Podcasts about uk's foreign

Stefan Dercon is Professor of Economic Policy at Oxford University, where he also directs the Center for the Study of African Economics. The author of 5 books and many studies, Stefan has had a distinguished career as an academic and policy advisor on economic development. His accomplishments are many. To name just a few:  between 2011 and 2017, he was Chief Economist of the Department of International Development (DFID), the government department in charge with the UK's aid policy and spending; between 2020-2022, he was the Development Policy Advisor to successive Foreign Secretaries at the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Stefan is a virtuoso of development! His approach to our conversation was equal parts exciting and instructive, a style that also comes across in his writing, making his book very hard to put down. We start by learning about Stefan: his experience growing up in Belgium, being taught by Catholic priests about African socialism, Ujamaa and Julius Nyerere, and Marx and discovering his interest in economics as a means of pursuing development. His early career in Tanzania and Ethiopia highlighted the relationship between risk and poverty and the need to consider uncertainty when engaging in policy advice or research. We then shift to talking about the four propositions that compete as diagnoses of core problems of poverty and development that Stefan outlines in his book: poor initial endowments, market failures that trap the poor in poverty, market failures that are costly for poor countries, weak institutions. He gives us an overview and tells us why the propositions fall short on explaining the successes and failures of development. We also talk about the most important trends in development in recent decades: the dramatic decrease in poverty globally, the Africanization of poverty, and the increasing concentration of poverty in fragile states. The conversation then turns to the elites, what values drive them, and why would they gamble on a development bargain.  We talk about the role of natural resources, political systems, and how external actors can influence the emergence of development bargains. We also discuss the role of Western and Chinese elites in development bargains and what is good policy advice. ***** Stefan Dercon Website: https://www.bsg.ox.ac.uk/people/stefan-dercon X: https://twitter.com/gamblingondev LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/stefan-dercon-45927b104 ***** Mihaela Carstei, Paul M. Bisca, and Johan Bjurman Bergman co-host F-World: The Fragility Podcast.  X: https://twitter.com/fworldpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fworldpodcast/ Website: https://f-world.org Music: "Tornado" by Wintergatan. This track can be downloaded for free at www.wintergatan.net. Video editing by: Alex Mitran - x.com/alexmmitran, linkedin.com/in/alexmmitran EPISODE RESOURCES Stefan Dercon, “Gambling on Development: Why some Countries Win and Others Lose,” Hurst, London, 2022. https://www.gamblingondevelopment.com TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:24 Stefan's background 00:02:49 Economics of poverty 00:04:16 Connection between risk & poverty 00:08:16 Brief overview of development thinking 00:14:57 Recent trends in development 00:19:55 The Africanization of poverty & What is fragility 00:25:39 The problem of fixed mental models of fragility 00:28:47 Who are the elites 00:41:11 The gambling in development bargains 00:47:24 What values drive the elites 00:54:25 Natural resource & political systems in dev. bargains 00:58:51 The role of Western & Chinese elites in dev. bargains 01:09:14 Are the elite bargains in the West still dev. bargains 01:19:09 Citizens' role in dev. bargains 01:29:22 External actors & the emergence of dev. bargains 01:41:28 “Peace is ugly” – can international institutions accept it 01:51:20 Development is 50% history & 50% agency 02:00:40 Private sector role in the dev. bargain 02:09:48 What is good policy advice 02:19:56 Wrap-up

This episode is a recording of a panel conversation that took place at the University of Oxford's Blavatnik School of Government during the RISE Annual Conference in September 2023. For the purposes of clarity and length, this podcast is an edited version of the conversation.The panel featured Nompumelelo Mohohlwane from the Department of Basic Education in South Africa; Rachel Hinton from the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; and former RISE Research Director, Lant Pritchett. This conversation was moderated by Laura Savage from the International Education Funders Group.The panel looks back at the questions that existed at the start of RISE and whether enough has been learnt ten years later. They reflect on the difference between the motivating questions for RISE and the What Works Hub for Global Education. They go on to debate what commitment to learning really means and what cultural shifts are needed for it to materialise, and connected to this, what implementation science really means. The conversation ends with a reflection on the meaning of the thematic shift from systems to implementation. LinksNompumelelo Mohohlwane (webpage)Rachel Hinton (webpage)Lant Pritchett (webpage)Laura Savage (webpage)Contract teachers – Why do they work in an NGO setting but not with government? (journal article) South Africa Department of Basic Education Research Agenda, 2019 – 2023 (report)South Africa's 5-year NDP “Medium-Term Strategic Framework 2019 – 2024” (report)South Africa's Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (report)Rewriting the Grammar of the Education System: Delhi's Education Reform (A Tale of Creative Resistance and Creative Disruption) (book)State of education research (slide in video)Smart Buys Report 2023 (report)The RISE Podcast: Denis Mizne on Transforming Brazil's Education System to Deliver Learning (podcast)World Development Report 2018 (report)Applying

Although political constraints have significant negative impacts on development, mainstream approaches to addressing these issues are often primarily technical and lack a willingness to understand and address political economy factors. Despite decades of technical efforts in sectors like health, education, and climate, some critical problems persist, such as drug supply losses, tree planting failures, and chronic absenteeism in health and education. Peter Evans is a governance specialist with wide-ranging experience and expertise across international development and social research. He holds a PhD in medical geography and was previously Team Leader of the Governance, Conflict, Inclusion and Humanitarian Research Team at the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). In this role, Peter designed and led the Anti-Corruption Evidence (ACE) programme. Until recently, he was director of the U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre at the Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI) in Bergen. @PeterEvans_GuvPeter argues that the supply of practical political economy research is limited and often falls short of practicality and accessibility, shaped more by researchers' interests and fund availability than the needs of policymakers or practitioners. Political economy research is further hindered by its sensitivity and riskiness, making it challenging for researchers, particularly in politically unstable or corrupt environments. On the demand side, there is a lack of structured efforts to understand and address political constraints in global investments for growth and development. Politics is often relegated to a risk rather than a problem to be understood and engaged with. And many actors in the field, including national governments, bilateral agencies, and multilateral organizations, often avoid addressing political economy factors, which hinders effective development outcomes.ResourcesGambling on corruption, and making the political more practicalWhen evidence is thin... (how to think, not what to think).How I think when I talk about anti-corruption: porridge and berries, priors and biasesPeter Evans on LinkedInCorruption and political settlements (episode featuring Mushtaq Khan)The development bargain (episode featuring Stefan Dercon)Key highlightsIntroduction - 00:24Wicked problems and progress - 03:50Taking politics seriously - 08:08Tackling corruption - 20:25Why capacity building initiatives do not work - 36:20Political settlements and public procurement - 44:07Anti-corruption: What should researchers, donors, and governments focus more on - 53:52 HostProfessor Dan Banik (@danbanik  @GlobalDevPod)Apple Google Spotify YouTubeSubscribe: https://globaldevpod.substack.com/

John Adams, former Deputy Director for Digital and Data Services with the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, speaks with Roderick Besseling, Head of the Data and Analytics Unit at the Norwegian Refugee Council, about open data sharing frameworks used by humanitarian and international development organizations and their importance in the AI age. John and Roderick discuss in detail why transparency and open data sharing matters to the humanitarian community, different open data sharing frameworks, John's involvement in helping lead and grow the the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) and IATI's emergence as a valuable source of information for artificial intelligent applications. John and Roderick also mention NetHope's upcoming Global Summit and the importance of data standards to work around climate change. Joining the discussion, Brent Phillips added insight on IATI and uses of IATI by AI applications.

