Neologism used by the World Bank to refer to developing countries
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Become a Client: https://nomadcapitalist.com/apply/ Get our free Weekly Rundown newsletter and be the first to hear about breaking news and offers: https://nomadcapitalist.com/email Join us for the next Nomad Capitalist Live event: https://nomadcapitalist.com/live/ In this episode, Mr Henderson discusses the growing momentum behind the 'Anywhere But the US' investment trend, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. With declining confidence in US assets and rising geopolitical tensions, he explains why emerging markets are poised to lead the next bull run. Mr Henderson shares where these emerging markets are and how to take advantage of them. From better valuations and higher yields to tax-friendly environments, he outlines why he's moving more of his wealth to the Global South and why you should be paying attention. Nomad Capitalist helps clients "go where you're treated best." We are the world's most sought-after firm for offshore tax planning, dual citizenship, international diversification, and asset protection. We use legal and ethical strategies and work exclusively with seven- and eight-figure entrepreneurs and investors. We create and execute holistic, multi-jurisdictional Plans that help clients keep more of their wealth, increase their personal freedom, and protect their families and wealth against threats in their home country. No other firm offers clients access to more potential options to relocate to, bank in, or become a citizen of. Because we do not focus only on one or a handful of countries, we can offer unbiased advice where others can't. Become Our Client: https://nomadcapitalist.com/apply/ Our Website: http://www.nomadcapitalist.com/ About Our Company: https://nomadcapitalist.com/about/ Buy Mr. Henderson's Book: https://nomadcapitalist.com/book/ DISCLAIMER: The information in this episode should not be considered tax, financial, investment, or any kind of professional advice. Only a professional diagnosis of your specific situation can determine which strategies are appropriate for your needs. Nomad Capitalist can and does not provide advice unless/until engaged by you.
Send us a textWhat can a Star Wars show teach us about organizing, resistance, and healing? In this episode of the Amplify RJ Podcast, I sit down with strategist, therapist, and writer Gabes Torres to talk about Andor—yes, that Star Wars show—and what it reveals about real-life revolution.We dive into how Andor de-romanticizes rebellion and reflects the complex realities of movement work: the banality of evil, conflict in organizing, disposability culture, and the painful but necessary tension between rest and resistance. Gabes shares insights from their piece on the show, their organizing and healing work in the Global South, and the ways marine mammals and myth can inform our strategy.Whether or not you've seen the show, this conversation is about so much more than the galaxy far, far away—it's about our world and how we build toward collective liberation with nuance, integrity, and care.0:00 – Intro: What is Andor + Character Breakdown 5:20 – Meet Gabes Torres: Healer, Strategist, Rebel 9:42 – How Andor De-Romanticizes Revolution 14:20 – Disney, Propaganda & Revolutionary Storytelling 19:35 – The Banality of Evil in a Boardroom 25:00 – Real-World Parallels: Propaganda, Gaza, Gorman & Genocide 26:45 – Parenting, Powerlessness & Purpose 29:21 – Consciousness Building as Resistance 32:20 – Gabes on Luthen, Clea & Strategy in Movement 36:42 – Bix, Trauma & Knowing When to Step Back 40:28 – Organizing Through Burnout & Wavering Commitment 44:30 – Humananizing vs. Ruthless Sacrifice47:40 – Disposability Culture in Movements 49:10 – Disagreeing Is Not a Failure of Solidarity 52:00 – Addressing Conflict & Building in Organizing 56:20 – Is there Shared Vision for Our Resistance? 1:00:23 – Activist Ecosystems, Movement Mentorship from Marine Mammals 1:07:30 – Upside Down Triangle: Rethinking Power 1:08:50 – Support Gabes & Psychosocial Care for Organizers Connect with Gabes:https://gabestorres.com/https://www.instagram.com/gabestorres/Read her article: https://gabestorres.substack.com/p/andorSupport mental health care for organizers in the Global South https://gabestorres.com/support/Rep Amplify RJ Merch Connect with us on:Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Threads, YouTube, and TikTok!SUPPORT by sharing this podcast and leaving a rating or review
Jonathan Peraza Campos joins the podcast to discuss Teaching for Change's Teaching Central America program. Yvette and Jonathan discuss the linkages between Latinx communities in the U.S. South and the Global South, the importance of integrating Central American history into K-12 education, and why ethnic studies of and in the U.S. South matters. To support the podcast, become a patron of the #litreview, a bookclub for Cachimbonas: https://patreon.com/radiocachimbona?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkFollow @radiocachimbona on Instagram, X, and Facebook
From wine valleys to White House stand-offs, we're in South Africa as the continent's biggest economy finds itself caught between China, Russia, and a sulking Uncle Sam. Reporting from Franschhoek, we trace the Huguenot legacy, the Dutch East India Company, and how South Africa became the West's favourite refuelling stop, until now. With President “Cupcake” Ramaphosa headed to the White House this week, US aid frozen, and Afrikaner “refugees” granted asylum, tensions are flaring. South African podcaster Pumi Mashigo joins us to unpack the realignment: BRICS, Palestine, misinformation campaigns, and why the Global South is finally saying: enough. Join the gang! https://plus.acast.com/s/the-david-mcwilliams-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
After several months of steadily improving ties, India-China relations appear to be cooling once again following the recent clashes in Kashmir. China's military support for Pakistan during the conflict earlier this month has triggered fresh concerns in New Delhi, with many now fearing that the fragile détente built over the past year is starting to unravel. Tensions further escalated in recent days after Beijing announced new names for dozens of locations along the disputed border with India, drawing strong backlash from the Indian media. Meanwhile, the Indian government has banned several Chinese state-run media accounts on the social platform X. Joining Eric from New Delhi is Sushant Singh, a lecturer in South Asian Studies at Yale University, who breaks down the current state of Sino-Indian relations in the aftermath of the Kashmir conflict. Sushant also explains why observers should ignore India's noisy mainstream media and instead pay close attention to what Prime Minister Narendra Modi does—or doesn't—say about China. JOIN THE DISCUSSION: X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social FOLLOW CGSP IN FRENCH AND ARABIC: Français: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine Arabic: عربي: www.alsin-alsharqalawsat.com | @SinSharqAwsat JOIN US ON PATREON! Become a CGSP Patreon member and get all sorts of cool stuff, including our Week in Review report, an invitation to join monthly Zoom calls with Eric & Cobus, and even an awesome new CGSP Podcast mug! www.patreon.com/chinaglobalsouth
Faisal Naru traces the explosive growth of behavioral science in policy from 2010 to today, highlighting how Global South nations are using it to address complex problems like poverty and public health. He makes the case for embedding behavioral science teams into organizations long-term—moving from quick “silver bullet” fixes to enduring “golden nuggets” of insight. Topics [0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Faisal Naru [6:42] Behavioral Science Policy Units and Global Trends [15:23] Global Approaches - North vs. South [24:33] How Different Systems Support Behavioral Science [36:25] The Golden Nuggets of Behavioral Policy [48:55] Desert Island Music [51:22] Grooving Session: The Future of Behavioral Science Links About Faisal OECD Join the Behavioral Grooves community Subscribe to Behavioral Grooves on YouTube Musical Links Bob Marley - Is This Love Dizee Rascal - Baseline Junkie
Ngày nay, giới lý thuyết quan hệ quốc tế phương Tây cho thấy sự nghèo nàn “triết học” rõ ràng khi thảo luận về “phương Nam toàn cầu” (Global South). Xem thêm.
How did Cold War intelligence operations shape postcolonial India's domestic politics and international alignments? Why did Western agencies prioritise relationships with Indian counterparts while publicly decrying non-alignment? And what can today's policymakers learn from the legacies of covert cooperation in the Global South? In this episode, Dr Paul McGarr, Lecturer in Intelligence Studies in the Department of War Studies, discusses his latest book Spying in South Asia. He explores the complex, often contradictory intelligence relationships between post-independence India and agencies such as MI5, MI6 and the CIA. From clandestine support to Cold War defections, and from covert propaganda campaigns to today's intelligence partnerships, Dr McGarr traces how secrecy, sovereignty and strategic necessity shaped India's place in global affairs—and continues to inform the geopolitics of the Indo-Pacific today.
The Fourth ministerial meeting of the China-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States Forum has just taken place in Beijing.Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Chilean President Gabriel Boric and Colombian President Gustavo Petro were among those in attendance.Meanwhile, Columbia has formally agreed to join the Belt and Road Initiative.What's driving the closer ties between China and the Latin America and Caribbean nations? And what does this mean for the unity of the Global South?Host Zhao Ying is joined by Cao Ting, Director of Center for Latin American Studies of Fudan University; Pedro Steenhagen, PhD candidate in International Politics at Fudan University and Consultant at the China Desk of Brazil's Daniel Law; Fernando Munoz Bernal, Founder of Media Without Means, a platform aimed at combating misinformation by giving local voices a chance to share their stories.
