alisa, one of the founding members of the Degrowth movement to discuss the implications and feasibility in our modern day world. Podcast by Zilun Lin. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Find out more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org

How can people be empowered through community-led development? In this episode, Esther, our Europe Events Officer, speaks with Naomi Muando, the regional manager of ACET Uganda in Mbale. During the interview, they talk about ACET as an organisation and Naomi's role there. There is a discussion about the community-led initiatives designed to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDs and reduce stigma around the disease through education. Naomi talks about the rise in teenage pregnancies following the effects of covid-19 lockdowns and how her work seeks to empower women in a very conservative and patriarchal society. Interviewed by Esther Coomber. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Find out more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org

We need to look deeper into the coverage of COVID-19 in Africa. From vaccination rates to incentivising policies, is there a disconnect between the coverage and what is happening on the ground? Even for journalists working within Africa, there is a delicate balance between maintaining the integrity of news and taking into account the impact of news on people's decisions. On this podcast, Samuel Ajakaiye (Africa Events Officer) interviews Peter Mwai, Deputy Editor and Senior Africa Correspondent for the BBC. He is a journalist based in Nairobi, Kenya who focuses especially on fact-checking and African current affairs. Tune in to the final part of the ‘1 year, 9% vaccinated' series for a deep dive into the relationship between news and COVID-19 in Africa. Interview by Samuel Ajakaiye. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Learn more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org

Why is sustainable development important? How can business mentoring and entrepreneurship be used to support refugees from post-conflict regions? In this episode, our Europe Events Officer, Esther, speaks with Zufi Deo, the co-founder of BizGees. Throughout the interview, they talk about Zufi's motivation behind setting-up BizGees and how his background in business strategy and mentoring informs his work. There is a discussion about the BizGees business model and how this targets sustainable development. Interview by Esther Coomber. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Learn more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org

How does change happen? In this episode, one of our events officers, Marnie, speaks with Dr Duncan Green, a strategic advisor to Oxfam GB on the topic of “What's wrong with aid and other topics of debate in International Development?” Throughout the interview, they talk about how following a linear pattern is not the best way to go about approaching aid and how understanding the complexity of a situation and through focusing on what is already going right in an area, we can achieve the best outcomes. They will discuss how harnessing an agent's creative power, and knowing how to go about enacting aid projects whilst being sensitive to different viewpoints is crucial in doing this. The two also chat about how aid organisations can help protest movements and on the subject of developments in recent feminist work in the sector. Interview by Marnie Ashbridge. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Find out more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org

Why have only 9% of people in Africa been fully vaccinated when other countries are offering their citizens booster jabs? This lack of access to vaccines arguably points towards greater infrastructural issues which have led to underdeveloped healthcare systems across Africa. On this podcast, Africa Events Officer, Sam, speaks to Ade Adeyemi, global health policy expert working in the UK's Department for Health and Social Care, PhD student at Kings College London and founder of the African Healthcare Hackathon. Over the course of the conversation, the geopolitical, logistical and social reasons for the lack of vaccinations are explored with a view on the future of healthcare development on the continent. Interview by Sam Ajakaiye. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Learn more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org

Eric Zhang interviews Mr. Huang HongXiang to discuss his journey from being a wildlife journalist featured in the Oscar nominee documentary ‘The Ivory Game' to establishing the social enterprise ‘China House' that strives to present a fuller image of China on international platform. China-House is a social enterprise set up in 2014 which, through various channels such as field research, blogs, and public service activities, aims to refute stereotypes and present a fuller image of China on an international platform. To achieve this mission, China House has led thousands of Chinese teenagers participating in field research, established numerous charity bases worldwide, and contributed to the development of wildlife welfare, environmental protection, minorities empowerment, and sustainable growth.

How can developing countries ever develop if so many of their doctors, nurses and engineers are moving abroad seeking higher pay? This asymmetric movement of skilled workers is called 'brain drain' and has spurred intense debate in recent years. On this podcast, Zilun talks to Kelsi and Haley, lead researchers from Stanford's Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center about their groundbreaking book project 'Talent Flows'. Exploring the problems and potential benefits of 'Brain Drain', the conversation unveils a surprising fact. Brain drain can be beneficial to both countries if policy makers create the right environment at home. This point is explored with case studies from India and China.

In the recent months, Afghanistan has undergone a series of political and social changes. In this podcast, we take a step back and start by looking at how this all began with the US invasion in the 2000s, as well as wider implications of this today and what this means for the future of Aghanistan. Joining Sara al Soodi on this podcast, is Craig Whitlock, staff writer for the Washington post since 1998, recipient of the George Polk Award for military reporting and three-time finalist for the Pulitzer price.