The UK is no stranger to getting political decisions wrong – especially in foreign policy. Broadcaster and author Steve Richards, of Rock & Roll Politics, writes in his new book Turning Points that the decisions made by post-war leaders are often bewildering but also intensely complicated. He joins Gavin Esler in The Bunker for a very honest discussion on why that is. “It seems to me with Britain – it reaches turning points and fails to turn.” – Steve Richards “Eden went mad almost over Suez… the attacks he got were far more intense than Blair over Iraq.” – Steve Richards “The UK is in as much of a mess now as it was post-Suez… it's deeply depressing.” – Steve Richards Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How can the lessons of history be applied to the present? What are the benefits of taking the long view?  In this episode of Worldview, Adam Boulton is joined by the scholars Robert Crowcroft, editor of Applied History and Contemporary Policymaking: School of Statecraft, Phillip Bobbitt of the University of Texas, Iskander Rehman, an Ax:son Johnson Fellow at the Kissinger Center for Global Affairs at the Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies and Gill Bennett, former Chief Historian of the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Image: The Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull. Credit: Artimages / Alamy Stock Photo.

This week on the podcast we discuss AUKUS and the UK's Integrated Review Refresh. The UK and Australia will soon be building nuclear submarines together, but is the UK's tilt to the Indo-Pacific sustainable? Likewise two years on from the last IR, has the UK finally clarified its foreign policy priorities, on Russia, China and on defence? And importantly does it have the money to do any of it? Also, on the show this week, we discuss Georgia and the recent anti-government protests in Tbilisi. Following the Rose revolution in 2003, Georgia was seen to be on a path towards closer ties with NATO and the EU. In the last few years however, the country's government has increasingly tilted towards Russia and Vladimir Putin. What is the state of Georgia's democracy and where is the country going next? Joining Bronwen Maddox on the podcast this week are Natia Seskuria, an Associate Fellow with the Royal United Services Institute; Arthur Snell, a former diplomat and host of the podcast Doomsday Watch; Creon Butler, the Director of our Global Economy, and Finance Programme; Professor Andrew Dorman, the editor of our journal International Affairs and Alice Billon-Galland, a Research Fellow with our Europe Programme. Read our expertise: UK is too tight on the money and too vague on China A new momentum grows for UK-France defence cooperation SVB collapse shows interest rate financial stability threat Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you get your podcasts. Please listen, rate, review and subscribe. Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock. Sound by Abdul Boudiaf and Matthew Docherty.

Students at all levels and institutions were invited to this careers panel where practitioners in various Middle East-related fields will talk through their career paths. Reza Afshar is the Executive Director of Independent Diplomat, a non-profit non-governmental organisation founded in 2004 by British former diplomat Carne Ross to give advice and assistance in diplomatic strategy and technique to governments and political groups. Previously, Reza was head of the team responsible for Syria policy at the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). During his time at the FCO, Reza also served as head of the Middle East, Asia and Europe Team at the UK Mission to the United Nations (2009 to 2012). He was awarded an OBE in 2012 for his work as lead negotiator on Libya in the UN Security Council. During his 13 years of service, Reza also worked on Iraq (2003-2004), Zimbabwe (leading the UK Foreign Office's crisis team in 2008), and negotiated new arms control protocols relating to cluster munitions and landmines. Hind Hassan is an award winning international correspondent for VICE News covering conflicts, humanitarian crisis and the biggest developing stories from around the world. Since joining VICE News, Hassan has reported on wars and uprisings across the globe including the post-ISIS legacy in Syria, Lebanon's blast demonstrations and the battle over Nagorni-karabakh where her team became the first journalists to independently confirm the use of cluster munitions against civilians in Azerbaijan. Most recently Hassan travelled to Ukraine where she documented war crimes and the devastation caused by Russian bombs in the city of Kharkiv, just 30 kilometres from the Russian border. She was also part of a team that investigated the essential oil industry's frankincense supply chain, uncovering allegations of abuse made against a multi-million dollar American wellness company. Hassan embedded with the Taliban in Afghanistan just months before the group's takeover of Kabul and was on the ground in Jerusalem and Gaza ahead of the military offensive on the Strip. Prior to joining VICE News, Hassan worked as a reporter for Sky News. Ahmed Tabaqchali is a Visiting Fellow at the LSE Middle East Centre and a capital markets professional with over 25 years' experience in US and MENA markets. He is the Chief Strategist of the Asia Frontier Capital Iraq Fund. Ahmed is a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Regional and International Studies (IRIS), and non-resident Senior Fellow with the Atlantic Council - Iraq Initiative. He is a board member of Capital Investments, the investment banking arm of Capital Bank-Jordan. Previously, he was former Executive Director of NBK Capital, the investment banking arm of the National Bank of Kuwait, Managing Director and Head of International Institutional Sales at WR Hambrecht + Co., Managing Director at KeyBanc in London and Director & Head of Capital Markets & Institutional Sales at Jefferies International in London. He started his career at Dean Witter International in London. At the LSE Middle East Centre, Ahmed is researching Iraq's economy and political economy with a specific focus on the economic aspects of the relationship between the GoI (Government of Iraq) and the KRG (Kurdistan Regional Government). Michael Mason is Director of the LSE Middle East Centre. He is also Associate Professor in the Department of Geography and Environment and Associate of the Grantham Research Institute for Climate Change and the Environment. His research interests encompass environmental politics and governance, notably issues of accountability, transparency and security.

The conflict in Ukraine is having widespread deleterious impacts on the economies and food systems of many low- and middle-income countries. Rising prices for food, fuel, and fertilizer have raised pressing concerns about food security and poverty. To better understand the risks in specific countries, IFPRI researchers have modeled the impacts of prices of the fuel, fertilizer, and food price shocks on GDP, employment, poverty, hunger, and diet quality in 19 countries in Africa and Asia, and examined the relative cost effectiveness of different policy interventions. Please join us for a presentation of this work and a discussion on how policymakers and other key actors are addressing the challenges created by this crisis in specific countries. IFPRI's modeling work on the impacts of the Ukraine crisis is supported by the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and benefitted from working with two CGIAR's research initiatives: Foresight and Metrics and National Policies and Strategies. This is the sixth event in an IFPRI seminar series on Food and Fertilizer Price Trends: Impacts on global food security (https://www.ifpri.org/spotlight/food-fertilizers-and-nutrition-rising-prices-and-global-food-security). Introduction -Johan Swinnen, Global Director, CGIAR Systems Transformation Science Group & Director General, IFPRI Overview of methodology and key results of IFPRI's impact and policy response analysis -Xinshen Diao, Deputy Division Director, Development Strategy and Governance Division, IFPRI -James Thurlow, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI Panel Key Considerations for Nigeria -Bedru Balana, Research Fellow, IFPRI -Sugra Mahmood, Deputy Director, Irrigation agriculture and crop development, Federal Department of Agriculture, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) -Surendra Srivastava, Head, Fertilizer Marketing, Indorama Eleme Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd., Abuja, Nigeria Key Considerations for Egypt -Mariam Raouf, Senior Research Associate, IFPRI -Fadi Abdelradi, Associate Professor, Cairo University Key Considerations for Kenya -Lensa Omune, Research Officer, IFPRI -Peter Odhiambo Owoko, Head: Policy Coordination, Directorate of Agricultural Policy Research and Regulations, State Department For Crop Development & Agricultural Research (Kenya) -Anthony Kioko, Chief Executive Officer, Cereal Growers Association Closing Remarks -Chris Hillbruner, Division Chief, Analysis and Learning Office of Policy, Analysis, and Engagement Bureau for Resilience and Food Security, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Moderator -Charlotte Hebebrand, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, IFPRI LINKS: Seminar Series: Food & Fertilizer Price Trends: Impacts On Global Food Security: https://www.ifpri.org/spotlight/food-fertilizers-and-nutrition-rising-prices-and-global-food-security More on the seminar: https://www.ifpri.org/event/unraveling-impacts-and-policy-responses-ukraine-crisis-low-and-middle-income-countries Subscribe IFPRI Insights newsletter and event announcements at www.ifpri.org/content/newsletter-subscription