The Climate Crisis has created novel challenges for public policy in the Global South. Developing nations need to discover ways of continuing to grow without undermining the goals of the Paris Agreement, transitioning to green energy at the same time as addressing deep problems of economic growth and social inequality. They also need to mitigate some of the effects of extreme weather events, such as floods or forest fires. In this panel discussion four experienced judges will reflect on the role of the law on this process. Can a substantive conception of environmental rights make a difference? Does the constitution have anything to say about the green transition? Can a Supreme Court assist this process by providing safeguards of fairness and legitimacy? Panel Members Dr Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, Chief Justice of Bangladesh Justice Ananda Bahatarai, Retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Nepal Moderated by Pavlos Eleftheriadis, Program Head of Legal Studies; Professor of Legal Studies, NYUAD
Palestinian analyst Mouin Rabbani and Iranian analyst Trita Parsi talks about the latest developments in the Middle East and whether Trump is finally sidelining Israel when it comes to Gaza, Yemen and Iran. Then Vijay Prashad discusses tensions between India and Pakistan and the 80th anniversary of the defeat of fascism. For the full discussion, please join us on Patreon at - https://www.patreon.com/posts/patreon-full-128900208 Mouin Rabbani is a researcher, analyst, and commentator specialising in Palestinian affairs, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the contemporary Middle East. He has among other positions previously served as Principal Political Affairs Officer with the Office of the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Head of Middle East with the Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation, and Senior Middle East Analyst and Special Advisor on Israel-Palestine with the International Crisis Group. Rabbani is Co-Editor of Jadaliyya, and a Contributing Editor of Middle East Report. Trita Parsi is the executive vice president of the Quincy Institute. He is the award-winning author of "Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran, and the Triumph of Diplomacy" and "Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran, and the United States" and the 2010 recipient of the Grawemeyer Award for Ideas Improving World Order. Vijay Prashad is an Indian historian and journalist. He is the author of forty books, including Washington Bullets, Red Star Over the Third World, The Darker Nations: A People's History of the Third World, The Poorer Nations: A Possible History of the Global South, and The Withdrawal: Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, and the Fragility of U.S. Power, written with Noam Chomsky. Vijay is the executive director of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, the chief correspondent for Globetrotter, and the chief editor of LeftWord Books (New Delhi). He also appeared in the films Shadow World (2016) and Two Meetings (2017). Link to the book 'On The Pleasures of Living in Gaza' - https://orbooks.com/catalog/on-the-pleasures-of-living-in-gaza/ ***Please support The Katie Halper Show *** For bonus content, exclusive interviews, to support independent media & to help make this program possible, please join us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/thekatiehalpershow Get your Katie Halper Show Merch here! https://katiehalper.myspreadshop.com/all Follow Katie on Twitter: https://x.com/kthalps Follow Katie on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kthalps/
Since the late 1990s, the multiplex in India has emerged as a dominant site of media exhibition, almost always embedded within the shopping mall. This spatial pairing has transformed the experience of moviegoing, making it impossible to inhabit one space without also passing through the other. The rise of the mall-multiplex signals a broader shift in the spectatorial imagination: away from cinema halls built for the subaltern male viewer, toward environments curated for the aspiring, mobile, and consuming middle-class woman. Projecting Desire: Media Architectures and Moviegoing in Urban India (NYU Press, 2025) tells the story of this infrastructural and cultural transformation as it unfolded across media industries, architectural design, urban planning, and popular cinema. Tracing the multiplex's evolution in post-liberalization India, Tupur Chatterjee reveals how this new built form not only reconfigured cinematic space, but also reshaped the aesthetics, publics, and gendered politics of the contemporary Indian city. Rather than narrating a linear history of technological replacement, the book situates the multiplex within a longer genealogy of postcolonial urban design—one marked by caste- and class-based anxieties around visibility, safety, and leisure. It argues that the architectural mediation of cinema is central to how desire, modernity, and risk are organised in India's media cities. Drawing on industrial and organisational ethnography, in-depth interviews, participant observation, discourse and textual analysis, and archival research, Projecting Desire maps the multiplex as a space where film, infrastructure, and aspiration intersect. In doing so, it offers a critical framework for understanding how gendered publics are produced through the infrastructures of cinematic experience in the Global South. Dr Tupur Chatterjee is an Assistant Professor in Global Film and Media in the School of English, Drama, and Film at University College Dublin. Her research spans global media industries, feminist media studies, urban spatial politics, and the material life of media technologies. Her work has been published in journals like Television and New Media, International Journal of Cultural Studies, Feminist Media Studies, South Asian Popular Culture, and Porn Studies among others. Dr Priyam Sinha is a recipient of the Humboldt Research Award and is based at Humboldt University in Berlin. She earned her PhD from the National University of Singapore. Her research interests lie at the intersection of critical media industry studies, disability studies, gender studies, affect studies, production culture studies, and anthropology of the body. So far, her articles have been published in Media, Culture and Society; Communication, Culture and Critique; South Asian Diaspora, among others. More information on her research can be found on her website www.priyamsinha.com. She can also be reached at https://twitter.com/PriyamSinha Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/sociology
More than a billion people in the world live in energy poverty, with little or no access to electricity. Can AI help put an end to energy poverty -- or could it make the problem worse? Is there a risk of a new digital divide, with the US, China and Europe integrating AI into their economies while many nations in the Global South fall behind? Join host David Sandalow as he discusses these questions and more with Damilola Ogunbiyi, a top UN official and CEO of Sustainable Energy for All. AI for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap -- https://www.icef.go.jp/roadmap and transitiondigital.org/ai-climate-roadmap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More than a billion people in the world live in energy poverty, with little or no access to electricity. Can AI help put an end to energy poverty -- or could it make the problem worse? Is there a risk of a new digital divide, with the US, China and Europe integrating AI into their economies while many nations in the Global South fall behind? Join host David Sandalow as he discusses these questions and more with Damilola Ogunbiyi, a top UN official and CEO of Sustainable Energy for All. AI for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap -- https://www.icef.go.jp/roadmap and transitiondigital.org/ai-climate-roadmap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
China and Russia issued a joint statement on Thursday on further deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era, agreeing to push forward the high-level development of bilateral ties, uphold a correct historical perspective on World War II and firmly defend international fairness and justice.The statement was jointly signed by President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin following their talks in Moscow.The two heads of state witnessed the exchange of more than 20 bilateral cooperation documents covering such areas as global strategic stability, upholding the authority of international law, biosecurity, investment protection, the digital economy, quarantine and film cooperation.Xi arrived in Moscow on Wednesday, his 11th visit to the neighboring country since becoming president, for a state visit and to attend celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War. This year also marks the 80th anniversary of the victories in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War.The two heads of state have met more than 40 times on different occasions over the years."The foundation of political mutual trust between China and Russia has grown deeper, the ties of practical cooperation have become stronger, and cultural and local exchanges have flourished," Xi said, noting that China-Russia relations are more composed, confident, stable and resilient in the new era.Xi called on the two countries to continue with the general direction of cooperation, eliminate external interference, and make the foundation of cooperation more solid and the momentum for progress more abundant.China and Russia should leverage the complementary advantages of the two countries' resources and industrial systems to expand high-quality and mutually beneficial cooperation in areas such as trade and economy, energy, agriculture, aerospace and artificial intelligence, Xi said.The two countries should synergize the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union, in order to provide a platform for promoting high-standard connectivity, he said.Xi also urged the two sides to enhance coordination and cooperation on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS to unite the Global South, uphold genuine multilateralism and guide global governance reform in the right direction.As China is striving to build itself into a great modern socialist country in all respects, and is advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts, Xi said that China is determined and confident in overcoming various risks and challenges, and will steadfastly manage its own affairs well regardless of changes in the external environment.He expressed China's readiness to work together with Russia to shoulder the special responsibilities entrusted by the times, maintain the global multilateral trading system, and ensure the stability and smooth operation of industrial and supply chains.This will contribute more significantly to the development and revitalization of both countries and the safeguarding of international fairness and justice, Xi said.Putin, who received Xi with a welcoming ceremony on Thursday morning, said, "I am grateful that, just as you did 10 years ago for the previous anniversary, you have chosen to join us in commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory, which our nation holds sacred."Putin said that amid global uncertainty, the Russia-China relationship is a crucial stabilizing factor on the international stage and undoubtedly a model of state-to-state relations in the 21st century.Russia-China ties are built on the principles of equality, mutual benefit and respect for each other's interests and sovereignty, and are not directed against any third party, he said.Putin added that imposing high tariffs goes against common sense and is illegal, and will only backfire.He also said he will be delighted to make an official visit to China for the commemorative events marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the end of World War II.
Become a Client: https://nomadcapitalist.com/apply/ Get our free Weekly Rundown newsletter and be the first to hear about breaking news and offers:https://nomadcapitalist.com/email Join us for the next Nomad Capitalist Live event: https://nomadcapitalist.com/live/ The US dollar is at risk of an all-time collapse, and things seem to only be getting worse. We are now hearing reports that historic enemies, China, South Korea and Japan are seemingly putting aside their differences to fight back against the chaos unleashed by Donald Trump's global trading policies. Mr Henderson will take you through these latest developments and how they might impact those of us who have yet to properly internationally diversify our financial assets. He will also explore how this might be the next step in a long-coming process to overthrow the United States as the global finance powerhouse. With the West flailing around to placate this old giant and the Global South rallying together to make a better world for themselves, this will only be the first of many financial shocks yet to come. Nomad Capitalist helps clients "go where you're treated best." We are the world's most sought-after firm for offshore tax planning, dual citizenship, international diversification, and asset protection. We use legal and ethical strategies and work exclusively with seven- and eight-figure entrepreneurs and investors. We create and execute holistic, multi-jurisdictional Plans that help clients keep more of their wealth, increase their personal freedom, and protect their families and wealth against threats in their home country. No other firm offers clients access to more potential options to relocate to, bank in, or become a citizen of. Because we do not focus only on one or a handful of countries, we can offer unbiased advice where others can't. Become Our Client: https://nomadcapitalist.com/apply/ Our Website: http://www.nomadcapitalist.com/ About Our Company: https://nomadcapitalist.com/about/ Buy Mr. Henderson's Book: https://nomadcapitalist.com/book/ DISCLAIMER: The information in this episode should not be considered tax, financial, investment, or any kind of professional advice. Only a professional diagnosis of your specific situation can determine which strategies are appropriate for your needs. Nomad Capitalist can and does not provide advice unless/until engaged by you.
