ODI | Think Change (ODI Global)

COP27 ended with the launch of a new ‘loss and damage’ fund, which will provide financial assistance to poor nations stricken by climate disaster. But this money is unlikely to reach fragile communities in areas affected by conflict. These communities are also the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and the least ready to adapt.

So the more unstable a state, the less climate finance it receives. And that’s despite the fact that ‘Least Developed Countries’ – many of which are conflict-affected states – were prioritised in the Paris Agreement for support because of their vulnerability to climate change.

In this episode – the final in our three-part COP27 series – we hear about the unique challenges facing conflict-affected communities when it comes to climate adaptation. What can be done to support them and ensure COP27 commitments are delivered?

Speakers
Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
His Excellency Abdirahman Abdishakur, Special Envoy for Humanitarian & Drought Response in Somalia
Robert Mardini, Director General of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC);
Rebecca Nadin, Director of the Global Risks and Resilience programme, ODI

To read reports cited in this episode and related content, visit: Think Change episode 15: the climate and conflict double challenge – has COP27 delivered?

This final episode of 2022 reflects on the year that has just been and looks ahead to 2023.

It has been a year of major and often cascading crises. Many have been covered on this podcast, from the war in Ukraine and its spill over effects, to other shocks like the US decision to overturn Roe v Wade.

But there have been some positive steps towards solutions. We have discussed some of those too, including the growing momentum around reforming international financing institutions, and new agreements to address the climate emergency.

As these events continue to unfold, it’s often hard to see the links between them and how they connect together, which we need to do in order to plan ahead. The word
‘polycrisis’ has been used more and more in 2022, and we need to think more about what this term means for how we design policy.

In this episode our guests share their unique perspective on the risks and shocks the world is facing, and the wider trends we are observing.

Speakers

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Heba Aly, CEO, The New Humanitarian
• Sir Suma Chakrabarti, formerly president of EBRD, and Chair of the ODI Board
• Richard Smith-Bingham, Executive Director at Marsh & McLennan Advantage Insights
  
  

Related resources

• World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report 2022
  
  
• Think Change episode 3: will the war in Ukraine cause a food crisis?
  
  
• Think Change episode 5: how can global feminists help fight back on Roe?
  
  
• Think Change episode 6: how can we break the silence on famine in the Horn of Africa?
  
  
• The systemic impacts of the war in Ukraine: a triple shock
  
  
• The crises we choose

Until recently, conversations about ending poverty were very mainstream. The sustainable development goals spoke of ending extreme poverty, and reducing poverty in all its forms to very low levels by 2030.

But poverty seems to have fallen out of common parlance when discussing the many crises we face today.

More fundamentally, are traditional notions of ending poverty simply by increasing individual income above an arbitrary line even useful any more? Poverty has changed over time, but general definitions and perceptions are still stuck in the past.

In this episode our guests share their unique perspectives on why we need to rethink how we define and fight poverty today, ahead of the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting at Davos next week.

To find out more, sign up to watch the livestream of our Davos event on
rethinking policy for a new era of poverty.

Speakers

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Yamini Aiyar, President and Chief Executive, Centre for Policy Research
• Ricardo Fuentes-Nieva, Director of Equity and Social Policy, ODI
• Rathin Roy, Managing Director, ODI

Protests have gripped the country over the past four months. It’s not the first instance of civil unrest since the Iranian Revolution 44 years ago, but is there something different about how today’s women-led movement, whose rallying cry of ‘zan, zendegi, azadi’ – ‘woman, life, freedom’ – has galvanised activism today?

This episode dives into the current situation in Iran. We hear what the protests signify for rights and freedoms, for Iranians and women around the world, and ask how the international community should respond.

Speakers

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Azadeh Pourzand, researcher and writer
• Hoda Katebi, community organiser, writer and activist
• Irene Khan, UN Special Rapporteur for freedom of expression and opinion & ODI Trustee

Related resources

•  Women's organisations and feminist mobilisation: supporting the foundational drivers of gender equality
• Mobilising for change: how women’s social movements are transforming gender norms
• Feminist advocacy, family law and violence against women: international perspectives
• Writer, entrepreneur, and activist Hoda Katebi on France’s Proposed Hijab Ban

On 6 February, two major earthquakes struck Türkiye and Syria, bringing widespread destruction to both countries. Scientists had issued warnings, but the scale of damage caused was never anticipated and had not been prepared for.

In this episode we hear a range of perspectives, including from those on the frontline of the response in both Türkiye and Syria, to build a picture of the different challenges facing both countries today. Experts reflect on the impact of the disaster, how the relief effort is going so far, and what further action is needed to support survivors and rebuild – now and in the long-term.

Speakers

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Dr Burçak Başbuğ Erkan, Associate Professor, Middle Eastern Technical University, Türkiye
• Wesam Sabaaneh, Director, Jafra Foundation for Relief and Youth Development in Syria
• David Alexander, Professor of Emergency Planning and Management, University College London
• Sorcha O’Callaghan, Director, Humanitarian Policy group, ODI
• Evren Aydogan, Executive Director, Ihtiyac Haritasi (Needs Map)
• Khadija Khatib, White Helmets, Syria

Related resources

• Disasters journal – earthquakes in Turkiye: reflections from past experience
• ODI on the Türkiye-Syria earthquakes
• ALNAP’s relevant learning for the earthquake response in Türkiye and Syria

This International Women's Day, we ask how and why men should care more about feminist visions for a fairer society.

Every year on 8 March, women organise together to collectively demand their rights – specifically to transform gendered inequalities in paid and unpaid labour. 

But there is an aspect of this conversation that is not talked about enough. It is about men’s neglected role at home in unpaid care work and in supporting women's activism. 

This episode answers the question of why men should care more, highlighting the direct links between equal division of domestic responsibilities to women’s labour participation and autonomy.

These voices can help inspire wider discussions on the role of men in breaking down gender norms around what is perceived as women’s work, and how they can contribute to building change at home, at work and through progressive policy.

Speakers

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Gary Barker, President & CEO, Equimundo
• Khawar Mumtaz, feminist scholar & activist, former Chairperson of the National Commission on the Status of Women, Pakistan
• Aatif Somji, Senior Research Officer, ODI~
  
  

Related resources

• ALIGN platform
• From allyship to action: how men can step up to end violence against women (ODI event video/podcast)
• Is no space safe? Working to end gender-based violence in the public sphere (ALIGN briefing paper)
• How to partner with feminist movements for transformative change (ODI policy brief)
• Women’s economic empowerment: supporting transformative change (ODI briefing note)
• The MenCare 50/50 Commitment (MenCare)
• International men and gender equality survey (equimundo)
• Men and gender: a global status report in 15 headlines (equimundo)

The rhetoric around immigration in Europe has become increasingly politicised and polarised. National governments are taking a more hostile approach in both the narrative used, and the implementation of regressive policies that are costly and ineffective.

In the spirit of ‘deterrence’ we are seeing pushbacks of migrants arriving by sea in southern Europe and at numerous land borders with severe consequences.

In the UK, there has been much debate around the government’s proposed zero-tolerance stance on migrants arriving illegally, with a particular focus on the Channel small boats crossings. This is in stark contrast to the widespread support for Ukrainian refugees arriving in Europe being granted full protections, access to public services and the right to work.

Meanwhile, our research suggests that the public attitudes towards refugees and other migrants is increasingly positive.

In this episode we will discuss what policies are working, how and why public opinion is often at odds with the political narrative, and what our political leaders can do better.