If development is to mean more than economic growth, then language should be on top of our agendas. The preservation of minority languages and the building of lingua franca is crucial for the cultural, social and civil well-being of societies. Development which values culture is inseparable from policies which preserve and languages. In this conversation with James Griffiths, the author of 'Speak Not: Empire, Identity and the Politics of Language', Zilun delves deep into the history and various cases of language revival policies to examine their beneficial impact on development. Interview by Zilun Lin. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Learn more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org.

Is censorship ever effective? What methods do the Chinese government use to censor the internet? Why does the Chinese government believe in censorship, and why do so many people in China agree? In the second half of this two-part series on internet censorship in China, Jemima talks to Rongbin Han about social, political, and economic factors that lead to censorship, and its wider implications both in China and worldwide. The speaker, Rongbin Han, is an Associate Professor at the Department of International Affairs, University of Georgia. His research interests center on regime transition, media politics and social activism in authoritarian regimes, with an area focus on China. He is the author of "Contesting Cyberspace in China: Online Expression and Authoritarianism Resilience" (Columbia University Press, 2018) as well as a number of journal articles and book chapters. Interview by Jemima Sinclair. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Learn more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org

What happens if you criticize the Chinese government on the internet? Can the government censor any opinion that it doesn't like or is there a line which it cannot cross? In this half of the two-part series on internet censorship in China, Zilun talks to James Griffiths about the anatomy of censorship in China and its implications on internet world-wide. If other developing countries follow the trend to censor the internet, what are its foreseeable consequences? The speaker, James Griffiths, is the author of the “Great Firewall of China: How to build and control an alternative version of the internet,” and “Speak Not: Empire, identity and the politics of language.” He is the incoming Asia correspondent for the Globe and Mail, and a former senior producer for CNN International. Based in Hong Kong, James has reported from across Asia for almost a decade, including China, the Koreas, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Australia. Interview by Zilun Lin. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Learn more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org

What laws exist in Bolivia to combat violence against women? Where did they come from? How are they used by the women that they exist to protect? In this episode of our podcast series, our South American Events officer, Maddie Whitehead, speaks to Dr. Ashley Rogers about her PhD on Violence Against Women in La Paz. Dr. Rogers completed twelve months of ethnographic research in urban La Paz about the connection between women and the law when it relates to gender based violence. She is currently a professor in criminology at Abertay University and uses her knowledge of the law to provide a legal perspective on the issue of violence against women in Bolivia. Interview by Maddie Whitehead. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Learn more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org

When we think about those who are involved in the drug trade in Latin America, we often think of men such as those featured on shows like Narcos and El Chapo. In reality, there are lots of women who take on key roles in the drug trafficking business whose stories are often overlooked. In today's episode, one of our South American Events officers, Maddie Whitehead, interviews Dr. Elaine Carey about the history and stories of women in the drug trade. Dr. Carey specialises in Latin American History and her research focuses on drug trafficking, social movements and human rights. She has published many renowned articles and books including ‘Women Drug Traffickers: Mules, Bosses and Organised Crime' which our conversation focuses on today. Interview by Maddie Whitehead. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Learn more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org

Diana Fox Carney is an Oxford alumna and an expert in development and climate policy. She is known globally for her work with a wide range of organisations, from UK and Canadian think tanks to charities such as Save the Children, as well as pioneering the climate cause with her husband Mark Carney. In this podcast, Helena interviews Diana about her career, her views on some of the greatest challenges to development, and advice for those thinking about entering into the sector. Interview by Helena Holter. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Learn more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org

Yemen is currently undergoing one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. The most recent conflict, which has now progressed for more than 6 years, has claimed many lives and continues to deprive civilians of basic rights and needs. Our Middle East events officer Sara Al Soodi explores the reasons behind both the conflict and crisis, looking at both internal and external factors with Jared Wright, policy advisor at Mercy Corps. Jared leads the agency's policy and advocacy work on Yemen, Afghanistan, and broader South Asia, coming with a background in peace and conflict with a focus on local peacebuilding. Interview by Sara Al Soodi. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Learn more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org

Is there more to development than economic growth? Why are East Asian countries experiencing worrying rates of depression and suicide despite their drastic improvements in GDP? In this episode, our Asia Events Officer, Zilun Lin, speaks to Dr. Kent Schroeder and Prof. Jeremy Brooks about Bhutan's Gross National Happiness model as an alternative developmental framework. Will this be the silver bullet which brings about more holistic development? Prof. Brooks is an environmental social scientist at the Ohio State University. He draws from multiple disciplinary perspectives and applies evolutionary theory to the study of biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, and sustainable consumption in domestic and international contexts. Dr. Schroeder has over 20 years of experience working on sustainable development initiatives in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe and the Canadian arctic. He is particularly interested in Bhutan's Gross National Happiness model and has worked on a number of initiatives in Bhutan since 2006. Dr. Shroeder is currently the Executive Director of the Bhutan Canada Foundation. Interview by Zilun Lin. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Learn more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org