In 2019, The New York Times published H&M's dirty secret. Every year, the Swedish multifashion brand discards billions of dollars worth of new and perfectly usable clothes to landfills across the Global South or ships them to be incinerated. H&M is but one of many guilty clothing companies. Fast fashion brands – you know your Zara, Adidas and H&M – are some of the worst polluters on the planet. They regularly overproduce clothes by 30-40%, according to some estimates. That's because in order to attract customers, these companies need to come up with ever-changing trends and styles, and they need to make their shelves appear full.But now, some Indians are finding ways to avoid participating in ‘fast fashion' — through thrifting. The practice of buying and selling second-hand things in the organised retail sector — that's the definition of thrifting — became popular in the West in the 50s and 60s.Even in India, people are establishing ‘thrift stores', that buy and sell used clothing and accessories. In this episode, we'll learn about the thrift industry in India. Who's selling and who's buying? Is thrifting really as sustainable as people think it is? The Core and The Signal Daily is ad supported and FREE for all readers and listeners. Write in to shiva@thecore.in for sponsorships and brand studio requirementsFor more of our coverage check out thecore.inSubscribe to our NewsletterFollow us on:Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Linkedin | Youtube
The spread of democracy across the Global South has taken many different forms, but certain features are consistent: implementing a system of elections and an overarching mission of serving the will and well-being of a country's citizens. But how do we hold politicians accountable for such a mission? How are we to understand the efficacy of the policies they put forth? In Indicators of Democracy (Stanford UP, 2024), Diana Graizbord exposes the complex, often-hidden world of the institutions that are meant to ensure democratic accountability and transparency. Taking the case of Mexico's National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy (CONEVAL), Graizbord provides a deep theory of what happens when democratic aspirations intersect with technocratic ambitions. Analyzing what it takes to establish and sustain monitoring and evaluation as a form of official state expertise, Graizbord is able to put forward the contours of technodemocracy—a democratic political project that hinges on the power of experts to shape politics in unexpected but profound ways. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science
Two years ago, Daniel Russel and Blake Berger, senior analysts at the Asia Society Policy Institute, embarked on an ambitious project to bring U.S. and Chinese stakeholders together to speak in a safe, controlled setting about their respective countries' aid strategies in the Global South. This was a big undertaking given how few direct contacts there are today between U.S. and Chinese stakeholders, particularly on a topic like international aid and development that is largely overlooked in the broader Sino-U.S. relationship. But just as they were about to release their final report, Donald Trump upended their project with the decision to effectively halt all U.S. foreign aid. Daniel and Blake join Eric & Cobus to talk about what they learned and how U.S. and Chinese international development assistance are poised to change in the Trump era. JOIN THE DISCUSSION: X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander | @stadenesque Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social FOLLOW CGSP IN FRENCH AND ARABIC: Français: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine Arabic: عربي: www.alsin-alsharqalawsat.com | @SinSharqAwsat JOIN US ON PATREON! Become a CGSP Patreon member and get all sorts of cool stuff, including our Week in Review report, an invitation to join monthly Zoom calls with Eric & Cobus, and even an awesome new CGSP Podcast mug! www.patreon.com/chinaglobalsouth
In this week's episode of China Insider, Miles Yu discusses the Xi Jinping's recent trip to Shanghai as China seeks to solidify its role in the Global South and promote domestic AI innovation and development. Next, we revisit trade tensions between the United States and China and assess the potential for bilateral trade negotiations to resolve the ongoing trade war. Lastly, we examine China's current trade policy and economic growth in the face of continued United States tariffs, and the consequences of a sustained economic conflict for China.
The catalyst for mission isn't found in strategy, resources, or technical knowledge—it's rooted in prayer. But not just any prayer. In this refreshingly honest conversation, Pastor Chris Paavola shares how his journey from worship director to church planter to established church pastor led him to a profound revelation: most Christians don't know how to pray conversationally with God.• Prayer is the catalyst for mission and church transformation• The Global South practices prayer with more desperation and dependency• Scripted prayers are good but insufficient for developing a prayer culture• The "prayers for" method creates natural, conversational prayer times• Prayer walking transforms both churches and communities• Most church members freeze when asked to pray publicly• Creating systems for teaching conversational prayer is essential• Prayer services and intercessory prayer teams build prayer culture• Prayer reveals our desperation and need for God's intervention• New churches reach new people, and different churches reach different peopleSupport the showWatch Us On Youtube!
The Do One Better! Podcast – Philanthropy, Sustainability and Social Entrepreneurship
Shloka Nath, Chief Executive Officer of the India Climate Collaborative (ICC), offers an in-depth look at the launch of the HCL ClimaForce Fund, a new initiative designed to bridge the critical gap between promising climate innovations and wide-scale adoption. The fund marks a notable evolution in Indian philanthropy, particularly in the climate mitigation space — an area that has historically received limited domestic funding. Until now, Indian philanthropic capital has largely been directed toward adaptation strategies, focusing on helping communities withstand the impacts of climate change. The HCL ClimaForce Fund, by contrast, shifts the focus to emissions reduction, enabling India to not only respond to climate change but lead on the development and deployment of climate solutions. At the heart of the initiative is a groundbreaking partnership between ICC and HCL, with visionary leadership from Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Chairperson of HCL Technologies. The fund targets three high-impact sectors: sustainable buildings, cooling, and freight — all of which are major contributors to India's future emissions profile and simultaneously ripe for innovation. India's building stock, for instance, is expected to double by 2040, and nearly 70% of the buildings that will exist in 2050 have yet to be constructed. Cooling demand is also set to triple by mid-century, while freight continues to be a critical area of economic and environmental concern. These sectors present a rare window to influence the direction of India's development — and by extension, its climate trajectory. The fund is designed to address what is often referred to as the “valley of death” — the stage where early-stage innovations struggle to gain traction due to a lack of commercial viability, limited data on effectiveness, and high perceived risk. By supporting pilot projects, demonstration initiatives, and capacity-building efforts, the HCL ClimaForce Fund provides the early, high-risk capital that most private investors are unwilling to commit. In doing so, it lays the groundwork for private sector investment and accelerates the scaling of climate solutions that are both affordable and suited to India's socio-economic realities. What distinguishes this effort is not just its technical sophistication, but its collaborative ethos. The India Climate Collaborative brings together a wide network of stakeholders — from policymakers and research institutions to real estate developers, logistics companies, and civil society actors. Rather than operating in silos, the fund is embedded in a broader ecosystem that understands both the scientific imperatives of climate action and the structural and behavioral shifts needed to enable adoption. It also signals a new model of philanthropy in the Global South: one that is strategic, catalytic, and deeply rooted in local leadership and priorities. The fund's structure and strategic focus reflect years of development, trust-building, and alignment between ICC and HCL. According to Nath, success will be measured not only in terms of the specific innovations supported, but in the broader transformation of India's climate finance ecosystem. By de-risking innovation, creating proof points, and fostering cross-sector collaboration, the HCL ClimaForce Fund has the potential to drive system-level change — not just in India, but across the Global South, where similar barriers to climate innovation persist. As India races toward 2030, Nath emphasizes the need to integrate climate action into the country's core development agenda. The ClimaForce Fund is one part of that larger vision: a pathway to scale homegrown, climate-smart solutions that can help define a new model of sustainable development. In her view, leadership today is less about having all the answers and more about enabling others to act — through trust, humility, and a shared commitment to transformative change. Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 300 case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
Student scholarships were a huge part of Yugoslavia's nonaligned diplomacy and one of the most tangible and visible ways Yugoslav citizens experienced nonalignment. Between 1955 and 1984, Yugoslavia granted nearly 8,000 scholarships to young people from 90 political parties, liberation movements, and countries of the Global South, with foreign students receiving professional, military, and university training and education in the country for various periods. But the program also had an ugly side: discrimination and racism (PLUS). With Rima Sabina Aouf, Leonora Dugonjic-Rodwin, and Peter Wright, plus Goran Musić, Žiga Smolič, Paul Stubbs, and Damir Vučićević. Featuring music by Gofret (courtesy of Arsivplak) and Yangaman Bob (Dig This Way Records).Part 5 of 7.* * * Remembering Yugoslavia PLUS: an extended episode featuring additional commentary, stories, analysis, archival footage, and music. Exclusive for Yugoblok members. * * * Remembering Yugoslavia is a Yugoblok podcast exploring the memory of a country that no longer exists. Created, produced, and hosted by Peter Korchnak.Show notes and transcript: Yugoblok.com/Nonaligned-Movement5/Instagram: @rememberingyugoslavia & @yugo.blokJOIN YUGOBLOKSupport the show
Since the late 1990s, the multiplex in India has emerged as a dominant site of media exhibition, almost always embedded within the shopping mall. This spatial pairing has transformed the experience of moviegoing, making it impossible to inhabit one space without also passing through the other. The rise of the mall-multiplex signals a broader shift in the spectatorial imagination: away from cinema halls built for the subaltern male viewer, toward environments curated for the aspiring, mobile, and consuming middle-class woman. Projecting Desire: Media Architectures and Moviegoing in Urban India (NYU Press, 2025) tells the story of this infrastructural and cultural transformation as it unfolded across media industries, architectural design, urban planning, and popular cinema. Tracing the multiplex's evolution in post-liberalization India, Tupur Chatterjee reveals how this new built form not only reconfigured cinematic space, but also reshaped the aesthetics, publics, and gendered politics of the contemporary Indian city. Rather than narrating a linear history of technological replacement, the book situates the multiplex within a longer genealogy of postcolonial urban design—one marked by caste- and class-based anxieties around visibility, safety, and leisure. It argues that the architectural mediation of cinema is central to how desire, modernity, and risk are organised in India's media cities. Drawing on industrial and organisational ethnography, in-depth interviews, participant observation, discourse and textual analysis, and archival research, Projecting Desire maps the multiplex as a space where film, infrastructure, and aspiration intersect. In doing so, it offers a critical framework for understanding how gendered publics are produced through the infrastructures of cinematic experience in the Global South. Dr Tupur Chatterjee is an Assistant Professor in Global Film and Media in the School of English, Drama, and Film at University College Dublin. Her research spans global media industries, feminist media studies, urban spatial politics, and the material life of media technologies. Her work has been published in journals like Television and New Media, International Journal of Cultural Studies, Feminist Media Studies, South Asian Popular Culture, and Porn Studies among others. Dr Priyam Sinha is a recipient of the Humboldt Research Award and is based at Humboldt University in Berlin. She earned her PhD from the National University of Singapore. Her research interests lie at the intersection of critical media industry studies, disability studies, gender studies, affect studies, production culture studies, and anthropology of the body. So far, her articles have been published in Media, Culture and Society; Communication, Culture and Critique; South Asian Diaspora, among others. More information on her research can be found on her website www.priyamsinha.com. She can also be reached at https://twitter.com/PriyamSinha Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/film