Speakers:

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Sunder Katwala, Director of British Future, UK  
• Gonzalo Fanjul, Director of Research, Fundación porCausa, Spain  
• Claire Kumar, Senior Research Fellow, ODI Europe

Related resources:

• Will the conflict in Ukraine reset the narrative on refugees in Europe? (event video)
  
  
• Hearts and minds: how Europeans think and feel about immigration (data visualisation)
  
  
• Public narratives and attitudes towards refugees and other migrants: UK country profile (paper)
  
  
• Refugees and other migrants in Poland: a spotlight on city leadership (blog)
  
  
• Public narratives and attitudes towards refugees and other migrants: Poland country profile (paper)
  
  
• Public narratives and attitudes towards refugees and other migrants: Ireland country profile (paper)
  
  
• Public narratives and attitudes towards refugees and other migrants: Spain country profile (paper)
  
  
• Massacres in Melilla and Libya: nothing new on European borders (blog)
  
  
• The rise of the far right in Denmark and Sweden – and why it’s vital to change the narrative on immigration (blog)
  
  
• Public narratives and attitudes towards refugees and other migrants: Denmark country profile (paper)
  
  
• Public narratives and attitudes towards refugees and other migrants: Sweden country profile (paper)

In just over a week’s time, the Spring Meetings of the World Bank and IMF will see the first formal session for a Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable. 

The problem of debt, and debt sustainability, has become one of the most urgent issues facing many low and middle-income countries around the world. The IMF estimates currently 36 low-income countries are at high risk of, or are currently in, debt distress, with the highest proportion of these in the African continent.  

Prior to the pandemic, many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa were already facing a high risk of debt distress. This has been compounded by the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, as well as rising interest rates from the US Federal Reserve. Just days ago, the Fed again raised its benchmark interest rate another quarter of a percentage point to 5%. We’ve yet to see how this will ripple out, but it’s going to add even more pressure on indebted sovereign governments, their ability to service their existing debts, and their prospects for financing an economic recovery. 

So how did we get here, and more importantly, what can be done about it? What does an insolvency crisis look like for different countries today, and how will it impact vulnerable populations and other citizens?  

In this episode, we'll explore the challenges facing borrowing countries right now in managing their debt, and we’ll look at potential solutions, and the role different groups, including bilateral creditors, Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), and the private sector, can play.

Speakers

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Gregory Smith, Emerging Markets Fund Manager, M&G Investments; Author, Where Credit is Due: How Africa's Debt Can Be a Benefit, Not a Burden
• Yunnan Chen, ODI Research Fellow, Development and Public Finance
• Bright Simons, Honorary Vice President, IMANI Center for Policy and Education; President, mPedigree, Ghana  

Related resources

·      Where Credit is Due: How Africa's Debt Can Be a Benefit, Not a Burden (book)

·      Old wine in new bottles? China, the G7 and the new infrastructure geopolitics (blog)

·      China’s lending landscape and approach to debt relief (briefing note)

·      Rising interest rates are threatening debt sustainability in Africa (blog)

·      Providing climate finance in the context of a looming debt crisis (blog)

On the face of it, the global outlook for democracy looks pretty bleak. Democratic norms are eroding all over the world. According to International IDEA, ‘half of the world’s democracies are in retreat’.

In Tunisia we have seen President Saied dismiss parliament and re-write the constitution. In Hungary, President Orbán has packed the courts and attacked the press. And in the US, Trump refuses to accept the results of an election he lost, inciting an insurrection to overturn them.

Against this backdrop, and of course Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the US recently co-hosted the second Summit for Democracy to bring attention to the threats it faces.

But will the promises made at the summit hold any weight, or was this more about geopolitical interests? And what can the US and allies do to effect democratic change abroad given the challenges they face at home?

This episode explores these questions, and asks whether the whole notion of 'democratic backsliding' is a Western lens that ignores more diverse and innovative processes of political change.

Speakers

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Idayat Hassan, Director of the Centre for Democracy and Development, Abuja
• Sandra Pepera, Director for Gender, Women and Democracy at the National Democratic Institute, Washington DC
• Samuel Sharp, Senior Research Officer, Politics and Governance, ODI

The current terrible violence in Sudan comes almost twenty years to the day of when the genocide in Darfur started. Darfur was headline news at the time, but forgotten by the international community since. Only the recent escalation of violence between powerful armed groups in Khartoum has put Sudan back in the spotlight.

This episode continues the conversation from an ODI event this week on
the fallout from 20 years of conflict in Darfur. We convened the event to better understand the roots of the current violence and the country’s long history of conflict.

Recent international media coverage has unhelpfully focused on the evacuation of expatriate personnel and third party citizens from Sudan. In response, we go behind the headlines to build a picture of the current situation in the country, focussing on the humanitarian impact and the local response to support those fleeing the violence.

We dig deeper into the history of the conflict to better understand what is happening today, and ask how humanitarians, politicians and diplomats must now respond.

Speakers

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Mohanad Hashim, BBC journalist
• Kholood Khair, Founder and director, Confluence Advisory
• Eddie Thomas, Fellow, Rift Valley Institute

Related resources

• From El-Fasher to Khartoum: The fallout from 20 years of conflict in Darfur (event video)
  
  
• Remembering Darfur – marking 20 years of conflict and its fallout (Disasters journal)

African countries have had close economic relationships with China for many years. China is a major trade and investment partner, technology and infrastructure collaborator and development finance player in Africa.

This has challenged traditional Western donors who had colonial relationships with many African countries as well as the US, until now the unquestionable dominant security and military power interacting with the continent.

Earlier this year Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that
‘leaving Africa in China’s hands is a big mistake’. Just last month, the UK’s Minister of State for Development Andrew Mitchell hinted at the
competition in Africa between the West on one side, and China and Russia on the other side.

But as always, the reality is way more complex than this simple narrative. African countries entertain relationships with Europe, North America and Asia at the same time. What does the partnership with China mean for African countries? Will this mean a boost to Africa’s economic diversification and manufacturing growth? Will it bring greater independence and autonomy to African actors?

In this episode we explore how African countries are shaping their own relationship with China beyond big infrastructure projects and the role the Chinese private sector is playing in fuelling investment and growth on the African continent.

Speakers

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Tin Hinane el Kadi, political economy researcher, London School of Economics and Political Science
• Yuezhou Yang, researcher, London School of Economics and Political Science
• Linda Calabrese, Research Fellow, ODI & Doctoral Fellow, Lau China Institute, King’s College London
• Anzetse Were, Senior Economist at Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) Kenya

Next week, world head to Paris for the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact.

In the words of French President Emmanuel Macron, the Summit will ‘provide a forum to take stock on all the means and ways of increasing financial solidarity within the South.'

It builds on the so-called Bridgetown Initiative launched at COP by Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, but goes beyond Bridgetown’s climate focus to cover a broad range of issues, from poverty and human development to the debt crisis.

Politically, the message is clear: this Summit will be different from the others. This time, there will be true pledges and concrete deliverables. This time, it is all about building a new contract between the North and the South.

Is this realistic? Can we expect a true dialogue this time? And what is at stake if this Summit doesn’t deliver on its promises?

Related resources

• Where has the money come from to finance rising climate ambition? (ODI emerging analysis)
  
  
• Multilateral development banks as catalysts for private sector mobilisation: in conversation with EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso (ODI event video)
  
  
• The time is now: what the World Bank’s (R)evolution Roadmap should look like (ODI insight)
  
  
• Open letter to new World Bank President Ajay Banga: be the catalyst for reform the World Bank so urgently need (ODI insight)~
  
  
• Governance of multilateral development banks: Options for reform (ODI report)
  
  
• Think Change episode 22: On borrowed time? The sovereign debt crisis in the Global South (ODI podcast)

To mark Refugee Week, we highlighting the transformational impact that refugee leadership and expertise can bring to refugee responses.

The importance of refugee leadership is now widely recognised. It is a key focus of the Global Compact on Refugees, which pledges to support refugee-led organisations (RLOs) and enable meaningful participation.

But is this rhetoric materialising into practical action on the ground? Is refugee leadership taken seriously at an international level? Why is there a gap between theoretical pledges and tangible support? And what needs to happen now to strengthen refugee leadership and drive meaningful change?