Dr. Lina AbiRafeh is the executive director of the Arab Institute for Women at the Lebanese American University. She specialises in working against gender based violence across the world. She is in conversation with Jaimini, the North America Events Officer, and Sara, the Middle East Events Officer, about her experiences helping women stricken by conflict in Haiti, Papua New Guinea and Afghanistan to name but a few places she has worked in. Interview by Jaimini Patel and Sara Al Soodi. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Learn more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org

Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has recently gone from a reformist figure of the Middle East, praised by leaders worldwide, to a suspect in the murder of a journalist, raising questions about the true nature of the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. Our Middle East Events Officer, Sara Al Soodi, discusses the complex nature of MBS and what that means for the future of Saudi Arabia, exploring the nature of individuals in power in the Middle East with Bradley Hope and Justin Scheck, co-authors of 'Blood and Oil'. Bradley spent seven years at the Wall Street Journal's offices in New York and London and before, he covered the Arab Spring from Cairo, Tripoli and Beirut. Justin has been writing about Saudi Arabia since 2016, and has worked at the Wall Street Journal since 2007 in San Francisco, London and New York. Interview by Sara Al Soodi. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Learn more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org

In what sense can it be said that indigenous people are ecologists and poor people environmentalists? How are continuities and discontinuities between humans, living kinds and other objects in the world established? How have people from different cultures perceived and acted upon the material properties of the biophysical world, and how do different social groups make sense of nature? In this episode, our South America Events Officer, Jasmine Alexander, speaks to Professor Laura Rival about the challenge of conserving both biological and cultural diversity in South America. Professor Rival is Professor of Anthropology and Development at the University of Oxford, where she has been teaching and researching the anthropology of nature, society and development since 2001. Her current research builds on this expertise to address burning issues of development in the face of severe environmental degradation and accelerating climate change. Interview by Jasmine Alexander. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Learn more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org

In 2008, the unemployment rate in the Gaza Strip reached 71%. The Palestinian economy is endemically weak, in part due to its split geography between Gaza and the West Bank, and its challenges have been exacerbated by political instability, conflict, and the COVID-19 crisis. In this episode, our Middle East Events Officer, Shariq Haidery, speaks to Professor Bashar Malkawi about the possibilities and challenges of development in Palestine. Professor Malkawi is the Global Professor of Law at the University of Arizona, having previously taught at universities in Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Italy. Interview by Shariq Haidery. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Learn more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org

In this podcast with Dr Hla Kyaw, the chairman of the European Rohingya Council, we seek to understand more about the ethnic cleansing campaign against the Rohingya Muslims and discuss the potential solutions to this devastating crisis. Interview by Lisa Sitoh. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Learn more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org

The Oxford Society for International Development President, Caitlin Smith, speaks with Ruby Weaver co-founder of Our Generation for Inclusive Peace — a new youth-led research and advocacy initiative seeking to revolutionise how we conduct peace and security negotiations. Find Our Generation for Inclusive Peace's website at ogiporg.wixsite.com. Interview by Caitlin Smith. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Learn more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org

In this episode, our Middle East Events Officer, Caitlin Hennessy, speaks with Dr. Sa'ed Atshan Assistant Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at Swarthmore College and who is currently on sabbatical a Visiting Scholar in Middle Eastern Studies at University of California, Berkeley about his recent publication 'Queer Palestine and the Empire of Critique'. Find Dr. Atshan's book here: www.sup.org/books/title/?id=30833. Interview by Caitlin Hennessy. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Learn more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org

Our Africa Events Director, Priyan Selvakumar, speaks with Matthew Page, Chatham House Associate fellow for the Africa programme. He is also the former US intelligence Nigeria expert as well as former Deputy National intelligence Officer for Africa on the National Intelligence Council. Since this interview we've seen a major development in the situation in Nigeria as protests against police brutality. We hope this podcast provides some useful context to understand both the country and political culture in which these protests are taking place. Learn more about the SARS protests: www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/nigeria-sars-what-is-shooting-lagos-curfew-police-protest-b1201608.html. Interview by Priyan Selvakumar. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Learn more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org

Europe Events Director, Timea Iliffe, speaks with Catherine Woollard, Director of the European Council on Refugees and Exiles. Interview by Timea Iliffe. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Learn more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org

In this podcast with academic and author Professor Cathryn Costello, we discuss the significance of refugee and asylum law for human rights, and investigate the ways that systems of international law have been put into question during COVID-19. We use migration as a lens of analysis to interrogate assumptions that law is fixed in order to recast it as flexible and at times negotiable. In exploring the issues associated with migration control and border policies, we consider how domestic and regional communities can challenge the canons of the ‘inter-national' system to imagine a world that is welcoming and supportive to those on the move. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Learn more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org