Since the late 1990s, the multiplex in India has emerged as a dominant site of media exhibition, almost always embedded within the shopping mall. This spatial pairing has transformed the experience of moviegoing, making it impossible to inhabit one space without also passing through the other. The rise of the mall-multiplex signals a broader shift in the spectatorial imagination: away from cinema halls built for the subaltern male viewer, toward environments curated for the aspiring, mobile, and consuming middle-class woman. Projecting Desire: Media Architectures and Moviegoing in Urban India (NYU Press, 2025) tells the story of this infrastructural and cultural transformation as it unfolded across media industries, architectural design, urban planning, and popular cinema. Tracing the multiplex's evolution in post-liberalization India, Tupur Chatterjee reveals how this new built form not only reconfigured cinematic space, but also reshaped the aesthetics, publics, and gendered politics of the contemporary Indian city. Rather than narrating a linear history of technological replacement, the book situates the multiplex within a longer genealogy of postcolonial urban design—one marked by caste- and class-based anxieties around visibility, safety, and leisure. It argues that the architectural mediation of cinema is central to how desire, modernity, and risk are organised in India's media cities. Drawing on industrial and organisational ethnography, in-depth interviews, participant observation, discourse and textual analysis, and archival research, Projecting Desire maps the multiplex as a space where film, infrastructure, and aspiration intersect. In doing so, it offers a critical framework for understanding how gendered publics are produced through the infrastructures of cinematic experience in the Global South. Dr Tupur Chatterjee is an Assistant Professor in Global Film and Media in the School of English, Drama, and Film at University College Dublin. Her research spans global media industries, feminist media studies, urban spatial politics, and the material life of media technologies. Her work has been published in journals like Television and New Media, International Journal of Cultural Studies, Feminist Media Studies, South Asian Popular Culture, and Porn Studies among others. Dr Priyam Sinha is a recipient of the Humboldt Research Award and is based at Humboldt University in Berlin. She earned her PhD from the National University of Singapore. Her research interests lie at the intersection of critical media industry studies, disability studies, gender studies, affect studies, production culture studies, and anthropology of the body. So far, her articles have been published in Media, Culture and Society; Communication, Culture and Critique; South Asian Diaspora, among others. More information on her research can be found on her website www.priyamsinha.com. She can also be reached at https://twitter.com/PriyamSinha Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
Since the late 1990s, the multiplex in India has emerged as a dominant site of media exhibition, almost always embedded within the shopping mall. This spatial pairing has transformed the experience of moviegoing, making it impossible to inhabit one space without also passing through the other. The rise of the mall-multiplex signals a broader shift in the spectatorial imagination: away from cinema halls built for the subaltern male viewer, toward environments curated for the aspiring, mobile, and consuming middle-class woman. Projecting Desire: Media Architectures and Moviegoing in Urban India (NYU Press, 2025) tells the story of this infrastructural and cultural transformation as it unfolded across media industries, architectural design, urban planning, and popular cinema. Tracing the multiplex's evolution in post-liberalization India, Tupur Chatterjee reveals how this new built form not only reconfigured cinematic space, but also reshaped the aesthetics, publics, and gendered politics of the contemporary Indian city. Rather than narrating a linear history of technological replacement, the book situates the multiplex within a longer genealogy of postcolonial urban design—one marked by caste- and class-based anxieties around visibility, safety, and leisure. It argues that the architectural mediation of cinema is central to how desire, modernity, and risk are organised in India's media cities. Drawing on industrial and organisational ethnography, in-depth interviews, participant observation, discourse and textual analysis, and archival research, Projecting Desire maps the multiplex as a space where film, infrastructure, and aspiration intersect. In doing so, it offers a critical framework for understanding how gendered publics are produced through the infrastructures of cinematic experience in the Global South. Dr Tupur Chatterjee is an Assistant Professor in Global Film and Media in the School of English, Drama, and Film at University College Dublin. Her research spans global media industries, feminist media studies, urban spatial politics, and the material life of media technologies. Her work has been published in journals like Television and New Media, International Journal of Cultural Studies, Feminist Media Studies, South Asian Popular Culture, and Porn Studies among others. Dr Priyam Sinha is a recipient of the Humboldt Research Award and is based at Humboldt University in Berlin. She earned her PhD from the National University of Singapore. Her research interests lie at the intersection of critical media industry studies, disability studies, gender studies, affect studies, production culture studies, and anthropology of the body. So far, her articles have been published in Media, Culture and Society; Communication, Culture and Critique; South Asian Diaspora, among others. More information on her research can be found on her website www.priyamsinha.com. She can also be reached at https://twitter.com/PriyamSinha Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/architecture
Since the late 1990s, the multiplex in India has emerged as a dominant site of media exhibition, almost always embedded within the shopping mall. This spatial pairing has transformed the experience of moviegoing, making it impossible to inhabit one space without also passing through the other. The rise of the mall-multiplex signals a broader shift in the spectatorial imagination: away from cinema halls built for the subaltern male viewer, toward environments curated for the aspiring, mobile, and consuming middle-class woman. Projecting Desire: Media Architectures and Moviegoing in Urban India (NYU Press, 2025) tells the story of this infrastructural and cultural transformation as it unfolded across media industries, architectural design, urban planning, and popular cinema. Tracing the multiplex's evolution in post-liberalization India, Tupur Chatterjee reveals how this new built form not only reconfigured cinematic space, but also reshaped the aesthetics, publics, and gendered politics of the contemporary Indian city. Rather than narrating a linear history of technological replacement, the book situates the multiplex within a longer genealogy of postcolonial urban design—one marked by caste- and class-based anxieties around visibility, safety, and leisure. It argues that the architectural mediation of cinema is central to how desire, modernity, and risk are organised in India's media cities. Drawing on industrial and organisational ethnography, in-depth interviews, participant observation, discourse and textual analysis, and archival research, Projecting Desire maps the multiplex as a space where film, infrastructure, and aspiration intersect. In doing so, it offers a critical framework for understanding how gendered publics are produced through the infrastructures of cinematic experience in the Global South. Dr Tupur Chatterjee is an Assistant Professor in Global Film and Media in the School of English, Drama, and Film at University College Dublin. Her research spans global media industries, feminist media studies, urban spatial politics, and the material life of media technologies. Her work has been published in journals like Television and New Media, International Journal of Cultural Studies, Feminist Media Studies, South Asian Popular Culture, and Porn Studies among others. Dr Priyam Sinha is a recipient of the Humboldt Research Award and is based at Humboldt University in Berlin. She earned her PhD from the National University of Singapore. Her research interests lie at the intersection of critical media industry studies, disability studies, gender studies, affect studies, production culture studies, and anthropology of the body. So far, her articles have been published in Media, Culture and Society; Communication, Culture and Critique; South Asian Diaspora, among others. More information on her research can be found on her website www.priyamsinha.com. She can also be reached at https://twitter.com/PriyamSinha Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/south-asian-studies
The spread of democracy across the Global South has taken many different forms, but certain features are consistent: implementing a system of elections and an overarching mission of serving the will and well-being of a country's citizens. But how do we hold politicians accountable for such a mission? How are we to understand the efficacy of the policies they put forth? In Indicators of Democracy (Stanford UP, 2024), Diana Graizbord exposes the complex, often-hidden world of the institutions that are meant to ensure democratic accountability and transparency. Taking the case of Mexico's National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy (CONEVAL), Graizbord provides a deep theory of what happens when democratic aspirations intersect with technocratic ambitions. Analyzing what it takes to establish and sustain monitoring and evaluation as a form of official state expertise, Graizbord is able to put forward the contours of technodemocracy—a democratic political project that hinges on the power of experts to shape politics in unexpected but profound ways. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/anthropology
Chinese overseas development finance is unrecognizable from what it was just a few years ago. After suffering tens of billions of dollars in losses, Chinese lenders have moved to de-risk their lending to countries in Africa, Asia, and across the Global South. Instead of those once massive bilateral loans from the two main policy banks in Beijing, Chinese lending now encompasses a much more diverse array of actors, particularly in Africa. This new approach was on full display last month when Kenya closed a deal with a consortium of Chinese stakeholders to finance the extension of the Standard Gauge Railway from the current terminus in the Rift Valley to the Ugandan border. A third of the cost to build the new railway will be paid for by the Kenyan government, around another third will be comprised of a consortium of Chinese investors, and the rest will be financed with loans from the China Exim Bank. Yunan Chen, a research fellow at ODI Global in London, and Teal Emery, an adjunct lecturer at Johns Hopkins SAIS in Washington, D.C., join Eric & Cobus to discuss their new report, which breaks down the latest trends in Chinese development finance, and to explain why the deal in Kenya should serve as a case study for other African borrowers. Show Notes: ODI Global: Greener on the other side? — Mapping China's overseas co-financing and financial innovation by Yunnan Chen and Teal Emery ODI Global: China's creditor diversification in Africa: impacts and challenges of infrastructure debt-financing by Chinese commercial creditors by Yunnan Chen and Tianyi Wu South China Morning Post: After delay, new Chinese funding plan will help extend railway to Uganda, Kenya says by Jevans Nyabiage JOIN THE DISCUSSION: X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander | @stadenesque Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social FOLLOW CGSP IN FRENCH AND ARABIC: Français: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine Arabic: عربي: www.alsin-alsharqalawsat.com | @SinSharqAwsat JOIN US ON PATREON! Become a CGSP Patreon member and get all sorts of cool stuff, including our Week in Review report, an invitation to join monthly Zoom calls with Eric & Cobus, and even an awesome new CGSP Podcast mug! www.patreon.com/chinaglobalsouth
On this May Day edition of Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael, political theorist Matt McManus joins us to unpack The Political Theory of Liberal Socialism, his groundbreaking new book. We explore: Liberal Socialism Defined: Why liberal rights and socialist economics aren't mutually exclusive—and how methodological collectivism and normative individualism unite them. Historical Roots: From Mary Wollstonecraft and Thomas Paine's radical democracy to John Stuart Mill's social liberalism, contrasted with Edmund Burke and Ludwig von Mises. Core Principles: A developmental ethic over mere inquiry, economic democracy within a liberal framework, and, for some, extending democratic values into the family. Key Influences: John Rawls's Theory of Justice, Samuel Moyn's critique of Cold War liberalism and the relationship between Samuel Moyn's book LIBERALISM AGAINST ITSELF: COLD WAR INTELLECTUALS AND THE MAKING OF OUR TIMES and Matt's book, and a speculative look at Richard Rorty's pragmatic liberalism in relation to Liberal Socialism. Global & Anti-Colonial Critiques: Addressing charges of Eurocentrism and imperialist bias by anti-colonial and Global South critiques of Liberal Socialism. Critiques from the Left & Right: Responses to neoliberal, libertarian, and Marxist-Leninist objections, and why caricaturing Marx misses his nuanced view of liberal institutions. If you're interested in the crossroads of political philosophy, the future of democratic socialism, and reclaiming a tradition of freedom and equality, tune in to this deep dive with Matt McManus.