Stefan Dercon is Professor of Economic Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government and the Economics Department, and a Fellow of Jesus College. He is also Director of the Centre for the Study of African Economies. He combines his academic career with work as a policy advisor, providing strategic economic and development advice, and promoting the use of evidence in decision making. Between 2011 and 2017, he was Chief Economist of the Department of International Development (DFID), the government department in charge with the UK's aid policy and spending. Between 2020-2022, he was the Development Policy Advisor to successive Foreign Secretaries at the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. His research interests concern what keeps some people and countries poor: the failures of markets, governments and politics, mainly in Africa, and how to achieve change. His latest book, Gambling on Development: Why some countries win and others lose was published in May 2022. It draws on his academic research as well as his policy experience across three decades and 40-odd countries, exploring why some countries have managed to settle on elite bargains favouring growth and development, and others did not. Previously, Dull Disasters? How Planning Ahead Will Make A Difference was published in 2016, and provides a blueprint for renewed application of science, improved decision making, better preparedness, and pre-arranged finance in the face of natural disasters.

In the latest episode of the GDI podcast Professor Stefan Dercon talks to Dr Sophie van Huellen. They discuss Stefan's new book, "Gambling on Development: why some countries win and others lose", his recent departure from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and his advice to academics wanting to work with civil servants and policy makers. Stefan Dercon is Professor of Economic Policy at Oxford University. Between 2011 and 2017, he was Chief Economist of the Department of International Development (DFID), and from 20200- 2022, he was the Development Policy Advisor to successive Foreign Secretaries at the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Sophie van Huellen is a Lecturer in Development Economics at the Global Development Institute. Transcript and more information is available here: https://wp.me/p79faF-1Lc

In this episode produced jointly between RISE and Building State Capability (BSC) at Harvard University, BSC Director Salimah Samji speaks to Nangamso Mtsatse, CEO of Funda Wande, an NGO that works to catalyse improvements in foundational literacy and numeracy for children in South Africa. They talk about building local teams; creating a culture of measurement, reflection and learning; being intentional; and working within the constraints and opportunities of the system you are in for change. Links https://riseprogramme.org/publications/funda-wande-through-lens-pdia-showcasing-flexible-and-iterative-learning-approach (Funda Wande through the Lens of PDIA: Showcasing a Flexible and Iterative Learning Approach to Improving Educational Outcomes )[RISE Insight Note] by Samji & Kapoor https://fundawande.org/ (Funda Wande) [Website] https://riseprogramme.org/blog/effective-instructional-materials (What Do Effective Instructional Materials Look Like?) [RISE Blog] by Hwa https://vimeo.com/262046965 (What is PDIA - Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation?) [BSC Video] https://bsc.cid.harvard.edu/files/bsc/files/pdiatoolkit_ver_1_oct_2018.pdf (PDIA Toolkit - A DIY Approach to Solving Complex Problems) [BSC Guide] https://riseprogramme.org/blog/solve-learning-crisis-start-problem (To solve the learning crisis, start with the problem) [RISE Blog] by Marla Spivack https://riseprogramme.org/publications/building-solid-foundations-prioritising-universal-early-conceptual-and-procedural (Building on Solid Foundations: Prioritising Universal, Early, Conceptual and Procedural Mastery of Foundational Skills) [RISE Insight Note] by Belafi, Hwa, & Kaffenberger https://riseprogramme.org/publications/aligning-levels-instruction-goals-and-needs-students-aligns-varied-approaches-common (Aligning Levels of Instruction with Goals and the Needs of Students (ALIGNS): Varied Approaches, Common Principles) [RISE Insight Note] by Hwa, Kaffenberger & Silberstein More on https://timssandpirls.bc.edu/pirls-landing.html (PIRLS Assessment) [TIMSS & PIRLS Website] Guest biography Nangamso Mtsatse is CEO of Funda Wande (a not-for-profit organization that aims to equip teachers to teach reading-for-meaning and calculating-with-confidence in South Africa). Nangamso is also completing her PhD in Education Policy at Stellenbosch University and is an affiliated researcher at the Research on Socioeconomic Policy (RESEP) group. She has published her research in a number of accredited journals. In January 2019 she was also selected by the International Literacy Association (ILA) as one of the Top 30 Under 30 researchers around the world. Salimah Samji is the Director of Building State Capability (BSC). She has more than 15 years of experience working in international development on the delivery of public services, transparency and accountability, strategic planning, monitoring, evaluation and learning. She joined the Center for International Development at Harvard University in 2012 to help create the BSC programme. Today, she is responsible for providing vision, strategic leadership, oversight and managing projects and research initiatives. Salimah also leads BSC's work on digital learning. Attribution  RISE is funded by the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The Programme is implemented through a partnership between Oxford Policy Management and the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford. The Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford supports the production of the RISE Podcast. Producers: Joseph Bullough and Katie Cooper Audio Editing: James Morris