Join us for a conversation with Jonathan Watts, the Global Environment Editor at The Guardian Newspaper. Jonathan has been a journalist at the Guardian for 24 years, taking up roles such as North Korea visiting reporter, Asia Environment correspondent, East Asia correspondent, Disaster coverage, and Latin America correspondent, writing extensively on environmental degradation, deforestation and climate change. In this episode we discuss how and why Jonathan decided to pursue a career in journalism, the challenges facing young aspiring writers, and his thoughts on the importance of climate activism and political groundwork. We delve into his current projects including the Amazon Rainforest Journalism Fund, and explore the possibility of achieving a green, climate-positive recovery from the coronavirus crisis. Learn from about the Rainforest Journalism Fund at pulitzercenter.org/rainforest-journalism-fund-0. Interview by Rachel Trippier. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Learn more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org

In this episode, we speak to Kolbassia Haoussou MBE, co-founder of Survivors Speak Out a national network of torture survivors connected with the charity Freedom From Torture. A survivor himself, Kolbassia has been through the journey of life after torture and shares his insights about policy issues surrounding torture survivors and asylum seekers both in the UK as well as in the international community. In particular, we discuss how the rise of populist leaders in recent years has impacted these policies and how we can move forward from here. Find Kolbassia's YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/BlackCarrefour. Freedom From Torture's website is www.freedomfromtorture.org. Interview by Hannah Brock. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Learn more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org

Join us as Sanam Naraghi Anderlini, an activist for women, peace and security, consultant to the UN, and CEO and co-founder of the International Civil Society Action Network, talks us through the role of women in peace-making. We'll be drawing on her work with women living in conflict zones who are fighting without weapons for stability, to help us explore the problems with current models of peace-building and to consider ways to re-evaluate the voices at the negotiations. On top of this, we'll apply a gender-lens to the Covid-19 crisis, and investigate the impacts of the pandemic on extremism, xenophobia and human rights. Learn more about the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN) at icanpeacework.org. Interview by Mia Simovic. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Learn more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org

In this episode we'll be talking to Jordan Schneider, the host of the ChinaTalk podcast about Chinese social media, how information is controlled and disseminated in China and what the advent of COVID-19 has meant for the CCP. Along with unpacking all that, we'll explore the potential changes this might bring about to China's position on the world stage especially its role in international development. Find Jordan's podcast at podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chinatalk/id1289062927 and newsletter at chinatalk.substack.com. Interview by Hannah Brock. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Learn more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org

In this podcast with Liberian academic, activist and author Dr. Robtel Neajai Pailey, we discuss the intersections between her recently published Al Jazeera English commentary, “Africa does not need saving during this pandemic”, and Development and Change journal article, "De-centring the 'White Gaze' of Development". We use race as a lens of analysis to interrogate assumptions that Western whiteness and modernity are the primary signifiers of progress and expertise. In exploring the pitfalls of adopting a “colour blind” outlook on development, we consider how scholars, policy makers and practitioners can challenge the 'white gaze' by imagining "a better world beyond flattened curves". Read "Africa Does Not Need Saving During This Pandemic" at www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/africa-saving-pandemic-200408180254152.html and "De-centring the 'White Gaze' of Development" at doi.org/10.1111/dech.12550. Interview by Mia Simovic. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Learn more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org

Join us in a conversation with Gita Parihar, former Head of Legal at Friends of the Earth and current freelance environmental and human rights lawyer, as we consider the intersection of environmental and human rights law. We'll also be discussing the future of the climate movement, exploring questions of inclusivity and diversity, and how to maintain personal resilience as a climate activist. At a time of unprecedented change due to the global pandemic, we will examine the kinds of cultural shifts we need to make now in order to look forward to a greener future. See updates from the Grantham Institute at LSE on climate change litigation at www.lse.ac.uk/GranthamInstitute/tag/climate-change-litigation. The Climate Justice Fund can be found at climatejustice.fund and the Pacific Islands Climate Action Network (PICAN) at www.facebook.com/CANPacificIslands. Interview by Elisenda Rubies. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Learn more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org

Join us as co-founders of Uncomfortable Oxford, Olivia Durand and Paula Larsson walk us through the history of international development and its entanglement with colonialism. We'll be exploring the legacies that colonial practices have left behind, and the ways in which these legacies continue to be perpetuated by our institutional structures. In addition, we'll be investigating how all this is intimately tied up with Oxford's own history as a city and a university, and which directions we should be looking in, in order to address these issues for the future. Find out more about Uncomfortable Oxford's work at www.uncomfortableoxford.com and about Oxford and Empire at oxfordandempire.web.ox.ac.uk. Interview by Hannah Brock. Music by Lorcan Cudlip Cook. Learn more about the Oxford Society for International Development at oxsid.org