Vitalik Buterin is the creator of Ethereum, but he's also a true Bitcoin maximalist. In this episode, Vitalik tells his story as a bitcoiner, explains why he built Ethereum, and makes use of his knowledge to predict the future of the two networks. Time stamps: Introducing Vitalik (00:01:00) Vitalik's Early Involvement with Bitcoin (00:02:22) Writing for Bitcoin Weekly (00:03:01) Bitcoin's Early Fees and Transaction Model (00:06:45) Evolving Understanding of Bitcoin (00:09:15) Bitcoin Cash and the Scaling Debate (00:10:25) Dark Wallet Project (00:14:06) Coinjoin and Privacy Innovations (00:16:41) Colored Coins and Bitcoin 2.0 (00:21:05) Transition to Ethereum Development (00:21:58) Current Layer Two Innovations (00:24:11) Scaling and Privacy Innovations (00:25:55) Ethereum's Early Criticism (00:27:05) EVM's Role in Smart Contracts (00:28:11) Challenges of Parallelization (00:29:23) Sandboxing and Security (00:30:24) Future Scaling Ideas (00:34:49) Ethereum vs NXT vs Counterparty vs Omni/Mastercoin (00:35:37) Lessons from Ethereum's Success (00:37:07) The DAO Hack and Community Resilience (00:43:16) Ethereum's Network Effect (00:45:43) Ethereum's Ecosystem Resilience (00:49:35) Decentralization vs. Scalability (00:50:41) Critique of Ethereum Killers (00:51:21) Layer One and Layer Two Dynamics (00:52:53) SideShift (00:53:21) How Vitalik Cancelled Craig Wright (00:54:51) Current Characters in Bitcoin (00:58:03) Daniel Kravisz's Views on Craig Wright (00:59:04) Manipulative Tactics in Dating Advice (01:00:34) NoOnes: Marketplace for Global South (01:01:19) Bitcoin.com News Evolution (01:02:40) Bitcoin Magazine is Now Pro Trump (01:04:37) Libertarian Shifts in Crypto (01:05:03) Ethereum Domain Name Registrations (01:06:09) Layer Two Scaling Decision (01:08:08) Hardware Requirements for Ethereum Node (01:10:45) Philosophical Questions on Scaling (01:12:01) The Dystopia Scenario (01:13:03) Importance of Full Nodes (01:14:24) Technological Innovations (01:15:27) Running Full Nodes in Ethereum (01:16:30) Privacy and RPC Trust (01:17:28) Adapting Ethereum to New Cryptography (01:19:53) Scaling Debate in Ethereum (01:22:04) Respect for Ethereum's Approach (01:23:15) Zcash and Ethereum Collaboration (01:25:00) Challenges for Zcash (01:27:04) Impact of Developer Actions (01:28:01) Scaling Solutions in Bitcoin and Ethereum (01:30:43) Defining Rollups vs. Sidechains (01:31:40) Security Implications of Drivechains (01:34:03) Transition to Proof of Stake (01:36:19) ZK Coins and Shielded Client Side Validation (01:37:53) Thoughts on TheStandard.io (01:40:03) Backing Up Coins and Holding Keys (01:42:11) Evolution of Multi-Sig Technology (01:46:43) Privacy (01:48:14) Concerns About Centralized Data Collection (01:51:10) Impact of Snowden Revelations (01:53:35) Privacy as a Key Aspect of Decentralization (01:55:49) Ethereum's Cypherpunk Roots (01:57:07) Feedback from Cypherpunks on Ethereum (02:00:42) The Inspiration Behind DAOs (02:02:07) AI and DAOs (02:02:40) Vitalik's Public Image and Price Pressure (02:02:55) Media Attention and Its Impact (02:03:43) Decentralization and Attention (02:04:03) Price Influence and Market Dynamics (02:04:59) Focus on Ethereum's Values (02:06:01) Historical Use Cases of Ethereum (02:08:28) Next Bull Market Narrative (02:09:38) DeFi Ecosystem as a Proven Use Case (02:09:45) Political Instability and Financial Security (02:12:05) Polymarket, Prediction Markets and Mainstream Adoption (02:12:20) Zero Knowledge Proofs and Privacy (02:14:20) Roger Ver (02:15:23) Principles of Freedom and Privacy (02:22:57) Critique of Blockstream's Liquid (02:24:00) Bitcoin's Role in Decentralization (02:26:15) Transition to RISC-V (02:27:37) Adoption of RISC-V (02:28:36) Redesigning Ethereum in A Time Travel Scenario (02:31:30) Challenges in Ethereum's Development (02:32:45) Ethereum and Bitcoin Relationship (02:37:02) Complementarity of Bitcoin and Ethereum (02:38:40) Does Vitalik Still Use Bitcoin? (02:41:21) Lightning Network (02:42:06) Standardization of LN Invoies (02:43:20) Privacy Concerns with Bitcoin (02:45:42) Running Lightning Nodes (02:46:52) Home-Based Bitcoin Solutions (02:48:12) Tribalism in Crypto Communities (02:48:53) Ethereum's Evolution and Ideals (02:50:06) Collaboration Between Bitcoin and Ethereum (02:51:10) Diverse Blockchain Future (02:51:45) Is Vitalik a Bitcoin Maximalist? (02:52:59) Community Values and Challenges (02:53:45) Cultural Dynamics in Cryptocurrencies (02:56:05) Layer Two Solutions for Bitcoin (02:59:31) Vitalik's Online Presence (03:00:25) Closing Remarks and Future Guests (03:01:36)
The spread of democracy across the Global South has taken many different forms, but certain features are consistent: implementing a system of elections and an overarching mission of serving the will and well-being of a country's citizens. But how do we hold politicians accountable for such a mission? How are we to understand the efficacy of the policies they put forth? In Indicators of Democracy (Stanford UP, 2024), Diana Graizbord exposes the complex, often-hidden world of the institutions that are meant to ensure democratic accountability and transparency. Taking the case of Mexico's National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy (CONEVAL), Graizbord provides a deep theory of what happens when democratic aspirations intersect with technocratic ambitions. Analyzing what it takes to establish and sustain monitoring and evaluation as a form of official state expertise, Graizbord is able to put forward the contours of technodemocracy—a democratic political project that hinges on the power of experts to shape politics in unexpected but profound ways. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
The spread of democracy across the Global South has taken many different forms, but certain features are consistent: implementing a system of elections and an overarching mission of serving the will and well-being of a country's citizens. But how do we hold politicians accountable for such a mission? How are we to understand the efficacy of the policies they put forth? In Indicators of Democracy (Stanford UP, 2024), Diana Graizbord exposes the complex, often-hidden world of the institutions that are meant to ensure democratic accountability and transparency. Taking the case of Mexico's National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy (CONEVAL), Graizbord provides a deep theory of what happens when democratic aspirations intersect with technocratic ambitions. Analyzing what it takes to establish and sustain monitoring and evaluation as a form of official state expertise, Graizbord is able to put forward the contours of technodemocracy—a democratic political project that hinges on the power of experts to shape politics in unexpected but profound ways. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/latin-american-studies
The spread of democracy across the Global South has taken many different forms, but certain features are consistent: implementing a system of elections and an overarching mission of serving the will and well-being of a country's citizens. But how do we hold politicians accountable for such a mission? How are we to understand the efficacy of the policies they put forth? In Indicators of Democracy (Stanford UP, 2024), Diana Graizbord exposes the complex, often-hidden world of the institutions that are meant to ensure democratic accountability and transparency. Taking the case of Mexico's National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy (CONEVAL), Graizbord provides a deep theory of what happens when democratic aspirations intersect with technocratic ambitions. Analyzing what it takes to establish and sustain monitoring and evaluation as a form of official state expertise, Graizbord is able to put forward the contours of technodemocracy—a democratic political project that hinges on the power of experts to shape politics in unexpected but profound ways. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/sociology
Send us a textWhat happens when churches embrace agriculture as ministry? Frank Sindler, Executive Director of Equipping Farmers International, reveals how biblical farming principles are transforming both landscapes and lives across the Global South.The numbers tell a striking story: approximately 70-80% of Christians in developing nations are farmers, yet for decades, mission efforts have overlooked this crucial aspect of discipleship. While churches planted throughout Africa, Asia, and Latin America continue growing rapidly, many struggle with chronic food insecurity and dependence on Western funding. This disconnect between faith and farming has limited the church's ability to demonstrate Christ's redemptive power in tangible ways.Frank shares remarkable stories of transformation from multiple countries where EFI works. Farmers implementing conservation agriculture principles consistently see four to five-fold yield increases in their very first growing season—without expensive inputs. These dramatic improvements enable families to pay for education and healthcare while empowering local churches to fund their own ministry initiatives. In Liberia, one church network is already on track to replace half its outside funding with local agricultural revenue.Perhaps most surprising is the evangelistic impact. Without explicit proselytizing, these farming programs consistently lead to conversions among Muslims, Hindus, and adherents of traditional religions. As Frank explains, "Creation is like a doorway into God's heart." When people witness barren soil transformed into abundance through principles that honor the Creator's design, they naturally encounter the God behind those principles. Even an 85-year-old lifelong Christian described the training as "life-changing."The implications for global mission strategy are profound. As tens of millions come to faith in previously unreached regions, agricultural discipleship offers a sustainable pathway forward, unlocking local resources that far exceed what external support could provide. It challenges our compartmentalized thinking that separates "sacred" from "secular" activities, demonstrating that Christ's redemption extends to our relationship with creation itself.Ready to get involved? Visit www.efi-intl.org to learn about training opportunities, internships, and how your financial support can equip farmers to feed both bodies and souls.https://www.efi-intl.org/giving/https://www.efi-intl.org/get-involved/Support the show
Mitchell Warren, AVAC's Executive Director, joins Ben to scope out a forward-looking infectious disease prevention strategy. It is urgently needed, amidst political and economic turmoil caused by the dismantling of US aid and declines in funding from European donors. With HIV as the poster child of what once was global health solidarity, it is an opportunity for a resurgent and resilient Global South to take the reins and set priorities in how to deploy new biomedical innovations, and protecting the rights of communities affected by HIV and other pandemics. Ben and Mitchell also delve into the various legal actions the public health community is taking against the current US administration's executive orders, asking the question - how to we prep for prevention at home and internationally? 00:00 Introduction and Current Challenges in Global Health 01:09 Welcoming Mitchell Warren and AVAC's Mission 01:43 The Evolution of HIV Prevention and AVAC's Role 03:17 Current Frustrations and Challenges in HIV Prevention 05:15 The Promise and Challenges of Lenacapavir 08:03 The Importance of Choice in HIV Prevention 10:22 Navigating Funding and Policy Obstacles 12:43 The Role of Donors and Ministries in HIV Prevention 14:56 The Urgency of Lenacapavir Approval and Implementation 20:52 Sustainability and Future Planning in Global Health 25:44 Legal Battle Against Government Orders 26:50 Temporary Restraining Order and Its Implications 27:14 Government's Slow Compliance and Ongoing Legal Struggles 28:38 Public Record and Whistleblower Revelations 30:56 Impact on American Influence and Global Health 33:45 Diplomacy and Foreign Assistance 35:04 Consequences of Policy Changes 40:01 Future Strategies and Targets for Global Health 45:51 Music and Reflections on Democracy 48:21 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Learn more about AVAC https://avac.org