LinksFunda Wande through the Lens of PDIA: Showcasing a Flexible and Iterative Learning Approach to Improving Educational Outcomes [RISE Insight Note] by Samji & Kapoor: https://riseprogramme.org/publications/funda-wande-through-lens-pdia-showcasing-flexible-and-iterative-learning-approachFunda Wande [Website]: https://fundawande.org/What Do Effective Instructional Materials Look Like? [RISE Blog] by Hwa: https://riseprogramme.org/blog/effective-instructional-materialsWhat is PDIA - Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation? [BSC Video]: https://vimeo.com/262046965PDIA Toolkit - A DIY Approach to Solving Complex Problems [BSC Guide]: https://bsc.cid.harvard.edu/files/bsc/files/pdiatoolkit_ver_1_oct_2018.pdfTo solve the learning crisis, start with the problem [RISE Blog] by Marla Spivack: https://riseprogramme.org/blog/solve-learning-crisis-start-problemBuilding on Solid Foundations: Prioritising Universal, Early, Conceptual and Procedural Mastery of Foundational Skills [RISE Insight Note] by Belafi, Hwa, & Kaffenberger: https://riseprogramme.org/publications/building-solid-foundations-prioritising-universal-early-conceptual-and-proceduralAligning Levels of Instruction with Goals and the Needs of Students (ALIGNS): Varied Approaches, Common Principles [RISE Insight Note] by Hwa, Kaffenberger & Silberstein: https://riseprogramme.org/publications/aligning-levels-instruction-goals-and-needs-students-aligns-varied-approaches-commonMore on PIRLS Assessment [TIMSS & PIRLS Website]: https://timssandpirls.bc.edu/pirls-landing.html Guest biographyNangamso Mtsatse is CEO of Funda Wande (a not-for-profit organization that aims to equip teachers to teach reading-for-meaning and calculating-with-confidence in South Africa). Nangamso is also completing her PhD in Education Policy at Stellenbosch University and is an affiliated researcher at the Research on Socioeconomic Policy (RESEP) group. She has published her research in a number of accredited journals. In January 2019 she was also selected by the International Literacy Association (ILA) as one of the Top 30 Under 30 researchers around the world. AttributionRISE is funded by the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The Programme is implemented through a partnership between Oxford Policy Management and the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford. The Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford supports the production of the RISE Podcast.Producers: Joseph Bullough and Katie CooperAudio Editing: James Morris

Melissa talks about organisational culture with Umut Dilara Baycili, a child psychologist working for Mavi Kalem. This humanitarian NGO and CHS Alliance member supports women and children in Turkey with a team that includes doctors, psychologists, sociologists and social workers.  It is not unusual for people working for NGOs like Mavi Kalem to experience stressful and traumatic situations. In addition, local and national NGOs often face an uphill battle in accessing sustainable funding. What can be done to support staff and treat them fairly and equitably (Commitment Eight of the Core Humanitarian Standard)? Dilara gives examples of leadership recognizing and tapping into staff members' inherent skills, prioritizing learning and skills development, non-hierarchical communication infused with empathic understanding, ritualised conversations about organisational culture, annual exchanges of personalised feedback, a pragmatic handling of mistakes, and a realistic setting of targets.  To learn more about Mavi Kalem and Umut Dilara Baycili, check out:·      Twitter: @Mavi Kalem·      İnstagram: @mavikalemdernegi·      Youtube: Mavi Kalem https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuxxdEqGpST00mS-5l-IVYA)·      Web Site: https://www.mavikalem.org/·      Mavi Kalem's E-mail: mavikalem@mavikalem.org·      Umut Dilara Baycılı's E-mail: u.dilarabaycili@mavikalem.orgTo learn more about the CHS Alliance work on organizational culture and well-being, see:-       https://www.chsalliance.org/get-support/article/cultivating-caring-compassionate-aid-organisations/***We would like to give a special thanks to the Initiative's supporters: the CHS Alliance members, the Government of Luxembourg, the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (DFCO) and the Netherlands. And thanks to Ziada Abeid for editing the show.***

This episode is cross-posted from the Building State Capability at Harvard University Podcast Series and features Matt Crowley, Superintendent of the Public School District in Woburn, Massachusetts, interviewed by Salimah Samji, Director of the Building State Capability Programme. They discuss how this school system pivoted to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and the importance of collaboration and adaptability when leading through a crisis.  Links The original episode, first published on the Building State Capability at Harvard University Podcast Series: https://harvardbsc.simplecast.com/episodes/pivoting-education-systems-in-a-crisis (https://harvardbsc.simplecast.com/episodes/pivoting-education-systems-in-a-crisis) Building State Capability at Harvard University's Podcast Series: https://bsc.cid.harvard.edu/podcasts (https://bsc.cid.harvard.edu/podcasts) The Building State Capability Programme at Harvard University: https://bsc.cid.harvard.edu/ (https://bsc.cid.harvard.edu/) What is PDIA- Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation (Video)? https://vimeo.com/262046965 (https://vimeo.com/262046965) PDIA Toolkit - A DIY Approach to Solving Complex Problems (Guide): https://bsc.cid.harvard.edu/files/bsc/files/pdiatoolkit_ver_1_oct_2018.pdf (https://bsc.cid.harvard.edu/files/bsc/files/pdiatoolkit_ver_1_oct_2018.pdf) Funda Wande through the Lens of PDIA: Showcasing a Flexible and Iterative Learning Approach to Improving Educational Outcomes (insight Note) by Salimah Samji and Mansi Kapoor: https://riseprogramme.org/publications/funda-wande-through-lens-pdia-showcasing-flexible-and-iterative-learning-approach (https://riseprogramme.org/publications/funda-wande-through-lens-pdia-showcasing-flexible-and-iterative-learning-approach) To solve the learning crisis, start with the problem (Blog) by Marla Spivack: https://riseprogramme.org/blog/solve-learning-crisis-start-problem (https://riseprogramme.org/blog/solve-learning-crisis-start-problem) Marla Spivack on Diagnosing Education Systems, CID Speaker Series (Podcast): https://riseprogramme.org/publications/podcast-diagnosing-education-systems (https://riseprogramme.org/publications/podcast-diagnosing-education-systems) Building State Capability: Evidence, Analysis, Action (book) by Andrews, Pritchett and Woolcock: https://bsc.cid.harvard.edu/building-state-capability-evidence-analysis-action (https://bsc.cid.harvard.edu/building-state-capability-evidence-analysis-action) Speaker biographies Matt Crowley is the Superintendent of the Public School District in Woburn, Massachusetts. Salimah Samji is the Director of Building State Capability (BSC). She has more than 15 years of experience working in international development on the delivery of public services, transparency and accountability, strategic planning, monitoring, evaluation and learning. She joined the Center for International Development at Harvard University in 2012 to help create the BSC programme. Today, she is responsible for providing vision, strategic leadership, oversight and managing projects and research initiatives. Salimah also leads BSC's work on digital learning. Attribution This episode was first published on the Building State Capability at Harvard University Podcast Series and has been cross-posted with permission. RISE is funded by the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Programme is implemented through a partnership between Oxford Policy Management and the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford. The Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford supports the production of the RISE Podcast. Producers  Building State Capability at Harvard University

The Middle East is changing. New investment and trade relationships are emerging based on economics, not religion. In December more than 700,000 Saudi kids participated in a four-day rave in the Saudi desert with regular intermissions for Islamic prayers. What's going on? Has the Middle East of strict Islam suddenly turned into something more modern? Have the Arabs figured out how to move beyond religious conflict? Neil Quilliam is a deeply knowledgeable, experienced expert in the region. He has been engaged with the politics, economics, and societies of the Middle East and North Africa for decades: today from Chatham House and earlier through his service in the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

In the latest episode of the GDI podcast Professor Shuaib Lwasa talks to Dr Seth Schindler. They discuss the recent COP in Glasgow, urban development, African cities and the Urban Action Lab. Dr. Shuaib Lwasa is Professor of Urban Sustainability at Makerere University, Uganda. He has worked extensively on interdisciplinary research projects focused on African cities but also in South Asia. He established and directed an Urban Action Research Lab in 2010 which has championed graduate research and training and incubating novel ideas of urban transformation and sustainability in partnership with low-income communities and vulnerable groups working in three research sites in Uganda. Seth Schindler is Senior Lecturer in Urban Development and Transformation in the Global Development Institute. His research is focused on large-scale urban and regional transformation initiatives that integrate cities into transnational urban systems. Seth is also co-research director of the African Cities Research Consortium, a six-year programme funded by the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, which seeks to generate new insights and approaches to tackle complex problems in Africa's rapidly changing cities. A transcript of this podcast is available here: https://hummedia.manchester.ac.uk/institutes/gdi/research/transcripts/in-conversation-shuaib-lwasa.pdf