Experts from some of the world’s leading refugee-led organisations discuss the opportunities and challenges they face.

Speakers

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Rez Gardi, international lawyer, human rights advocate & Co-Managing Director of Refugees Seeking Equal Access at the Table (R-SEAT)
• Jean Marie Ishimwe, refugee advocate, journalist, and Partnerships Lead & Co-Founder At Youth Voices Community
• Anila Noor, refugee activist, speaker, researcher and Founder of New Women Connectors

Related resources

• What do Europeans really think about migrants? (ODI podcast)
• To address complex refugee problems, the refugee regime should be accountable to the population it serves (ODI blog)
• Refugees and IDPs need to be included in public services, how do we do this in practice? (ODI blog)

On the cusp of the Women Deliver Conference in Kigali, Rwanda this episode explores the growing anti-rights agenda relating to women and sexual minorities.

Women’s rights and freedoms are being compromised and are under threat in many parts of the world. Well-funded, ultra conservative forces are pushing a narrative which directly targets the liberties of women, girls and sexual minorities.

How can we counter the anti-feminist backlash in a coordinated and effective way? Can advocates for women’s rights work together to confront and dismantle this dangerous trend? And what role can global pacts and policy movements play in the face of landmark legislation such as Roe v Wade being overturned? 

We speak to four experts heading to Kigali about the challenges, and reflect on how feminists movements might come together to present a coordinated response.

Speakers

• Sara Pantuliano, Chief Executive, ODI
• Maliha Khan, President and CEO, Women Deliver
• Evelyne Opondo, Director of the International Center for Research on Women, Africa
• Alvaro Bermejo, Director General, International Planned Parenthood Federation
• Ayesha Khan, Senior Research Fellow, ODI
  
  

Related resources

• Facing the backlash: what is fuelling anti-feminist and anti-democratic forces? (Align platform)
• LGBTQI+ rights are not just for Pride Month
• ODI in conversation with Emma Dabiri: can coalitions counter the anti-feminist backlash?
• Think Change episode 5: how can global feminists help fight back on Roe?
• From allyship to action: how men can step up to end violence against women
• How to partner with feminist movements for transformative change

Following the Israeli government’s recent attacks in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and against its own Supreme Court, our new Think Change podcast explores the growing threat to human rights for all those affected.

According UN experts, the recent Israeli air strikes and ground operations in the occupied West Bank focussing on the Jenin refugee camp, which left many dead and displaced 4000 people, constitute war crimes and a violation of international law.

As Israel’s far-right government continues to attack its own checks and balances, we look at the chilling effect this could have on democratic values around the world. After five decades of occupation, what are the implications of a ‘one state reality’ for human rights and the rule of law?

Speakers

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Kenneth Roth, attorney, human rights activist, and writer
• Francesca Albanese, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories
• Ihsan Adel, lawyer, PhD researcher and Founder and Chair of Law for Palestine

Related resources

• Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967

The High-Level Week of the UN General Assembly is about to get under way. This is a significant year because it marks a halfway point in the delivery of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs or ‘Global Goals’), which were adopted in a 2015 UN resolution known as Agenda 2030.

These goals were designed to provide a "shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.” Following the Covid-19 pandemic and other compounding shocks which we’ve come to call the “poly-crisis”, there has been much debate about how to get the SDGs back on track. But were they achievable in the first place? And as governments face stark trade-offs in the face of multiple crises, how useful are the SDGs as a framework for navigating them?

This episode examines what collective progress has been made towards Agenda 2030, and what a post-Agenda 2030 could look like.

Speakers

• Sara Pantuliano, Chief Executive, ODI (host)
• Ambassador David Donoghue, ODI Distinguished Fellow
• Rachel Kyte, the 14th Dean of the Fletcher School at Tufts University
• Ambassador Macharia Kamau, Kenya's Principal Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Related resources

• What are the Sustainable Development Goals? (UN Development Programme)

The question of how multilateral development banks (MDBs) must transform themselves to address today’s most pressing global challenges will again be under the spotlight at next week’s World Bank/IMF Annual Meetings in Marrakech.

Business as usual will no longer do. In this episode – produced in collaboration with the 
Center for Global Development – we ask what the countries these banks were set up to serve think about how MDBs should adapt and evolve. After all, their demands and preferences should shape the lending volumes, strategies and operations of MDBs.

But the reality is we know little about these preferences, what client countries value about MDBs, and what they think the banks’ weaknesses are – potentially curbing their demand for assistance in the medium to long term.

Speakers

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Masood Ahmed, President of the Center for Global Development
• Annalisa Prizzon, Principal Research Fellow, ODI
• Mavis Owusu-Gyamfi, Executive Vice President of the African Center for Economic Transformation
• Amadou Hott, Special Envoy for the Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa, AfDB and former Minister of Economy, Planning, and Cooperation of Senegal
• Iyabo Masha, Director and Head of Secretariat, G24

Related resources

• ODI at the Annual Meetings
  
  
• MDBs can drive transformative change – now the G20 must inject urgency and sustain its support
  
  
• Country perspectives on multilateral development banks: a survey analysis
  
  
• A fair share of climate finance? An appraisal of past performance, future pledges and prospective contributors
  
  
• MDB Reform Accelerator (Center for Global Development)
   
• Interactive African Transformation Index (African Center for Economic Transformation)

We are now two weeks into the latest escalation of the long and bloody conflict between Israel and Hamas. A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in Gaza, prompting UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to call for an immediate ceasefire to stop the indiscriminate bombing of civilians and civilian objects.

But on the same day, a UN Security Council Resolution calling for a ‘humanitarian pause’ was blocked by the US government – with the UK and Russia abstaining. Political action is needed now but global leaders are in a diplomatic gridlock, which risks further destabilising the region.

In this episode, experts discuss the horrifying situation in Gaza and what action is needed immediately to uphold international humanitarian law and stop the bloodshed.

Speakers:

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Robert Mardini, Director-General, ICRC
• Sari Bashi, Program Director, Human Rights Watch
• Ihsan Adel, Founder and Chair of Law for Palestine, international lawyer
• Sorcha O’Callaghan, Director of Humanitarian Policy Group, ODI

The world today is grappling with a multitude of conflicts, each of which different levels of global attention.
In this episode, we shine a spotlight on a deeply under-reported humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh (also known as Artsakh), situated in the South Caucasus. Historically predominantly inhabited by Armenians, Nagorno-Karabakh falls within the internationally recognised borders of Azerbaijan.

On September 19, 2023, after decades of simmering tension and warfare, Azerbaijan launched an offensive against the ethnic Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh. This offensive came after more than nine months of a complete blockade imposed by Azerbaijan, resulting in the displacement of over 100,000 ethnic Armenians. Prominent experts and humanitarian organisations have condemned this offensive as an act of ethnic cleansing.

This episode delves into the dire humanitarian situation in the region in the wake of these events and explores the future prospects for its ethnic Armenian population.

Speakers

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Lara Setrakian, journalist and Founder, Applied Policy Research Institute of Armenia
• Geoffrey Robertson, Human Rights barrister and co-head of Doughty Street Chambers
• Siranush Sargysan, freelance journalist from Nagorno-Karabakh

Resources

• Lessons from an unending conflict (The Daily podcast, New York Times)
  
  
• Resolution on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijan’s attack and the continuing threats against Armenia (European Parliament)
  
  
• Nagorno-Karabakh resources (Human Rights Watch)
  
  
• Azerbaijan: Blockade of Lachin corridor putting thousands of lives in peril must be immediately lifted (Amnesty International)
  
  
• A humanitarian disaster is under way in Nagorno-Karabakh (The Economist)
  
  
• What cultural genocide looks like for Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh (TIME)

The Global Food Security Summit is about to get under way, where political leaders and experts will come together to discuss how to make urgent progress on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2: to achieve zero hunger and end all forms of malnutrition by 2030.