Reconciliation between Europe's Protestants and Catholics led to a new era of Christian collaboration. Why did these erstwhile foes end their schism and begin to make peace? In this riveting study, Udi Greenberg shows that ecumenism grew out of a shared desire to protect against perceived threats to Christian life. The End of the Schism: Catholics, Protestants, and the Remaking of Christian Life in Europe, 1880s-1970s (Harvard UP, 2025) overturns conventional wisdom about this revolutionary change by showing that the cause was not growing mutual tolerance but solidarity against the threats of socialism, feminism, and liberation movements. By working together Christians could defend their dominance in European life by maintaining and reinforcing the inequality inherent in Christian hierarchical order. Peacemaking between the confessions was accelerated by the rise of the Nazis, when Christian denominations debated their relations to each other and to nationalism, and was further pressed by the Cold War and decolonization, when Catholic and Protestant authorities formally declared each other "brethren in faith". Working together, Catholics and Protestants designed Europe's economic policies, regulated its sexual practices, and shaped postwar relationships with the Global South. This coalition of Christians has grown more cohesive over time as they leveraged their alliance to maintain influence across a politically fractured Europe. Related: Listen to the New Books Network interview with Udi Greenberg about The Weimar Century: German Emigres and the Ideological Foundation of the Cold War Author recommended reading: The Question of Unworthy Life: Eugenics and Germany's Twentieth Century by Dagmar Herzog Hosted by Meghan Cochran Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history
Redefining Microfinance — With Feet on the Ground & Fire in the BellyWhat if the future of financial inclusion wasn't digital-first… but human-first?In this Tokyo edition of Couchonomics with Arjun, we had the chance to sit down with Taejun Shin, Founder & CEO of Gojo — a rapidly growing microfinance platform working across 13 countries and reaching millions of underserved customers throughout the Global South. As for Gojo? Many are calling it the “private sector's answer to the World Bank” — and it's easy to see why.Tune in to the special series of Couchonomics with Arjun, which was recorded in Tokyo with the help of the GFTN Forum Japan. Available now on YouTube and all podcasting platforms!Chapters:00:00 Introduction and Welcome01:09 Meet Tahin: A Stateless Entrepreneur03:01 Journey to Financial Inclusion05:19 Founding Go J: The Private Sector World Bank08:12 Challenges and Strategies in Microfinance10:29 Technology and Customer Acquisition14:05 Role of Regulators and Major Banks17:50 Investor Relations and Capital Structure22:46 Future Plans and Expansion24:16 Conclusion and FarewellOur website
The Do One Better! Podcast – Philanthropy, Sustainability and Social Entrepreneurship
Nicole Rycroft, Founder and Executive Director of Canopy, shares a comprehensive view of how her organization leverages the global marketplace to catalyze large-scale forest conservation. Founded in 1999, Canopy is a solutions-driven nonprofit dedicated to safeguarding the world's ancient and endangered forests by working with diverse stakeholders, including key corporate actors to reform supply chains traditionally reliant on forest degradation. Today, Canopy collaborates with over 1,000 brands, including major names like H&M, LVMH, and Penguin Random House, to help shift the fiber sourcing for packaging, paper, and textiles toward more circular, low-carbon alternatives. At the heart of Canopy's strategy is an understanding that forests are deeply intertwined with the global economy. Each year, more than five billion trees are cut down for consumer products, many from high-carbon, biodiverse ecosystems critical for climate stability. Recognizing that supply chains are a major driver of deforestation, Canopy works directly with corporations to develop robust environmental policies and to pressure suppliers to move away from sourcing from vital forests. Moreover, Canopy engages companies in advocating for systemic policy changes and creating space at decision-making tables for Indigenous and local community leaders. Rycroft emphasizes the profound evolution of corporate attitudes toward sustainability over the past two decades. Where once sustainability registered as a low-level concern, today it sits as a strategic priority at the C-suite level. Companies are increasingly driven by the need for resilient supply chains, regulatory compliance, and achieving climate targets. The volatility of traditional supply chains—exacerbated by climate change, wildfires, and resource scarcity—has pushed executives to seek more circular and sustainable models. An integral part of Canopy's work is building bridges between the corporate sector and Indigenous communities, whose stewardship has preserved much of the world's remaining biodiversity. Through storytelling and direct engagement, Indigenous leaders have been effective at connecting with corporate audiences, making the case for conservation through a deeply human lens that complements economic and regulatory arguments. A significant current initiative is Canopy's work in India, aimed at scaling "next generation" (Next Gen) fiber solutions—transforming agricultural waste and recycled textiles into paper, packaging, and clothing. India's vast agricultural residue problem, coupled with its global leadership in textile manufacturing, presents a major opportunity. In response, Canopy is developing a $2 billion blended finance platform to catalyze investment in this emerging sector, with plans to replicate this model in other regions of the Global South. The initiative reflects a broader shift toward blended finance mechanisms that leverage grants, concessional capital, and private investments to accelerate sustainable industrial transformation. Rycroft concludes by emphasizing that the solutions needed to safeguard forests and transition to circular supply chains already exist and are ready to scale. Bold corporate leadership and smart capital deployment will be key in the decisive decade ahead. With a growing coalition of committed brands and an urgent ecological timeline, the momentum for systemic change is tangible—and Canopy stands at the forefront of this effort. Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 300 case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
Ukrainians have resisted Russia's aggression for years. Since the full-scale invasion of their country in 2022, Ukrainian women in particular have taken on important roles on the frontlines, in civil society, and at home. Gražina Bielousova's research examines how Ukrainian leftist feminists advocate for their causes at home and abroad, facing distinct challenges as they attempt to defend their country. The Ukrainian case is also distinct from Latvia and Lithuania, whose organizing takes on different shapes for the same cause. Bielousova joins Ben Gardner-Gill to explain these interactions and discuss the ongoing process of decolonization in Baltic Studies.Transcript Ben Gardner-Gill: Hello, and welcome to Baltic Ways. I'm your co-host, Ben Gardner-Gill. Today we're talking with Gražina Belousova. Gražina is a feminist scholar of race, religion, and gender in post-Soviet Europe. She earned her PhD from Duke University in 2022. Currently, she is a postdoctoral scholar at Vilnius University's Institute of International Relations and Political Science and a researcher at Vytautas Magnus University.Her current research project focuses on leftist feminisms in East Europe in light of Russia's war against Ukraine, which will culminate in her first book, What's Left of Feminism in East Europe.Gražina, welcome to Baltic Ways.Gražina Belousova: Thank you so much for having me, Ben.BGG: So let's kick off by just hearing a little bit more about your background. I know you finished your PhD pretty recently. Could you tell us a little bit more about how you got into academia, sort of your research interests, and what you're working on at the moment?GB: Right. Yes, I just defended my PhD in 2022. It's hard to believe that it's been nearly three years now. In my PhD, I focused on historical matters. My PhD was in religion and cultural anthropology. And one of the things that I found missing when I was trying to theorize the part of the world that I call home and that most of the world calls Eastern Europe—I realized that I was lacking a solid theory that would bridge economics, anthropology, and religious studies.I wanted to understand how religious difference, especially perceived religious difference, played a role in creating the space that we call Eastern Europe today. And that took me to 18th and 19th century travel writings by Western travelers, oftentimes who were on an official mission, to the edges or to the depths of the Russian Empire.So I've read a lot of ambassadors' letters. I've read a lot of dispatches from St. Petersburg and Moscow, trying to understand how Westerners thought about that religious difference and how that thinking structured their understanding of what this place was and why it was different. What I tried to argue is actually that perceived religious difference was at the root of thinking of Eastern Europe as something different.Now, when I chose to embark on that topic, I had to put another topic aside, which was the question of very contemporary matters, the question of leftist political thought and feminism. At that point, it felt to me more pertinent to write the kind of theory that I felt was missing. When I was given the opportunity to pursue a postdoctoral position at Vilnius University Institute of International Relations and Political Science, I pitched this idea to them.And we very quickly pulled together the application. And the next thing I knew, I was embarking on a project on leftist feminisms in Eastern Europe in light of the war in Ukraine. So, the path was windy, but here I am today, knees and elbows deep, in the project on leftist feminism.BGG: Wonderful. I mean, a windy path is going to be familiar to so many people listening.So, no surprise and no surprise as well that the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine has really impacted your work and your life as it has for many of us. So tell us a little bit more about that.Over the last three years, we've been watching and seeing the horrors in Ukraine. From your perspective, from your academic work, what are some of the main things that you're looking at?GB: One of the things that I'm particularly interested in is the way that groups that are on the edges of society, on the margins of society, such as leftists, such as feminists, and especially leftist feminists—when the two come together and try to articulate their social and political vision and explain to themselves and to their fellow compatriots and oftentimes foreign donors, in my case, also Western leftist feminists, their relevance, how they're trying to articulate their position.War has a penchant for heightening nationalist tendencies. And this is not some kind of particular Eastern European pathology. War anywhere is going to produce these results. That is normal. People defend themselves and articulate themselves on the basis on which they're being attacked, on the basis on which they're being bombed.So this is what we are seeing in Ukraine. Leftism in Eastern Europe, because of the Soviet past, is often associated with Soviet nostalgia. Feminism, on the other hand, is oftentimes seen as something antithetical to national identity, something that is imported from the West, and something that either has no relevance or can be dangerous, especially when questions of national unity, questions of national defense come about.That is one of the reasons why I embarked on this journey, and this is one of the reasons why Ukraine had to be part of this picture. Because while the other countries that I'm looking at—Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, and Moldova—experience the threat of invasion, Ukraine is under attack.And one of the things that I'm finding is that Ukrainian leftist feminists are incredibly resourceful and incredibly gifted at articulating their relevance.One of the things that I'm going to say that stems from that understanding of leftist feminism that's erroneous, but that's pervasive, is that Ukrainian leftist feminists do not