Melissa speaks with Dr. Liza Jachens, an occupational health psychologist, lecturer and research associate who has partnered with six major humanitarian organisations looking at their staff's experience of work-related stress and its effects on their mental health. Humanitarian work carries a “high emotional load” often exposed to trauma. Dr. Jachens has found that humanitarians are two to three times more likely to develop a mental illness (like anxiety, depression and PTSD) than the general population. This phenomenon is often more related to organisational stressors than to operational stressors. Experiences vary according to location, gender, professional status, and role – but everyone is affected in their own way. Dr. Jachens has noticed a reluctance of aid organsiations to share their mental health outcomes publicly, but she has also has seen the benefits when peers come together to compare notes, as many are facing common challenges endemic to the sector. Learning Mental Health First Aid is one way to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and practice having conversations with struggling colleagues. Some stress caused by organisational stressors can be addressed through the better design and management of the workload, including through techniques like job crafting. Ultimately, everyone should prioritise their own mental health and contribute to positive workplace environments.  To learn more, check out:-        Dr. Jachens' publications at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Liza-Jachens-        Mental Health First Aid resources at https://www.imogenwall.co.uk/training-courses and  https://www.ensa.swiss/en/-        Information on job crafting at https://hbr.org/2020/03/what-job-crafting-looks-like -        The CHS Alliance Initiative to Cultivate Caring Compassionate Aid Organisations: https://www.chsalliance.org/get-support/article/cultivating-caring-compassionate-aid-organisations/***We would like to give a special thanks to the Initiative's supporters: the CHS Alliance members, the Government of Luxembourg, the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (DFCO) and the Netherlands. And thanks to Ziada Abeid for editing the show.***

In this episode of the RISE Podcast, RISE Research Director Lant Pritchett speaks to Asyia Kazmi. During the episode, they walk through Asyia's wide-ranging experiences spanning her 25-year career in education—as a teacher, mentor, advisor, and educationalist—and they reflect on the legacy of Girin Beeharry, the inaugural Director of Global Education at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. They also discuss the critical importance of getting kids literate and numerate, as well as the need to build systems that champion quality teaching and restore children's confidence in their ability to succeed.  Links: The Girls Education Challenge: https://girlseducationchallenge.org/ (https://girlseducationchallenge.org/) The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: https://www.gatesfoundation.org/ (https://www.gatesfoundation.org/) A Symposium on Girin Beeharry's Manifesto for Global Education: https://www.cgdev.org/blog/symposium-girin-beeharrys-manifesto-global-education (https://www.cgdev.org/blog/symposium-girin-beeharrys-manifesto-global-education) The Pathway to Progress on SDG 4 Requires the Global Education Architecture to Focus on Foundational Learning and to Hold Ourselves Accountable For Achieving It, by Girindre Beeharry: https://www.cgdev.org/reader/pathway-progress-sdg4-symposium?page=1 (https://www.cgdev.org/reader/pathway-progress-sdg4-symposium?page=1) Sleeping Soundly in the Procrustean Bed of Accounting-Based Accountability by Lant Pritchett: https://www.cgdev.org/reader/pathway-progress-sdg4-symposium?page=16 (https://www.cgdev.org/reader/pathway-progress-sdg4-symposium?page=16) Building on Solid Foundations: Prioritising Universal, Early, Conceptual and Procedural Mastery of Foundational Skills: https://riseprogramme.org/publications/building-solid-foundations-prioritising-universal-early-conceptual-and-procedural (https://riseprogramme.org/publications/building-solid-foundations-prioritising-universal-early-conceptual-and-procedural) Quality Education for Every Girl for 12 Years: Insights from RISE Programme Research: https://riseprogramme.org/publications/quality-education-every-girl-12-years-insights-rise-programme-research (https://riseprogramme.org/publications/quality-education-every-girl-12-years-insights-rise-programme-research) Andy Hargreaves: http://www.andyhargreaves.com (http://www.andyhargreaves.com) Guest biography: Dr Asyia Kazmi is the Global Education Policy Lead at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, with a focus on effective instructional practices, education advocacy and edtech. Nearly half of Asyia's 25-year career in education was spent as a mathematics teacher and teacher coach. Before joining the Gates Foundation, Asyia was a management consultant in PwC leading the Girls' Education Challenge, a $1bn fund set up by the UK to support the education of 1.5 million girls in 17 countries. Asyia has worked in three UK Government departments: as a senior education adviser in DFID, a project director in the Department for Education, and a senior Her Majesty's Inspector in Ofsted, where she inspected schools, local authorities, initial teacher education and trained inspectors. Her areas of expertise include teaching, learning and formative assessment; school improvement; and large-scale programme management. Asyia has a Masters in Applied Mathematics from Imperial College London and a Doctorate in Education on teaching and learning mathematics from the Institute of Education, University College London. She has a PGCE in Leadership development and educational consulting, and a PGCE in mathematics teaching. Attribution: RISE is funded by the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The Programme is implemented through a partnership between Oxford Policy Management and the Blavatnik School of Government at...

In this episode of the RISE Podcast, Carmen Belafi, RISE Research Associate at Oxford University's Blavatnik School of Government, speaks with Professor Brian Levy. During the episode, they discuss Brian's decades of work on governance, and how governance interacts with institutions and power. They talk about systematic ways to analyse different governance contexts, and how this can guide action. They also discuss Brian's latest book, “The Politics and Governance of Basic Education: A Tale of Two South African Provinces,” and how issues around governance matter for aligning education systems for learning. Not least, Brian offers insights on the legacy that South Africa's first democratic government inherited from the Apartheid regime, and he compares and contrasts the unique challenges that persist in the different South African provinces until today. Links: Levy, B., Cameron, R., Hoadley, U. and Naidoo, V. 2018. (Eds.). The Politics and Governance of Basic Education: A Tale of Two South African Provinces. Oxford: Oxford University Press.  Levy, B. 2014. Working With The Grain. Integrating Governance and Growth in Development Strategies. Oxford: Oxford University Press. World Bank. 2018. World Development Report 2018: Learning to realize education' promise. Washington DC: World Bank. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/28340 (https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/28340).  World Bank. 1997. World Development Report 1997: The State in a Changing World. New York: Oxford University Press and World Bank. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/5980 (https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/5980).  Guest biography: Brian Levy is a Professor of the Practice of International Development at the School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University in Washington, DC and Academic Director of the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance, University of Cape Town. Prior to this, Brian had a 23-year career at the World Bank, where he was at the forefront of sustained efforts to integrate governance concerns into the theory and practice of economic development. Between 2007 and 2010 he was head of the secretariat responsible for the design and implementation of the World Bank Group's governance and anti-corruption strategy. He worked in the Bank's Africa Vice Presidency from 1991 to 2003, where his role included leadership of a major effort to transform and scale-up the organisation's engagement on governance reform. He has worked in over a dozen countries, spanning four continents. He has published numerous books and articles on the institutional underpinnings of regulation, on capacity development in Africa, on industrial policy, and on the political economy of development strategy. He received his PhD in economics from Harvard University in 1983.  Attribution:  RISE is funded by the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The Programme is implemented through a partnership between Oxford Policy Management and the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford. The Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford supports the production of the RISE Podcast.