Around 345 million people experience acute food insecurity according to the World Food Programme – an increase of 200 million compared to pre-pandemic levels. And the UN has warned we are not on track to achieve this global goal.

So how did we get here? And do these alarming numbers mask longer-term progress towards achieving SDG 2?

This episode paints a full picture of global hunger and malnutrition today. We ask whether the food system is really broken, and how the humanitarian system can better respond to food crises around the world. Our guests also share their hopes for what can be achieved at the upcoming Summit.

Speakers

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Valerie Guarnieri, Deputy Executive Director, Programme and Policy Development, World Food Programme
• Dr Stella Nordhagen, Senior Technical Specialist, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)
• Dr Luka Biong Deng Kuol, Adjunct professor at Institute of Peace, Development and Security Studies, University of Juba, South Sudan
• Steve Wiggins, Principal Research Fellow, ODI

The rights and treatment of refugees is never far from the media headlines. Hostile narratives and politicised rhetoric dominate the news at a time when globally, solidarity for refugees continues to decline.

But with devastating conflict and climate hazards forcing more and more people from their homes, is the international community failing on its shared commitment to refugees?

It’s been five years since the global compact on refugees was established in 2018, a commitment that enshrines responsibility to governments, international organisations, and other stakeholders to support refugees and host communities.

With the Global Refugee Forum due to take place in Geneva this December, on this episode we look critically at the difference these agreements can make and how can we hold signatories to account. We ask our guests if the vision of global solidarity for refugees and their hosts is still achievable.

Speakers

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Shaza Alrihawi, Human Rights Activist, Global Refugee Network
• Zoe Gardner, Migration Policy Specialist
• Amanda Gray Meral, Research Fellow, ODI
• Lauren Post Thomas, Senior Advocacy Officer, Hilton Foundation

An increase in modern slavery in the last five years has been met with a decrease in the political will needed to address it.

But what can consumers do to make more ethical choices this holiday season and beyond? In this episode we navigate the intricate web of human trafficking, exploitation and forced labour within global supply chains. We put the spotlight on the retail industry, exposing its role in the disproportionate vulnerability of women and children to forced labour.

Our guests delve into the evolving response of the world to human trafficking challenges, exploring the complexities tied to migration and government policies. As the discussion unfolds, the conversation draws crucial links to the theme of sustainability and provides practical advice for consumers.~

Join Sara Pantuliano and guests in this exploration of ethical consumerism, human rights and the collective responsibility to create a sustainable world.

Speakers

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Nasreen Sheikh, Survivor, Author and Social Entrepreneur
• Grace Forrest, Founding Director, Walk Free
• Ekaette Ikpe, Director, African Leadership Centre, Kings College London, and ODI board member

Related resources

• Walk Free
• Local Women's Handicrafts
• Africa Fashion Futures: Creative economies, global networks and local development
• African Fashion Futures podcast
• Intertwined: Fashion, Textile and Heritage in Nigeria exhibition at King's College London, 2022 and African Leadership Centre, Nairobi
• Ikpe E, England, L., and Comunian, R. (Forthcoming). Fashion designers as lead firms from below: creative economy, state capitalism and internationalisation in Lagos and Nairobi. Competition and Change.

2023 has been another year marked by major crises. This final episode reflects on where we are now, and the major global themes shaping 2024.

The world is at a pivotal moment as we try to cope with multiple, interconnected crises. The number of people fleeing war, persecution and violence is at an estimated 114 million, against a backdrop of rising geo-political tensions, carbon emissions, food and energy crises, and economic instability.

All this comes at a time when systems are overwhelmed, and international cooperation remains fragmented. But are there reasons for optimism?

Next year will be the biggest election year in history with more than half the world due to exercise their right to vote, putting the spotlight on the state of global democracy.

In this episode our guests share their unique perspective on the major themes and forces shaping 2024.

Speakers

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Ian Bremmer, President and Founder, Eurasia Group
• Alexis Akwagyiram, Managing Editor, Semafor Africa
• Kathryn Nwajiaku-Dahou, Director of Programme, Politics and Governance, ODI

Last year was a bumpy one for the global economy, with sluggish growth, high inflation, tightened monetary policy and instability in the financial sector. This all played out against a backdrop of increased geopolitical tensions and fiscal pressures.

This second podcast in our two-part mini-series on 2024 trends examines the global economic outlook for the year ahead. Will the next 12 months be defined by more uncertainty, or are there reasons to be optimistic about changes ahead?

Experts discuss the big economic trends and developments to watch out for in 2024, including the outlook for global trade, prospects for India’s economy and green investment, and what needs to happen to tackle persistent income inequality within and between countries.

Speakers

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Arancha González Laya, Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs
• Rathin Roy, Visiting Senior Fellow, ODI
• Michael Jacobs, Professor of Political Economy, University of Sheffield & ODI Visiting Senior Fellow
  
  

Related resources

• Think Change episode 37: what trends will shape 2024? Part 1

Artificial intelligence (AI) dominated conversations at the recent World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos.

The release of ChatGPT to the public in December 2022 put AI firmly in the spotlight. And today it is all around us, promising to transform how we live our lives. But there are plenty of concerns and warnings about how it could impact the world. Many have sounded the alarm, even the so-called “Godfather of AI” Geoffrey Hinton, who has been vocal about the dangers of the technology he helped to create.

In this episode, experts reflect on the ethical implications of these technological advances. We ask how AI can become a force for social good which empowers people globally rather than entrenching inequalities. And with over half the world due to go to the polls in 2024, what impact will AI have on politics in this major election year and beyond?

Speakers

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Vilas Dhar, President, Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, and advocate of data and AI for good
• Gabriela Ramos, Assistant Director-General, Social and Human Sciences, UNESCO
• Stephanie Diepeveen, Senior Research Fellow, ODI
  
  

Resources

• Has AI ushered in an existential crisis of trust in democracy? (ODI insight)
• International AI Governance must be truly global (ODI insight)

In November, South Africa approached the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and to consider whether Israel is committing genocide.

All eyes were on the Hague last month as the ICJ made its interim ruling, calling for Israel to "take all measures within its powers" to prevent civilian deaths in Gaza. But it stopped short of ordering a ceasefire.

The court also ruled that aid must be allowed into Gaza. But since then, allegations from Israel that some employees of UNRWA – Gaza's biggest aid agency – were involved in the 7 October Hamas attacks has resulted in 16 donor countries suspending UNRWA funding.

In this episode, legal, humanitarian and foreign policy experts take stock of these events and dissect what the ICJ ruling really means for Israel, Gaza and wider geopolitical relations.

Speakers

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Kate Mackintosh, Executive Director, UCLA Law Promise Institute Europe
• Raz Segal, Associate Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Stockton University
• Ronak Gopaldas, Director, Signal Risk
• Sorcha O’Callaghan, Director of Programme, Humanitarian Policy Group

Related resources

• South Africa’s ICJ case has already altered its foreign policy space (Institute for Security Studies)
• Humanitarian hypocrisy, double standards and the law in Gaza (ODI insight)
• Gaza | The politics of narrative (ODI event)
• Israel/OPT crisis - what's needed to stop the bloodshed? (ODI podcast)
• Palestine and Israel - How can justice prevail? (ODI podcast)

Femicide – the intentional killing of women and girls with a gender-related motivation – affects every society around the world.

According to UN Women, nearly 89,000 women and girls were killed intentionally in 2022 – the highest number recorded in the past 20 years. And over half of all female homicides were committed by family members or intimate partners.

This episode puts a spotlight on this global atrocity. Experts from Italy, Kenya and Mexico share insights on how femicide is impacting their countries. We examine its root causes, how women’s movements are countering it, and what further action is urgently needed to bring about truly lasting change.

While comprehensive legislation is a critical starting point, we hear why challenging gender norms which make misogyny so deeply entrenched in society is fundamental if we are to curb femicide and see transformational change.