debate the legitimacy of the Ukrainian state. What is in question is the way things are happening under the conditions of war.The questions of most vulnerable people—so questions of what happens with people with disabilities, questions of what happens to single mothers, questions of what happens to the elderly people who are maybe unable to evacuate, questions of what happens to the working class people—all of these things are at the forefront of their minds. They're trying to be the advocates of their pleas to the larger society, while at the same time trying to articulate Ukraine's right to self-defense to Western leftist feminists.BGG: So they have both this tension, maybe tension is the wrong word, tell me if it isn't, but they have this tension internally where they're trying to advocate for what they see as justice or what is right with a domestic audience who, understandably, may be more frequently focused on what's happening at the front lines.And then there's also this international question, the foreign audience for these Ukrainian leftist feminists, who have a very different perspective on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. And I specifically use that verbiage instead of Russia's invasion of Ukraine because they're going to think about it very differently.So let's split those out a little bit, and I want to start with the domestic. You talked about the advocacy of these leftist feminists for the most marginalized groups in society, for those who are most vulnerable.In your view, where have they been most successful, perhaps? Where have they seen actual progress happen from their advocacy?GB: One of the things that immediately comes to mind, and many of my interlocutors were directly involved with, is the nurses' movement–the unionization and self-organization of the nurses.There is a movement called Be Like Nina, referring to one of the nurses seen as a pioneer of resisting exploitation. And, of course, under the conditions of war, the labor of nurses is incredibly valuable and needed, but not always appropriately compensated. This is what we can call essential labor, especially when we talk about the front lines, where people are wounded.Many of them are wounded very badly on a daily basis. However, there are other things that are happening in the background as well. While a lot of the resources are pulled to the front, there are people who are experiencing regular daily struggles with their health. And the nurses are being stretched very thin.And this was something that was really amazing to me. This was really one of the very few instances where I saw academics who are leftist feminists actually touching the ground with their ideas: where they got involved with helping the nurses organize, but not taking the center stage, where they acted as support, as a resource, but not overtaking the movement, rather creating the conditions under which nurses themselves could articulate what it was that they needed, what their goals were.And that was incredibly impressive to me because healthcare is severely underfunded across the whole region, and to achieve such tangible goals as wage increases and regulations that empower nurses to do their job was truly impressive. With every conversation with a woman—because I specifically talk only to women—I just felt sheer amazement, because this is so contrary to so many imaginations of what civil society, self-organization, or networks are like in Eastern Europe.This is so contrary to what some have called ‘uncivil' society. What is happening is really self-organization and civil society at its best, organized by women who are oftentimes stretched very thin, not just at work, but also at home, women whose husbands are potentially on the front lines.So to me, I really cannot think of anything else that, in terms of real life impact and in terms of transforming people's lives, has been grander (I'm going to go for that word) than this.BGG: That's remarkable, and thank you for bringing that. I had very little idea of this progress and this happening.So you use the term civil society, which I think is quite apt, and Western conceptions of civil society in the region that we call Eastern Europe can be highly misguided. Let's just put it like that. I think back to a webinar that the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies (AABS) hosted on Ukrainian civil society, democratization, responses to the war, and we have this comparative Ukrainian and Baltic perspective, where we looked at how Ukrainian civil society was responding.We looked at how Baltic civil society was responding, and you're doing something similar in your research here. You're looking at Latvia and Lithuania as two of the other case studies, in addition to Poland, Moldova, and, of course, Ukraine. One thing that I think we can all observe just from watching the news, let alone being in the countries as well, is that civil society across the region has had this really robust response in the last few years.So could you speak a little bit more to that in the comparative cases outside of Ukraine that you're looking at in your research, especially Latvia and Lithuania?GB: For sure. I think that in order to theorize civil society and the region in general, we need better theory than has been used often to talk about civil society at large.Here, for example, I'm thinking about Emily Channel Justice and her work and the way that she articulates the notion of self-organization. The way that she thinks about Ukraine, especially in the context of Maidan. The way that it left a self-organization, but that can be applied also to any form of civil society, regardless of ideology, is really a network of decentralized, self-organized people's groups.If you were to look for some kind of central organizing pattern, or some kind of centralized way of doing things, most likely you're not going to find it because it's based on personal network, connections, and localized issues. And I think that's definitely something that I'm seeing in Ukraine.One of the things that I'm seeing in Lithuania and Latvia is that it's going to differ slightly because there are going to be more central organizing figures. If we talk about organizing support for Ukraine, one of the things that we're going to see is that people are going to point to nationwide initiatives.Right now in Lithuania, there is an initiative called Radarum, which is a play on words, on radar and on darom, which is a Lithuanian word for let's do it. And it's a nationwide initiative to collect funds to purchase drones and anti-drone equipment for Ukraine. And there are particular faces that we associate with this initiative.National television is running ads for it. So there's a little bit more of a centralized sense to it. But once again, I would say that this is the mainstream way of organizing civil society, which, of course, with Westernization, has taken on some of the patterns that are similar to the West.If we look towards the left, we're going to see very much that it is self-organized, small groups of people who take different initiatives, such as raising funds for medical care, such as raising funds for queer people in Ukraine. So the more mainstream we go, the more patterns that are akin to those that we see in the West we're going to see.That is also going to be true in Latvia. The further left we go, the more organic, grassroots, self-organized cells of people we're going to find who participate in smaller, less visible initiatives. So that's probably the best way that I can explain the difference.BGG: Got it. We see this distinction of centralization and decentralization.One could consider these different types of movements organic in their own ways, but different in different ways. When one thinks of leftist organizing, which has a long and rich history, organic is sort of one of the key words.It's perpetual, and these society-wide initiatives, like what's currently going on in Lithuania, that we've seen across other countries over the last few years, are maybe a little bit less frequent and less common. So there's an important distinction there.So I want to pivot to the international dimension of how the Ukrainian leftist feminists are talking, especially with Western counterparts. And by Western, we mean Western Europe. We mean American and Canadian. We mean Western, as in not Eastern Europe. So could you talk a little bit about the challenges they're facing there?I think I alluded to it earlier. You alluded to it earlier, but could you dive a little bit more into that discourse, that dialogue between the Ukrainians and their counterparts?GB: This is the main point of contention. What does it mean to be leftist? How much does local experience shape being leftist?What is the relationship of the left to the national question? And I think this is where we are seeing the real tension. Underlying this tension, of course, is the question of Russia. Let me try to unpack this. And I'm going to start from the other end than I listed, which is with the question of Russia.Eastern European in general, and Ukrainian in particular, leftist feminists have a very different understanding as to what Russia is in terms of geopolitics than the Western counterparts are going to have. This stems from very different histories. Western leftism—especially the new wave of leftism that arose in the sixties and the seventies—in many ways has redefined itself not just through the questions of class, which I would argue were lost to some extent. They lost their centrality.And they redefined themselves through the anti-colonial, anti-racist struggle. And that struggle was particularly important because after the fall of the formal colonial system, the colonial patterns of economic exploitation, of social exploitation, of brain drain still very much persisted. And naming that and defining themselves against Western neoimperialism or neocolonialism in the Global South was one of the most defining features of the Left, both in the Global South and in the West. Now, Russia at that time had positioned itself as the ally of the colonized countries. And some of it was pure show, and some of it was actual money, resources, and help that were sent, for example, to Angola. And that made a real difference. Whether that was genuine concern for the colonized people or whether that was an ideological tool is a matter of debate.Whatever it was, it had a profound impact on the way that Western leftists relate to Russia. They continue to see Russia out of that tradition, in many ways, as an ally against Western capitalism and imperialism. Their empire, against which they define themselves, continues to be in the West, and oftentimes is seen as centered on the United States.The empire against which we define ourselves in Eastern Europe is Russia, because Russia was the colonizing power in a very real sense in the region. It was our empire that subjugated us. It was the colonial power that engaged in just about every single practice in which any colonial power engages in the region.For us, if we think outside of ourselves, Russia continues to be the colonial power in the way that it relates to Central Asia, in the way that it relates to the indigenous people of Siberia, in the way that it continues to conduct business. So both the left in the West and the left in the East continue to define themselves against the empire, but disagree on who the empire is.The fundamental difference is the question of Russia. Because of the way that Western leftists, and particularly Western leftist feminists, have been taught to see the world, the way that they have been habituated to see the world, they're unable to see Russia as an aggressor. They're unable to change their narrative about how NATO might act.And of course, the criticisms of continued Western abuses of power, especially when they center on the United States—such as Afghanistan or such as Iraq, but also here in the European context, intra-European context, Serbia is another context in which that comes up—are highly debatable questions, but they're seen a certain way. They're understood in a certain way by Western leftists. And because of Russia's criticism of the West, Western leftists see it as a natural ally, or at least as an equally guilty party.BGG: That's a really great explanation. I think the way that you've laid that out makes a lot of sense.It also harkens back to where I want to bring