In this episode, hear Dr. Khyati Tripathi on the psychology of death, death anxiety research, Covid-19 in India, qualitative and autoethnographic work, Psychosocial Studies and her own experiences of studying for a PhD whilst living with Rheumatoid Arthritis.  Who is Khyati?  Khyati Tripathi is a Visiting Research Fellow at Harvard University. was formerly an Assistant Professor at UPES, the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies in Dehradun, India. She is a death researcher with a focus in psychosocial, cultural and religious studies and is the Ambassador for India for the Association for the Study of Death and Society. Khyati Tripathi is a psychologist and anthropologist from India and, through her work, she tries to bring together events, emotions and practises related to death to explore the psychosocial significance and intricate connections between them. She is interested in exploring the ‘sacred' in death and the pure and impure aspects of it. Her work is based at the intersection of social anthropology, psychology, and psychoanalysis. She completed her PhD from the Department of Psychology, University of Delhi, India and was awarded the Commonwealth Split-Site scholarship (2016-17) to spend a year of her PhD in the Department of Psychosocial Studies at Birkbeck, University of London. After completing her B.A (H) and M.A in Psychology from the University of Delhi, she completed an M.Phil. in Social Anthropology and then went on to pursue her PhD with an interdisciplinary focus. She was awarded the Junior Research Fellowship by the University Grants Commission in India. She was contemporaneously selected for another Junior Research Fellowship by the Indian Council of Medical Research which she could not avail of because of simultaneous selection for two fellowships. Her PhD project focused on the cultural construction of the dead in Hinduism and Judaism through culture-specific death rituals and mortuary techniques. She has been a death scholar for twelve years and is also the ASDS (Association for the Study of Death and Societies, UK) Ambassador for India. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor in the School of Liberal Studies at UPES University, Dehradun, India. She is also the Book Review Editor for H-Death, a part of H-NET (Humanities and Social Sciences Online, which is an independent, non-profit scholarly association) and on the Editorial Board for the Taylor and Francis journal Mortality.  In 2020, she was invited as an expert on a BBC World Service special on ‘Digital Death' to present her perspective on the changing death rituals in pandemic times. In 2017, she was also selected as one of the fifty Commonwealth and Chevening scholars in the UK to participate in the ‘Emerging International Leaders' Programme' on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), funded by the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office. You can follow Khyati on Twitter @khyati_tripathi Khyati's chapter on managing a PhD with a Health Condition, discussed in the podcast, is as follows:   Tripathi, K., Johnstone, A.& Johnson, M. (2019). Managing PhD with a Health Condition. In PsyPAG Guide (2nd Edition). British Psychological Society: London. How do I cite the episode in my research and reading lists? To cite this episode, you can use the following citation: Tripathi, K. (2021) Interview on The Death Studies Podcast hosted by Michael-Fox, B. and Visser, R. Published 21 October 2021. Available at: www.thedeathstudiespodcast.com, DOI: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16843690 What next? Check out more episodes or find out more about the hosts! Got a question? Get in touch.   --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thedeathstudiespodcast/message

Shawna Wakefield, Kristen Zimmerman and Rufaro Gwarada tell the story of Root. Rise. Pollinate! - informed by their previous experiences in aid and development. They share learning from their ongoing experiment to shift culture through connecting inner and outer transformation. They discuss practicing new ways of being and doing the work, counter-balancing harmful systems, accountability, responsibility and relationship, decision-making, inter-generational dialogue and much, much more.Rufaro Gwarada is committed to gender justice, migrant rights, African-led solutions for Africans, and utilizing art and cultural expression as conduits for healing, liberation, and joy. Rufaro practices Zen Buddhism and grounds all she does in unhu/ubuntu – the understanding and way of life in which collective and individual well-being and thriving are one and the same. She co-founded ThriveAfrica.us and Wakanda Dream Lab and is a core-team member of Root. Rise. Pollinate!. Rufaro writes fiction investigating gender, power, and familial dynamics inspired by her homeland, Zimbabwe, is a Move to End Violence Movement Maker, and a Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Citizenship Fellow.Shawna Wakefield is a facilitator, consultant and women's rights advocate with 25 years of experience advancing gender, racial and economic justice internationally and in the U.S. She accompanies leaders and their social justice and movement building organizations in feminist leadership and building organisational cultures that embody care, justice, equity and inclusion. She is a practitioner of Buddhism, trauma-informed yoga and somatics, with training in respectful confrontation. She is a co-founder Root.Rise.Pollinate!, Associate with Gender at Work, and was formerly Senior Gender Justice Lead at Oxfam International. Shawna is committed to the healing, well-being and freedom of gender justice, Black, Indigenous and POC activists around the world.Kristen Zimmerman is committed to a world rooted in our fundamental interdependence and collective thriving. She is an artist-storyteller, coach, strategist, and facilitator with 30 years' experience integrating embodied and creative practice into movement building, community and social transformation work. She is the co-founder of Root. Rise. Pollinate! Movement Strategy Center, Youth In Focus, and Community LORE and she helped to design and launch projects including the Transitions Initiative, Move to End Violence, and Decolonize Race. She is a practitioner of Zen Buddhism and is currently working on a graphic novel that explores themes of home, belonging and cultivating family.To learn more, check out: Their Collective Care session at the Healing Solidarity 2021 Conference, Making different choices, 11th – 15th October 2021: https://healingsolidarity.org/  Websites: https://movementstrategy.org/root-rise-pollinate/ and https://spark.adobe.com/page/AqeToGOeLqdVY/?fbclid=IwAR1HGVYwdfjqHUTPly19XbUtXlMyEN6VCdhN9jbqgbyyLlYxbt8aagXaWl0 Their blogs: https://medium.com/@rootrisepollinate  Reimagining Resilience: supporting feminist women to lead development with transformative practice ://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13552074.2020.1717198?journalCode=cgde20  Email them at RootRisePollinate@gmail.com Read about the CHS Alliance Initiative to Cultivate Caring Compassionate Aid Organizations here: https://www.chsalliance.org/get-support/article/cultivating-caring-compassionate-aid-organisations/***We would like to give a special thanks to the Initiative's supporters: the CHS Alliance members, the Government of Luxembourg, the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (DFCO) and the Netherlands. And thanks to Ziada Abeid for editing the show.***