Speakers

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Dinah Musindarwezo, Co-CEO, Womankind Worldwide
• Diana Jiménez Thomas Rodriguez, Senior Research Officer, ODI
• Nicoletta Mandolini, Researcher, CECS, Universidade do Minho, Portugal

Related resources

• Gender-related killings of women and girls (femicide/feminicide): Global estimates of female intimate partner/family-related homicides in 2022 (UN Women report)
• 10 ways to transform gender norms (ALIGN booklet)
• Transforming gender norms for women’s economic rights and empowerment (ALIGN report)
• Is no space safe? Working to end gender-based violence in the public sphere (ALIGN briefing paper)
• Mobilising for change: how women’s social movements are transforming gender norms (ALIGN report)
• Think Change podcast: how can we counter the anti-feminist backlash? (ODI)
• From allyship to action: how men can step up to end violence against women (ODI event video/podcast)
• ODI in conversation with Emma Dabiri: can coalitions counter the anti-feminist backlash? (ODI event video/podcast)
• Women's organisations and feminist mobilisation: supporting the foundational drivers of gender equality (ODI briefing paper)

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Gaia Vince, Environmental Journalist and Author of Nomad Century: How climate migration will reshape our world
• Michai Robertson, Research Fellow, ODI
• Claire Kumar, Senior Research Fellow, ODI Europe

When it comes to development, creative and cultural practitioners are too often overlooked and underestimated as agents of change.  

According to UNESCO, the creative and cultural sector is one of the most powerful engines of global development. It accounts for nearly 50 million jobs worldwide, representing 6.2% of all existing employment and 3.1% of global GDP.  

On this episode, our guests discuss the immense potential of art, design and creativity to inspire social development and tackle global injustices. They unveil the ways in which creative projects are more than aesthetic pursuits – they are at the heart of change and testament to our shared humanity, fostering human connections and challenging the status quo. 

Join us as we explore the intersection of creativity and development, and ask why – and how – creative and policy communities must work more closely together to change the world.

This episode was produced in partnership with LAGO. 

Guests 

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Federica Fragapane, Information Designer and ODI Research Associate  
• Adama Sanneh,  CO-Founder and CEO, Moleskine Foundation  
• Marta Foresti, Visiting Senior Fellow, ODI
  
  

Related resources

• Creating our collective future: what the arts and design can do for development
  
  
• On Freedom of Movement (wi de muv) trailer (youtube.com) 
  
  
• Hearts and minds | How Europeans think and feel about immigration
  
  
• Key workers: migrants’ contribution to the COVID-19 response
  
  
• The Beauty of Movement: arts and research for new migration narratives | ODI: Think change 
  
  
• Data and design: making stories visible 
  
  
• The ALIGN - Advancing Learning and Innovation on Gender Norms - Platform | Align Platform

Global public debt is at unprecedented levels. The UN has reported that nearly half of the world’s population lives in countries that spend more paying off debts to other countries than they spend on healthcare for their own people.

While needs soar as countries try to address the impact of the poly-crisis and invest significantly to transform their economies and societies, economic growth is in sharp retreat in many nations in the Global South.

The World Bank is calling for donor governments to step up. They have put ‘IDA replenishment’ top of the agenda at this month’s Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C.

But why is the World Bank calling for this record replenishment? Join us as we explore the case for the IDA to become more effective and efficient at a time of soaring needs.

Guests

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Annalisa Prizzon, Principal Research Fellow, ODI
• Seynabou Sakho, Director of Strategy and Operations for the World Bank Office of the Managing Director of Operations
• Gregory Chen, MD of Ultra-Poor Graduation Initiative, BRAC International

Related resources

• ODI on multilateral development banks
• ODI Day at the 2024 Spring Meetings 
• Bigger, but also better: why MDB reform must go further (ODI blog)
• One year on, the World Bank must focus on how to implement its Evolution Roadmap (ODI blog)
• Matching finance to need (Davos 2024 event video)
• Strengthening MDBs: the triple agenda (Annual Meetings 2023 event video)
• What do borrowing countries think of MDB reform? (Think Change podcast)

The crises of hunger in Sudan and Gaza are grave humanitarian emergencies with profound consequences for affected communities.

A recent UN briefing to the Security Council stated that Sudan is set to face the “world’s worst hunger crisis”, while an international committee of experts issued a dire warning that famine is not only imminent in Northern Gaza, but a risk across the entire territory.

While man-made famine continues to be used as a weapon of war for political gain, the prevailing response from international humanitarian agencies is to provide food aid. But is this really the solution? And how does it affect local humanitarian efforts?

This episode dives into these questions and seeks to hold those responsible for these hunger crises to account.

Guests

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Alex de Waal, Executive Director of the World Peace Foundation
• Omima Omer Jabal, Khartoum State ERR Jabal Awliya Program Office
• Hamish Young, Senior Emergency Coordinator in Gaza, State of Palestine
• Nuha Yousif, ERR Sennar state, Programme office
  
  

Related resources

• Sounding the alarm on Sudan’s hunger crisis (ODI event recap)
  
  
• Sudan conflict – how did we get here and what next? (Think Change podcast) 
  
  
• From El-Fasher to Khartoum: The fallout from 20 years of conflict in Darfur (ODI event) 
  
  
• Sudan’s humanitarian crisis slips further from sight (ODI event recap)
  
  
• Humanitarian hypocrisy, double standards and the law in Gaza (ODI blog)
  
  
• Will the ICJ ruling change anything for Gaza? (Think Change podcast)

The question of how multilateral development banks need to reform themselves so they are fit to face today's global challenges was again high on the agenda at the recent World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C.

These debates and recommendations for reform can be technical and complex, but what do the people these financial institutions were set up to serve think about what changes are needed?

This episode, which was recorded from the sidelines of the Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C., considers whether development finance is really reaching those who need it most. We ask how we can harness recent trends and technological advances so they work for – rather than against – the most vulnerable.

Guests

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Liesbet Steer, President and CEO of the Education Development Center & Chair of the ODI North America Board
• Andrew Herscowitz, Executive Director, ODI North America
• Sheila Warren, CEO, Crypto Council for Innovation and ODI North America Board Member

Related resources

• ODI's Spring Meetings resources hub
• How to better reach underserved borrowers (ODI event)
• Towards an MDB agenda for reform in FCV (ODI paper)
• Navigating fragility: the new multilateral agenda (ODI event)
• Matching finance to need (ODI event)
• Do we need a new Bretton Woods agreement for the post-Covid era? (Think Change podcast)
• Will early blooms bear fruit? Key takeaways from the 2024 World Bank Spring Meetings (ODI blog)
• MDB Insights: 2024 Spring Meetings previewed (ODI blog)

The Declaration on Climate, Relief, Recovery and Peace was signed last year at COP28 in Dubai. This recognised the unique challenge of addressing the climate emergency in areas affected by conflict and fragility, and called for “bolder, collective action” to support them.

But what does this look like in practice?

Despite being among the most vulnerable to climate change, conflict-affected countries receive just a fraction of the climate finance that is allocated to more stable regions.

As we build up to the UN Summit for the Future and COP29, this episode examines what can be done to address this critical conflict blind spot in climate action.

Guests assess the security impacts of the climate crisis, and the urgent need to scale up funding and support where it is most needed to avoid deepening instability.