this, which is the debate that has been going on in Baltic studies and other academic fields, especially those focusing on the region, about thinking about Baltic history in particular as a colonial history and thinking about what it means to decolonize Baltic studies as a field, to decolonize our academic thinking. There have been a lot of discussions.I know that we were in the same room at the AABS panel at Yale last year on that fantastic panel about decolonization. Where do you think this leads with regard to your research specifically? There's already this trend in this field. I get the sense that you are an advocate and moving forward in land seeking for the field as a whole to move in that direction.What do you think the next steps are? What paths do you think could be taken? What do people need to be thinking about that they may not already be thinking about?GB: Well, I think for me, the key question when we are talking about Baltic studies and decolonization is what is it that we talk about when we talk about decolonizing Baltic studies or Baltic countries?Because I think sometimes we're talking about four different things. We are talking about the question of colonialism and coloniality. That's one. We are talking about imperialism, Russian imperialism, and Russian imperiality. We are talking about Russification and what it means to de-Russify. And we are also talking about Sovietization and what it means to de-Sovietize.And I would argue that while these four concepts are very much interrelated, they have very different agendas. So, I think it's a question of definitions. How do we define what our agenda is? Which of the four do we have in mind when we talk about decolonizing Baltic countries, Baltic studies, or anything else?And I would say that each of the four has its place and is significant. But the flip side of that, especially if we stay with the question of decolonization, is the question of Western theory, practice, and scholarship as it relates to Baltic studies. Because if we go back to the early questions in the conversation of what is civil society and whether there is a civil society, Baltic countries and the region as a whole are pathologized.Because the concept of what civil society is, or is not, was based on Western understandings and Western practices. And it rendered civil society in the region invisible. In what ways does the production of scholarship and knowledge about the region continue to be based in very unequal power relationships, in such a way that it continues to pathologize the region?And these are very uncomfortable questions, because much like, you know, in the late eighteenth century when the Lithuanian Polish Commonwealth was divided between the three powers, we're facing the same question: Who is our ally? Because we have learned that Russia is definitely not, but the West is also a problematic ally.This is where I think the question of what it means to center the study of the region in the theory, in the practice, in the questions that actually originate from the ground up, are so important. And I'm not ditching all Western scholarship out the window. That would be throwing the baby out with the bathwater.But I'm saying, what does it mean to balance? What does it mean to center? What does it mean to change the parameters of the conversation?BGG: Those are some weighty questions. I think they're good questions that the field is, I would say not even starting to engage with, but is engaging with, which is really excellent, but it's a long path.As anyone who is a scholar of decolonization will tell you, it doesn't happen overnight. It doesn't happen over a decade. It's sort of a continuous process. So, I think that is where we're going to have to leave it, knowing that there is so much more we could have talked about. But, Gražina, thank you so much.This has been a fascinating conversation. Thank you for joining Baltic Ways.GB: Thank you so much for having me, Ben. It's been a privilege.BGG: Thank you for listening to this episode of Baltic Ways, a co-production of the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies and the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI). A note that the views expressed in this and every Baltic Ways episode do not necessarily reflect those of AABS or FPRI.To ensure you catch the next episode of Baltic Ways, make sure you're subscribed to your podcast feed or wherever you get your shows. Thanks so much, and we'll see you next time. Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe
ORIGINALLY RELEASED Sep 17, 2021 In this episode of Guerrilla History, we bring on Professor Jose Maria Sison, better known as Comrade Joma, to talk about his life, how it impacted his ideology, the history of the Communist Party of the Philippines, and more! Comrade Joma is an absolute legendary figure, and it was a pleasure and an honor to be able to talk with him. A must listen conversation for anyone interested in proletarian struggles and People's War in the Global South, especially the Philippines! Jose Maria Sison is the Founding Chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines, Chair Emeritus of the International League of People's Struggle, and the Chief Political Consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines. Our friends at Foreign Languages Press have several of his works available for free as pdfs or for affordable print copies on their website https://foreignlanguages.press/. Comrade Joma passed away in Dec. of 2022, a year after this interview, at the age of 83. ---------------------------------------------------- Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: www.patreon.com/revleftradio Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at BuyMeACoffee.com/revleftradio Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Rev Left Radio HERE
Headlines for April 24, 2025; “Ultimate Grifter”: Bob Kuttner on How Trump Could Drop His Tariffs & Take Credit for Saving Economy; As Trump Attacks CBS, Maria Ressa Warns He Is Following Philippine Model to Crack Down on Free Press; Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa Remembers Pope Francis for Progressive Views & Embracing the Global South; Trump’s War on Children: DOGE Guts Head Start, Child Abuse Programs, Healthcare & More
Headlines for April 24, 2025; “Ultimate Grifter”: Bob Kuttner on How Trump Could Drop His Tariffs & Take Credit for Saving Economy; As Trump Attacks CBS, Maria Ressa Warns He Is Following Philippine Model to Crack Down on Free Press; Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa Remembers Pope Francis for Progressive Views & Embracing the Global South; Trump’s War on Children: DOGE Guts Head Start, Child Abuse Programs, Healthcare & More
Sir Niall Ferguson, renowned historian and Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, joins Azeem Azhar to discuss the evolving relationship between the U.S. and China, Trump's foreign policy doctrine, and what the new global economic and security order might look like. (00:00) What most analysts are missing about Trump (05:43) The win-win outcome in Europe–U.S relations (11:17) How the U.S. is reestablishing deterrence (15:50) Can the U.S. economy weather the impact of tariffs? (23:33) Niall's read on China (29:29) How is China performing in tech? (33:35) What might happen with Taiwan (42:43) Predictions for the coming world order Sir Niall Ferguson's links:Substack: Time MachineBooks: War of the World, Doom: The Politics of CatastropheTwitter/X: https://x.com/nfergusAzeem's links:Substack: https://www.exponentialview.co/ Website: https://www.azeemazhar.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/azhar Twitter/X: https://x.com/azeem Our new show This was originally recorded for "Friday with Azeem Azhar" on 28 March. Produced by supermix.io and EPIIPLUS1 Ltd
The Global South isn't standing still as tariffs and uncertainty roil financial markets and business plans. Aparna Bharadwaj, leader of BCG's Global Advantage practice, explains how these nations are forming smart partnerships and moving from low-cost production to innovation-powered impact. Learn More: Aparna Bharadwaj: https://on.bcg.com/4cIKW3V In a Multipolar World, the Global South Finds Its Moment: https://on.bcg.com/42UhQLnBCG on Emerging Markets: https://on.bcg.com/4cMJ9e4BCG's Center for Geopolitics: https://on.bcg.com/3EA5A9A[00:00] Aparna's 'So What'[02:18] The Global South From Its Own Perspective[04:12] Common Themes In The Global South[07:43] Climate And Sustainability[08:47] How Countries Are Navigating Their Own Paths[11:08] China's Role In The Global South[13:28] How Leaders In The Global North Can Flip The Narrative[14:53] Emerging Industries In The Global South[17:15] The Global South Is A Positive Story[18:31] The Future Of Global Commerce[20:21] Advice To Leaders In The Global South[21:26] The 'Now What'This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
Headlines for April 22, 2025; Remembering Pope Francis on Earth Day: How He Linked Capitalism, Climate & Catholicism; “The Doxxing-to-Deportation Pipeline”: Update on Abduction & Jailing of Tufts Student Rümeysa Öztürk; Vijay Prashad: Historic 1955 Anti-Colonial Bandung Conference Inspired New Era in Global South
Following the death of Pope Francis, Edward Stourton looks at the life and legacy of the spiritual leader of more than a billion Catholics worldwide. He was elected at a time of crisis for his Church, but quickly transformed its reputation. He urged Christians to be less judgemental and more welcoming of gay and divorced people. And as the first Pope from the Global South, he put the poor at the heart of the Church's mission, speaking up for migrants and refugees and those worst hit by the impact of climate change. Edward Stourton speaks to people inside and outside the Catholic Church - including those who worked closely with him.
Trump's Self-Inflicted Wound on Our Economy as Overseas Investors Retreat from Treasuries and the Dollar | An Update From Rome on the Conclave With Cardinals From the Global South in the Mix For a New Pope | On This Earth Day Strategies For Collective Political Action to Make Climate Change the Unifying Crisis of Our Time backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia
On Filipino politics and geopolitics. Renowned public intellectual Walden Bello talks to Alex and contributing editor Lee Jones about his recently published memoirs, former president Rodrigo Duterte's arrest, warring political dynasties and more. What's behind Duterte's arrest? Is it lawfare? How did the Philippines comes to be an ‘anarchy of families'? What are the barriers to doing left-wing political work in the Philippines? How has Walden been involved with the social-democratic party Akbayan? What does China's rise mean for developing countries and the global South? What are Walden's key lessons for the ‘end of the End of History'? Links: GLOBAL BATTLEFIELDS: Memoir of a Legendary Public Intellectual from the Global South, Walden Bello, Clarity Duterte Is Right to End the U.S.-Philippine Military Exercises, Walden Bello, NYT /52/ Duterte's Despotism ft. Nicole Curato /351/ Eating the Left's Lunch? ft. Cecilia Lero & Tamás Gerőcs
In this powerful and wide-ranging conversation, Margaret Kimberley—senior columnist at Black Agenda Report and a leader in Black Alliance for Peace—joins Breht to dissect the spectacle of American decline and, as usual, Kimberley offers a razor-sharp analysis of late-stage capitalism's collapse into cruelty, chaos, and confusion. Together, they explore the Democratic Party's complicity in ushering in this moment, U.S. weapons transfers to Ukraine in support of their proxy war against Russia, and the genocidal assault on Gaza as a revealing - if disturbing - lens into the true nature of the American empire. Kimberley also shares firsthand insights from delegations to Nicaragua, Venezuela, and China, illuminating how the Global South is resisting U.S. domination and reshaping global power. For those feeling the weight of worsening economic conditions, rising fascism, and political demobilization, Kimberley offers hard-won wisdom about organizing in the belly of the beast. We close with discussion about where real hope can still be found. Check out Black Agenda Report Black Agenda Radio -------------------------------------------------------- Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Red Menace & Rev Left Radio HERE Outro Beat Prod. by flip da hood