Melissa and Brian Stout of Building Belonging discuss how transformation happens – for individuals, groups, societies and the planet. This includes inviting others to co-create compelling visions, holding space in containers with maximal diversity, stepping into our power and agency, and embodying the change we want with accountability, compassion, grace and challenge. Brian Stout is the source for the emergent collaborative that has become Building Belonging. Drawn to mediation and social justice, he worked for anti-genocide civics organization Facing History and Ourselves in Boston. He pursued an MA in International Relations & Conflict Management at Johns Hopkins SAIS, before joining the U.S. Agency for International Development, where he focused on conflict management and mitigation in East Africa, and the Middle East during the Arab Spring. After a detail to help launch the USAID Mission in Myanmar in 2012/2013, he joined the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle. As the social movements he'd been looking for began to emerge (Occupy, the Arab Spring, Black Lives Matter, Standing Rock) he left in 2016 to explore the many tributaries that would ultimately become the source for Building Belonging. To learn more, check out: Building Belonging website: https://www.buildingbelonging.us/ medium: https://medium.com/@buildingbelonging  YouTube channel with conversations on transformation: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRrui9FZqM43NPfB5TFp0Ag Thought leaders mentioned in this episode:  Mia Mingus' on accountability: https://leavingevidence.wordpress.com/2019/05/05/dreaming-accountability-dreaming-a-returning-to-ourselves-and-each-other/ Adrienne Maree Brown, Emergent Strategy http://adriennemareebrown.net/tag/emergent-strategy/  Donella Meadow's work on finding places to intervene in a system: https://donellameadows.org/archives/leverage-points-places-to-intervene-in-a-system/  Shanelle Matthews on storytelling and persuasion for social good https://helloshanelle.com/  Brené Brown's podcast episode on feedback: https://brenebrown.com/podcast/brene-with-barrett-guillen-on-the-hardest-feedback-ive-ever-received-part-1-of-2/  AnaLouise Keating on Post-Oppositional Politics of Change https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=78atf8nh9780252037849  Teju Cole on the White-Savior Industrial Complex: https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/03/the-white-savior-industrial-complex/254843/  Conflict Transformation and Belonging: https://medium.com/building-belonging/reflections-conflict-transformation-belonging-7ffabcd6d0c9  Brian Stout's newsletter: https://citizenstout.substack.com/ Check out the CHS Alliance Initiative to Cultivate Caring Compassionate Aid Organizations at https://www.chsalliance.org/get-support/article/cultivating-caring-compassionate-aid-organisations/***We would like to give a special thanks to the Initiative's supporters: the CHS Alliance members, the Government of Luxembourg, the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (DFCO) and the Netherlands. And thanks to Ziada Abeid for editing the show.***

In this episode of the RISE Podcast, Jason Silberstein, a RISE Research Fellow at Oxford University's Blavatnik School of Government, speaks to Professor Adam Ashforth. The conversation draws on Adam's ethnographic research to explore what the education system looks like for the average person in Malawi. He shares accounts from the Malawi Journals Project, which shed light on what most families see as the core purpose of education. In doing so, we learn just how absent the state is in many schools and how this space is filled with local relationships of accountability.  Links An Analysis of the Political Economy of Schooling in Rural Malawi: Interactions among Parents, Teachers, Students, Chiefs and Primary Education Advisors (Working Paper), by Susan Watkins and Adam Ashforth: https://riseprogramme.org/publications/analysis-political-economy-schooling-rural-malawi-interactions-among-parents-teachers (https://riseprogramme.org/publications/analysis-political-economy-schooling-rural-malawi-interactions-among-parents-teachers) The Malawi Journals Project (Archive): https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/113269 (https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/113269) Institutionalising Reforms from Below: When the State Fails to Lead (Blog), by Masooda Bano: https://riseprogramme.org/blog/institutionalising-reforms-below-when-state-fails-to-lead (https://riseprogramme.org/blog/institutionalising-reforms-below-when-state-fails-to-lead) Summary of RISE's Political Economy Implementation team and work: https://riseprogramme.org/countries/political-economy-implementation (https://riseprogramme.org/countries/political-economy-implementation) Guest Biography Adam Ashforth is a Professor in Afroamerican and African Studies at the University of Michigan. Adam has published extensively on state formation and the political implications of spiritual insecurity in everyday life in South Africa. During South Africa's transition to democracy he spent many years living and writing in Soweto. He is currently researching responses to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in everyday life in rural Malawi and ethnic conflict in Kenya's Rift Valley. His publications include four books: The Politics of Official Discourse in Twentieth-Century South Africa (Oxford, 1990); Madumo, A Man Bewitched (Chicago, 2000); Witchcraft, Violence, and Democracy in South Africa (Chicago, 2005) [winner of the Herskovits Award, 2005]; and The Trials of Mrs. K.: Seeking Justice in a World with Witches (Chicago, 2018). Attribution RISE is funded by the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The Programme is implemented through a partnership between Oxford Policy Management and the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford. The Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford supports the production of the RISE Podcast.

This episode is dedicated to humanitarians around the world on World Humanitarian Day.Melissa and Torrey Peace of Aid for Aid Workers Leadership Podcast do a podcast exchange about people-centred leadership.In this conversation they cover: The importance of empowering the people closest to the problem, as they know best how to solve those problems. This relates to high performing teams as well as to the localisation conversation. Three common limiting beliefs that hold leaders back and what to do about them:  “Leaders always have to be available.” Actually, leaders are more effective when they – and their teams – schedule and protect regular, uninterrupted time for focused work. “Leaders have to have all the answers.” On the contrary, no leader has all the answers. A coaching approach that supports individuals in solving their own problems can bring profound results to management relationships as well as partnerships.  “Setting boundaries is selfish.” In reality, saying “no” when someone asks you to do something that doesn't work for you or the organisation can protect the quality of work. It is okay to say no! Topics that are currently in demand in the aid sector from Torrey's vantage point as a coach, podcast host, teacher and blogger: Time management  Well-being How to set boundaries How to be more inclusive Decolonising aid and nationalising positions Creating cultures in which people and partners feel comfortable speaking up.  Ask for feedback and take action on that feedback. We don't have to call it feedback, as the word itself can be triggering, but consider methods from compassionate communication to connect and improve. Make the organisation's values come alive by being clear on what they are and what they look like in action and revisiting them often. With twelve years experience as a leader in international development Torrey facilitates rising and established leaders in the aid world to achieve optimal fulfillment in life and work through creative solutions that align with their organization's values as well as their own. Torrey coaches leaders and shares learning through her blog, through a podcast, and through a digital course to teach  supervisors in international development how they can coach their teams.  To learn more, check out:-       Aid for Aid Workers: https://www.aidforaidworkers.com/ -       Write to her at Torrey@aidforaidworkers.com -       Check out these Aid for Aid Workers Leadership Podcast episodes: How to Measure Trust with Partners and Communities Is Your Leadership Style Preventing Community Engagement? A Case Study on Nationalizing Staff Positions and Lessons Learned Stop Being Inconsistent and Start Aligning Your Values to Your Actions in Aid Work The Leader's Role in Promoting Well-being in Humanitarian Work -       The CHS Alliance Initiative to Cultivate Caring Compassionate Aid Organizations: https://www.chsalliance.org/get-support/article/cultivating-caring-compassionate-aid-organisations/***We would like to give a special thanks to the Initiative's supporters: the CHS Alliance members, the Government of Luxembourg, the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (DFCO) and the Netherlands. Thanks to ICVA for collaborating in this joint project engaging leaders. And thanks to Ziada Abeid for editing the show.***