Guests

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Hanna Serwaa Tetteh, UN Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Horn of Africa
• Katarina Kertysova, Climate Security Officer, NATO
• Rosita Najmi, Co-Founder, CIFAR and ODI Board Member

Resources

• COP28 Declaration on Climate, Relief, Recovery and Peace
• Climate Innovations for Adaptation and Resilience (CIFAR) Alliance
• Call to Action: Responsible Digital Payments to Accelerate Climate Action (Better Than Cash Alliance)
• Bolstering Women’s Climate Resilience and Adaptation through Financial Services (CGAP)
• Climate Landscape Series (BFA Global)
• COP28 finally shines a spotlight on conflict-affected countries (ODI blog)
• Building Forward Better: a pathway to climate-resilient development in fragile and conflict-affected situations (ODI report)
• Climate adaptation in no-man's land: research bridging the conflict-climate gap (ODI report)
• What the case of Somalia can show us about financing climate action in conflict-affected countries (ODI blog)
• A New Agenda For Peace (UN brief)

Time is running out to keep the climate goals set out in the Paris Agreement within reach. Wealthy countries have introduced new industrial and green trade policy measures, but there are concerns that some of these are having adverse effects – hitting countries that have contributed the least to the climate crisis the hardest.

This episode examines the concept of the ‘green squeeze’ – the notion that climate-related trade policies are negatively impacting low-income countries, unfairly putting the burden of adjustment on them. We ask what the ‘green squeeze’ means, both at a broader policy level and on the ground for producers having to adapt to these new trade measures.

What can be done to help exporting countries navigate such measures? Would the Villars Framework enable a more equitable way forward?

At a time when geopolitical tensions are running high and countries are fighting for leadership on green technology, guests discuss what action is needed to drive fair and sustainable progress on green trade.

Guests

• Sara Pantuliano, Chief Executive, ODI
• Faizel Ismail, Director of the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance, University of Cape Town
• Jan Yves Remy, Director of the Shridath Ramphal Centre for International Trade Law, Policy and Services (the SRC), University of the West Indies
• Jodie Keane, Senior Research Fellow, ODI
  
  

Related resources

• New EU trade rules could put poor countries in a billion dollar ‘green squeeze’ (ODI blog)
  
  
• The ‘green squeeze’: an explainer (ODI paper)
  
  
• Navigating green trade measures: avoiding a “green squeeze” (ODI event video)
  
  
• Leading experts gather at ODI to reimagine global trade for a sustainable future (ODI statement)
  
  
• COP28 side event | Enabling a “green seize” of new trade opportunities for LDCs: learning from the Covid-19 response to address the climate emergency (ODI event video)
  
  
• Avoiding a “green squeeze” and advancing new trade opportunities for LDCs (ODI event video)
  
  
• Africa’s green trade opportunities: policy insights for aligning trade and climate action (ODI blog and event video)
  
  
• Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms: clarity needed on support for adjustment (ODI blog)
  
  
• Air Miles 2.0? How to ensure Africa is not penalised by net-zero policy spillovers (ODI blog)

Small island developing states (SIDS) suffer disproportionately from external shocks. They face an existential threat from the climate emergency, while global economic uncertainty and geopolitical shifts have derailed recent progress that SIDS have made towards achieving growth and resilience.

That’s why governments of SIDS and their international partners met in Antigua and Barbuda a fortnight ago for the SIDS4 conference, which aimed to formulate a 10-year action plan intended to chart ‘the course toward resilient prosperity’ for small island nations.

In this episode, guests review this seminal conference, setting it in context of the unique challenges that SIDS face. We hear about the strengths of the Antigua and Barbuda Plan (ABAS) that emerged from it and what is missing from this framework. Guests outline reforms that are urgently needed to drive meaningful change for SIDS.

Guests

• Sara Pantuliano, Chief Executive, ODI
• Ambassador Walton Webson, Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda to the UN
• Emily Wilkinson, Senior Research Fellow, ODI
• Jean-Paul Adam, Director for Technology, Climate Change and Natural Resources Management in the UN Economic Commission for Africa
  
  

Related resources

• Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI)
  
  
• Small Islands Big Picture podcast: Will the 4th UN International Conference on SIDS generate ‘resilient prosperity’?
  
  
• Small Islands Big Picture podcast (all episodes)
  
  
• The SIDS Future Forum 2024: Shaping the future of Small Island Developing States
  
  
• Preparatory meetings for the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States: participation, priorities and outcomes
  
  
• Financing resilient prosperity in SIDS
  
  
• Why small islands need their own Marshall Plan

The recent European elections came at a pivotal time for Europe and its relations with the rest of the world. In the continent, the economic squeeze, along with the public’s concern around security and migration, drove the outcome of the elections. 

Across the world, the rise in protectionist and nationalist ideology threatens the future of the multilateral system. At risk is the global commitment to the climate crisis and human rights. 

 The Brussels policy debate is highly Eurocentric, but has extraterritorial impact, often with unanticipated consequences, across the globe. There is an urgent need for European Institutions and Member States to navigate these challenges effectively, to shape a European response.

 In this episode of the Think Change podcast we discuss the outcome of the European elections and how this will influence the EU’s foreign policy; the future of the multilateral system; and how dialogue and more equal partnerships with the rest of the world is essential to maintain Europe’s standing in the world. 

Guests:

• Sara Pantuliano, Chief Executive, ODI
  
  
• Ambassador João Vale de Almeida, previously Ambassador of the European Union to the United Nations; Ambassador of the European Union to the United States; and following Brexit, the first head of the future EU delegation to the UK.
  
  
• Professor Carlos Lopes, Honorary Professor at the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance Faculty of Commerce at the University of Cape Town
  
  
• Suzanne Lynch, journalist and author of POLITICO’s Global Playbook

Related resources: 

• Where next for feminist foreign policy on funding feminist movements?
• Supporting Ukraine is costly – but Europe should be clear on the risks of letting Russia win
• Can the Displaced Talent for Europe pilot address green skills shortages in Europe?
• Can ‘the West’ be trusted? The future of European humanitarian aid
• Reflection on what’s next for EU policy on migration and development
• Whatever happens now, South–South solidarity with Gaza has already exposed the West

The impacts of the climate crisis are widely known and have rightfully spurred international action, but the hastening collapse of global biodiversity receives far less attention.

Biodiversity is the life support system of our planet. We also depend on intact ecosystems for our food and water supplies, medical advances and disease prevention, climate stability, shelter and so much more.

In financial terms, a staggering 55% of global GDP depends on high-functioning biodiversity.

But nearly all species on earth are currently undergoing population declines, at speeds far quicker than scientists would expect.

Reversing the decline of nature depends on international cooperation. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework represents a watershed moment for multilateral governance and action to conserve biodiversity and restore ecosystems. One of the goals of the framework is to "invest and collaborate", but currently, the biodiversity finance gap stands at $700 billion a year.

So what can be done to mobilise resources to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity? Experts examine ways forward and reflect on what must be done to reduce the harmful incentives that fuel biodiversity loss.

Guests

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Laetitia Pettinotti, Research Fellow, ODI
• Anaid Velasco, Environmental Lawyer and Mexico Director, Climate Finance Group for Latin America and the Caribbean
• Jeremy Eppel, Co-Founder, Eppel Sustainability and Senior Adviser, Nature Finance
  
  

Related resources

• A fair share of biodiversity finance: apportioning responsibility for the $20 billion target by 2025
  
  
• Biodiversity finance in Mexico
  
  
• Biodiversity finance in Nepal
  
  
• Biodiversity finance in Namibia
  
  
• What do we have to lose? Understanding and responding to climate-induced loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services

This episode revisits some of our favourite conversations since the first Think Change podcast aired back in March 2022.

Since that time we have released over 50 episodes and been lucky to host some brilliant guests, who have shared their analysis and stories with us on a range of critical global issues – from MDB reform and the debt crisis in the Global South to the future of the Africa-China relationship and the latest concerning developments in Gaza.

The themes examined across all episodes are incredibly diverse, but they share a focus on reimagining a new vision for international cooperation in our polarised world – and a hope for building a more equal, peaceful and resilient planet.

Browse and listen back to all episodes of the Think Change podcast.

Guests

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator
• Ian Bremmer, President and Founder, Eurasia Group
• Kathryn Nwajiaku-Dahou, Director, Politics and Governance programme
• Alexis Akwagyiram, Managing Editor, Semafor Africa
• Mavis Owusu-Gyamfi, Executive Vice President, African Center for Economic Transformation
• Arancha González, Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs
• Linda Calabrese, Research Fellow, ODI
• Yunnan Chen, Research Fellow, ODI
• Ronak Gopaldas, Director, Signal Risk
• Alex de Waal, Executive Director, World Peace Foundation
  
  

Related resources

• ODI in conversation with Achim Steiner
  
  
• Think Change episode 22: On borrowed time? The sovereign debt crisis in the Global South
  
  
• Think Change episode 25: Africa-China – where is the relationship heading?
  
  
• Think Change episode 37: what trends will shape 2024? Part 1
  
  
• Think Change episode 38: what trends will shape 2024? Part 2
  
  
• Think Change episode 31: what do borrowing countries think of MDB reform?
  
  
• Think Change episode 40: will the ICJ ruling change anything for Gaza?

We are taking a break from our regular schedule this month to look back on some of the most popular episodes released since Think Change first aired back in March 2022.

This episode revisits a conversation we released last year, and the halfway point of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals deadline to end poverty and reduce inequalities.

We asked what poverty really means today, and if old notions of ending poverty simply by increasing individual income above an arbitrary line are even useful anymore.

This year we have looked closely at trends across a range of issues – both globally and by region – which has revealed just how much effort is needed if we want to meet these targets by 2030, with no one left behind.

With the so-called ‘polycrisis’ pushing more people into poverty, and the World Bank’s Poverty and Inequality Platform’s global poverty estimates at 712 million people living below the $2.15 per day poverty line, we asked our guests how we define and fight poverty today.

Guests

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Rathin Roy, Visiting Senior Fellow and former Managing Director, ODI
• Yamini Aiyar, President and Chief Executive, Centre for Policy Research
• Ricardo Fuentes-Nieva, Chief Economist for DataPop Alliance and former Director of the Equity and Social Policy Programme, ODI

To mark World Humanitarian Day, this episode examines how the rules of war have changed in our increasingly polarised world and asks how we can better protect the delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance.

World Humanitarian Day recognises and raises awareness of the courageous work of humanitarians around the world. It was established by the UN to commemorate the anniversary of a bomb attack on UN headquarters in Baghdad on 19 August 2003, which killed 22 humanitarian workers including the UN’s chief humanitarian in Iraq Sergio Vieira de Mello.

Last year was the deadliest on record for humanitarian workers, and 2024 could be even worse. The past few months have seen egregious attacks against aid workers in Gaza and in lesser reported conflicts, including in Sudan and South Sudan. International Humanitarian Law – designed to protect aid workers and civilians – has been repeatedly flouted.

This episode puts these crises under the spotlight. We reflect on what these worrying trends reveal about the humanitarian aid system and the evolution of armed conflict today, as well as state of our global rules-based order.

Guests

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Sorcha O’Callaghan, Director of the Humanitarian Policy Group, ODI
• Abby Stoddard, Partner, Humanitarian Outcomes
• Ola Mohammed, Gaza Programme Manager, Muslim Aid
  
  

Related resources

• Humanitarians in the line of fire: when acting for humanity proves deadly
  
  
• The meeting of humanitarian and civic space in Sudan: lessons for localisation
  
  
• Event recap: Sounding the alarm on Sudan’s hunger crisis
  
  
• Whatever happens now, South–South solidarity with Gaza has already exposed the West
  
  
• Gaza: a litmus test for the humanitarian sector’s commitment to decolonisation?
  
  
• Humanitarian hypocrisy, double standards and the law in Gaza

This episode examines the challenges leaders at the forefront of tackling today’s multiple crises are facing, and the leadership skills and approaches desperately needed to navigate these uncertain times.

We are teaming up with Tandem for this episode – ODI's Global Executive Leadership Programme. Tandem is building a community of humanitarian and development leaders around the world, equipping them with the skills and connections to address today’s most pressing global challenges and build a brighter future for all.

Fresh from graduating from the Tandem programme, two inspirational leaders join our host Sara Pantuliano to reflect on the unique challenges facing humanitarian leaders today – at a time when political instability, conflicts, geopolitical tensions and climate crisis are all creating increasingly complex operating environments.

We hear about what their experiences with Tandem over the past nine months have taught them, and how these are reshaping their own approach to leading in crisis settings.

Guests

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Sasha Kapadia, Director of Global Advisory, ODI
• Gaurav Ray, Head of the Bangladesh Office, German Red Cross
• Lisa Jean, Iraq Country Director, Mines Advisory Group 
  
  

Related resources

• Tandem Leadership LinkedIn page
  
  
• Tandem website
  
  
• Leading through crisis: what works and what doesn’t (event video/podcast)
  
  
• Better leadership, better world: introducing Tandem (ODI blog)
  
  
• Humanitarian leadership: learning from the past and directions for the future (Tandem/ODI paper)
  
  
• Refugee leadership – how do we move from talk to action? (Think Change podcast)

The fatal stabbing of three young girls in Southport by 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana back in July ignited riots which have swept across the UK and made global headlines.

What followed from the tragedy was a racist, Islamophobic and anti-migrant campaign fuelled by misinformation and disinformation, which spilled into the streets with targeted attacks on mosques and ethnic minorities.

This senseless violence again cast a spotlight on systemic issues of racism and inequality, and highlighted the potentially deadly consequences of our collective failure to tackle false information online, as well as the demonisation of migrants.

This episode dissects these problems, asking what the recent riots reveal about the rise of the far right in the UK and elsewhere, and how to counter alarmist rhetoric on migration. Our guests discuss how we can move forward towards a place of greater solidarity, understanding and trust.

Guests

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Afua Hirsch, Journalist
• Fizza Qureshi, CEO, Migrants’ Rights Network
• Marvin Rees, Visiting Senior Fellow, ODI and former Mayor of Bristol
• Kathryn Nwajiaku-Dahou, Director, Politics and Governance programme, ODI
  
  

Related resources

• Migration and Displacement Hub (ODI)
  
  
• Migration decision-making: beyond political rhetoric and guesswork (Event, ODI)
  
  
• As UK public attitudes toward migration are increasingly positive, it’s time for more balanced and evidence-based narratives (Blog, ODI)
  
  
• Public narratives and attitudes towards refugees and other migrants: UK country profile (Briefing, ODI)
  
  
• Public and political narratives and attitudes towards refugees and other migrants: implications for action (Project, ODI)
  
  
• Hearts and minds: How Europeans think and feel about immigration (Data visualisation, ODI)
  
  
• Why many policies to lower migration actually increase it (Blog, The Conversation)
  
  
• Humanitarian hypocrisy, double standards and the law in Gaza (Blog, ODI)
  
  
• Navigating narratives in Ukraine: humanitarian response amid solidarity and resistance (Blog, ODI)
  
  
• How to tackle mis/disinformation with a human centred approach (Blog, ODI)
  
  
• 10 things to know about misinformation and disinformation (Briefing, ODI)

As conflicts continue to spiral in many parts of the world, from those who dominate the headlines daily to the ones that we barely hear about, global instability is increasing in the context of rising food insecurity, forced displacement, and climate change. We need to step up our collective commitment to building peaceful societies.  

In September 2024, the United Nations hosted the Summit of the Future, bringing together world leaders to create a new international consensus on how to address global challenges and create a better future, with the aim to settle conflicts peacefully and expand youth participation in global decision-making, amongst others. 

This episode discusses how we can prevent conflict and rebuild solidarity and accountability in a fragmented world. What are the challenges and how can we mitigate against them?  How can we involve marginalised groups to build an inclusive global architecture that serves those on the ground working on peacebuilding initiatives? 

Disclaimer: This episode was recorded in advance of the Summit. 