Melissa talks with Paula Ramírez of Breathe International.In their conversation they cover: Her journey from focusing on peacebuilding for nations to peacebuilding from within. The political aspect of being mindful and aware The body as a source of learning How to be a living example of mindfulness in the workplace The irony that humanitarian work usually doesn't make space to get to know each other as humans  Examples and benefits of leaders and emergency responders introducing awareness into their work  Paula believes in the pivotal importance of promoting self-care for humanitarian actors. Studying anthropology and experiencing an auto-immune illness, she started to be curious about ways in which human beings can build peace from within, and how resilience and healing could be inspired and guided through the body. Paula has been co-directing RESPIRA since 2013, working closely with teachers and survivors of torture, GBV and landmines in Colombia, South Sudan and Bangladesh. She is an MBSR-Teacher from the UCSD Center for Mindfulness and Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY)-Facilitator from the Trauma Center. To learn more, check out: Breathe International at https://breathe.international/ Respira en Colombia: https://respira.co/  The CHS Alliance Initiative to Cultivate Caring Compassionate Aid Organisations: https://www.chsalliance.org/get-support/article/cultivating-caring-compassionate-aid-organisations/ ***We would like to give a special thanks to the Initiative's supporters: the CHS Alliance members, the Government of Luxembourg, the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (DFCO) and the Netherlands. Thanks to ICVA for collaborating in this joint project engaging leaders. And thanks to Ziada Abeid for editing the show.***

The second episode of the RISE Podcast features Dr Rachel Glennerster, Chief Economist at the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in conversation with Laura Savage (Deputy Head of Education Research at the UK's FCDO). During the episode, they discuss Rachel's reflections on how good interventions can work in poor performing education systems, why we need to go beyond evidence of what works to think about cost effectiveness, and how to build incentives to tackle systems issues at scale.  Links: Cost-Effective Approaches to Improve Global Learning : What Does Recent Evidence Tell Us Are “Smart Buys” for Improving Learning in Low and Middle Income Countries?: https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/719211603835247448/pdf/Cost-Effective-Approaches-to-Improve-Global-Learning-What-Does-Recent-Evidence-Tell-Us-Are-Smart-Buys-for-Improving-Learning-in-Low-and-Middle-Income-Countries.pdf (https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/719211603835247448/pdf/Cost-Effective-Approaches-to-Improve-Global-Learning-What-Does-Recent-Evidence-Tell-Us-Are-Smart-Buys-for-Improving-Learning-in-Low-and-Middle-Income-Countries.pdf) The Global Education Advisory Panel: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/teachingandlearning/brief/global-education-evidence-advisory-panel (https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/teachingandlearning/brief/global-education-evidence-advisory-panel) DFID's Education Policy “Get Children Learning”: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/685536/DFID-Education-Policy-2018a.pdf (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/685536/DFID-Education-Policy-2018a.pdf) FCDO's 2021 Girls' Education Action Plan: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/986027/FCDO-Girls-Education-Action-Plan.pdf (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/986027/FCDO-Girls-Education-Action-Plan.pdf) Rukmini Banerji: https://riseprogramme.org/people/rukmini-banerji (https://riseprogramme.org/people/rukmini-banerji) and Pratham: https://www.pratham.org/ (https://www.pratham.org) Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) Africa: https://www.teachingattherightlevel.org/ (https://www.teachingattherightlevel.org) Guest biography  Dr Rachel Glennerster is the Chief Economist at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and a member of the FCDO Executive Committee. Prior to her appointment at the FCDO, she was the Chief Economist at the Department for International Development (DFID). From 2004 to 2017 she was Executive Director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Economics Department research centre that seeks to reduce poverty by ensuring policy is informed by scientific evidence. Dr Glennerster's work has spanned reform of the international financial system, debt, promoting innovation, education, health, financial regulation, and women's empowerment in Russia, Africa and South East Asia. In addition to FCDO, DFID and MIT, Dr Glennerster has held positions at the International Monetary Fund, Her Majesty's Treasury and the Harvard Institute for International Development. More information at: https://www.gov.uk/government/people/rachel-glennerster (https://www.gov.uk/government/people/rachel-glennerster). More on Rachel's research: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Vq3KWOsAAAAJ&hl (https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Vq3KWOsAAAAJ&hl) Attribution RISE is funded by the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The Programme is implemented...

Melissa talks with Hope Chigudu, reflecting back on the 20-21 May Global Gathering entitled “Living our values: Care, culture and power in aid organisations” held by the CHS Alliance.In their conversation they cover: The connections between power, culture and care The importance of leadership, of using language that people can understand in different contexts, of raising awareness about power in our spaces The value of rituals, for individuals and communities The idea of accountability: In a world of external accountability and upward accountability, how are we accountable to ourselves? Ideas for how to follow-up the Global Gathering in a way that takes into consideration enthusiasm and energy Hope Chigudu is feminist activist and a gender, organisational and development practitioner. In her earlier days in the women's movement, she co-founded the Zimbabwe Women's Resource Centre and Network. She later used her skills in governance and management to serve as Chair of the Board of Urgent Action Fund-Africa and prior to this as chair of the Global Fund for Women. Hope is an internationally renowned consultant with experience in "healing" organisations, governance and creative monitoring and evaluation. She co-authored with Rudo Chigudu “Strategies for Building Organisations with a Soul.” To learn more, check out: 10 session recordings from the Global Gathering on the CHS Alliance YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLh1w1Ldo3QjUh7q_coN5ifrnUZqlop8cI “Strategies for Building an Organisation with a Soul” by Hope Chigudu and Rudo Chigudu, edited by Jessica Horn, published by the African Institute for Integrated Responses to VAWG and HIV/AIDS (AIR): http://airforafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Strategies-for-Building-an-Organisation-with-Soul-WEB.pdf   The CHS Alliance Initiative to Cultivate Caring Compassionate Aid Organizations: https://www.chsalliance.org/get-support/article/cultivating-caring-compassionate-aid-organisations/ ***We would like to give a special thanks to the Initiative's supporters: the CHS Alliance members, the Government of Luxembourg, the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (DFCO) and the Netherlands. Thanks to ICVA for collaborating in this joint project engaging leaders. And thanks to Ziada Abeid for editing the show.***

Hannah Young is a diplomat with the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. She is currently the Deputy Consul General at the British Consulate General, New York. She recently joined from Number 10, where she was the Prime Minister's lead official on home affairs policy, a brief that covered everything from criminal justice reform to counter-terrorism and immigration. She has a background in both international and domestic policy. Previous roles include establishing and leading the International Agreements Unit within the UK's Department for Exiting the EU, as a senior advisor in the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit, Cabinet Office roles on migration and intelligence policy, and three years as a UK diplomat in Afghanistan at the height of the conflict, capacity building national police forces. Don't forget to check out my book that inspired this podcast series, The Caring Economy: How to Win With Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/toby-usnik/support

Spencer Fernando riffs on Trudeau's embarrassing U.N. security council fail. Joe Oliver on the media running interference for the liberals compared with what happened the last time the UN said no to Canada. London calling on the UK foreign secretary's refusal to take a knee and David Barnsdale on the Grocery store stock surge.

This podcast is recorded in partnership with War Talks. Alicia is a counter-terrorism expert, and is currently directing CT, counter disinformation and hybrid warfare interventions in Lebanon, Morocco and the Western Balkans. During her career Alicia has worked for the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office, where she led UK Government...