Guests 

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI 
• Elizabeth Spehar, Elizabeth Mary Spear, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support, UN Department of Political Affairs 
• Joyce Mendez, United Nations Secretary General's Youth Advisory Group 
• Jago Salmon, Senior Research Associate, Politics and Governance 

Resources:

https://www.un.org/peacebuilding/content/2025-review-un-peacebuilding-architecture (Peacebuilding Architecture Review, UN) 

https://www.un.org/en/summit-of-the-future (Summit of the Future, UN) 

https://odi.org/en/insights/a-pact-for-the-future-needs-a-stronger-awareness-of-un-financing-in-the-present/ (Blog, ODI) 

https://odi.org/en/events/women-at-the-forefront-the-transformative-impact-of-the-unscr-1325-on-women-peace-and-security/ (Event, ODI) 

https://odi.org/en/publications/working-with-humanitarians-is-a-nightmare-dynamics-surrounding-locally-led-peacebuilding-in-somalia/ (Report, ODI) 

https://odi.org/en/insights/event-recap-community-engagement-armed-actors/ (Event, ODI) 

https://odi.org/en/publications/meeting-report-security-and-climate-change-implications-for-hdp-programmes-in-somalia/ (Meeting Report, ODI) 

https://odi.org/en/publications/community-engagement-protection-and-peacebuilding-reviewing-evidence-and-practice/ (Journal article, ODI) 

https://odi.org/en/insights/physician-heal-thyself-a-new-agenda-for-peace-must-look-inwards-first-to-address-institutional-obstacles-to-building-and-preventing-peace/ (Expert Comment, ODI) 

Income inequality is high or worsening within many countries globally. This not only raises serious moral concerns. It also contributes to political instability and undermines inclusive economic growth.

Governments can use taxation to reduce inequality. They do this by taxing people fairly and spending a share of the revenue on social safety nets for the poor, sick, unemployed or those most impacted by negative shocks, such as Covid-19 the climate emergency, and by investing in human capital through education and health. 

But many lower income countries cannot afford comprehensive social safety nets. Their options are limited because of rising costs of borrowing and narrow tax bases. This means not enough revenue is collected and not everyone pays their fair share.

In this episode, guests examine how lower income countries can build more effective tax and transfer systems that can support fairer, more resilient and sustainable societies. 

The episode unpacks what is really meant by tax systems and social spending, why equitable taxation is critical, how governments can go about improving tax and social protection systems in practice. 

Guests 

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Hazel Granger ( Senior Research Fellow, ODI)
• Professor Andrés Velasco (Dean of the School of Public Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and former Minister of Finance, Chile) 
• Alex Cobham (Chief Executive, Tax Justice Network)
  
  

Related resources

• TaxDev - The centre for tax analysis in developing countries
  
  
• Income inequality, gender and the role of tax and transfers (Event video and podcast, ODI)
  
  
• Fiscal policy and gender income inequality: the role of taxes and social spending (Report, ODI)
  
  
• The problem with tax potential estimates – key considerations to develop sustainable tax systems (Insight, ODI)
  
  
• Inflation, incomes and inequality – how can lower-income countries use fiscal policy to the greatest effect? (Insight, ODI)

In the wake of our decision at ODI to suspend all activity on X (formerly Twitter), this episode examines the polarisation and hate so prevalent in today’s social media landscape and what is driving it.

Since Elon Musk took ownership of X two years ago there has been a rise of hate speech, mis- and disinformation on the platform. The UK riots, which we dissected in a recent episode, are a case in point. This worrying trend – alongside the commercialisation of its validation functions – led many politicians and organisations to stop using X.

But are we just putting plasters on a much deeper issue? To what extent has this divide in society already existed?

This episode examines these questions, and asks what action is needed to build safer, fairer digital societies. Guests explore the potential of social media to tackle subconscious biases, and take a stand against misinformation and online hate.

We hear about the role policy-makers should play in tackling fake news and misinformation as well as social media platforms themselves, and what role AI could play in influencing these dynamics.

Guests

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI
• Nanjala Nyabola, Kenyan author, political analyst and and activist
• Sandra Pepera, Chief Strategy and Governance Officer, ODI

Related resources

• ODI suspends activity on X (Statement, ODI)
  
  
• Riots, race and misinformation – has alarmist rhetoric on migration gone too far? (Think Change podcast, ODI)
  
  
• How to tackle mis/disinformation with a human centred approach (Insight, ODI)
  
  
• 10 things to know about misinformation and disinformation (Graphics/Briefing note, ODI)
  
  
• Has AI ushered in an existential crisis of trust in democracy? (Insight, ODI)
  
  
• Influencers and incumbency: digital disinformation and discontent in Nigeria's Presidential elections (Insight, ODI)
  
  
• Misinformation in Brazilian elections: can the judiciary stem the tide of political misinformation? (Insight, ODI)
  
  
• A war on many fronts: disinformation around the Russia-Ukraine war (Insight, ODI)
  
  
• How can AI become a force for social good? (Think Change podcast, ODI)
  
  
• Hidden in plain sight: how social media infrastructure shapes gender norms (Report, ODI/ALIGN)

The world is experiencing significant shifts, and the recent US election stands as one of the most influential. This could introduce a new level of unpredictability to global politics, economic relations and social dynamics worldwide.

Donald Trump’s decisive victory has surprised many, and his re-election raises several important questions about how it will impact on global dynamics. A continued focus on "America First" could strain international alliances and fragment global cooperation, if US interests overshadow multilateral agreements.

As Trump prepares to take office for the second time, he may also adopt a more assertive approach to foreign policy, likely impacting NATO relations and potentially intensifying tensions with China, Iran and Russia. His previous scepticism about the climate crisis may see reduced federal action which will hinder global climate agreements and slow carbon reduction efforts.

In this episode guests analyse what to expect from Trump's return to the White House, both for the US and the world, including potential shifts across foreign, security, development, climate and migration policies.

Guests

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI Global
• Karin Von Hippel, Director-General, Royal United Services Institute (RUSI)
• Ramsey Day, ODI Global Washington Board member and former USAID Assistant Administrator for Africa 
• Jeremy Konyndyk, President, Refugees International

Related resources

• Managing anti-immigration populism (Insight, ODI Global)
  
  
• Public narratives and attitudes towards refugees and other migrants: US country profile (Briefing paper, ODI Global)
  
  
• Four cost-effective ways the U.S. can pay its “fair share” of climate finance (Insight, ODI Global)
  
  
• Institutional misogyny is a threat to reproductive justice everywhere (Insight, ODI Global)
  
  
• Global approaches to refugee response: what difference can they make? (Insight, ODI Global)
  
  
• American journeys (Feature, ODI Global)

Our new Donors in a Post-Aid World (DPAW) dialogue series provides an informal space for reimagining the functions of Northern bilateral donors in an evolving global landscape. Last month, our first dialogue focused on creating a new narrative for Northern ‘donorship,’ identifying opportunities for a refreshed approach to development cooperation.

This episode discusses key takeaways from the first dialogue. Guests examine the challenges Northern donor institutions face in a post-aid world, and how they might redefine their roles for the future.

Why does this matter? Today, Official Development Assistance (ODA) is expected to address a growing array of complex agendas: countering China, managing migration, tackling the climate crisis, and more.

As demands grow for concessional public finance, donors lack the scaffolding of a single 'story' that they once had. What’s more, as the lines between ‘developed’ and ‘developing’ countries blur, and the donor-recipient model of aid as charity is increasingly rejected, the traditional rationale for aid has reached its limits.

In this episode, guests discuss how to navigate these challenges and build momentum for reforms that could influence key global policy processes.

Guests

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI Global
• Nilima Gulrajani, Principal Research Fellow, ODI Global
• Heba Aly, former CEO of The New Humanitarian
• Fadhel Kaboub, Senior Advisor, Power Shift Africa
• Omar Bargawi, Deputy Director and Head of the Development Policy & Partnerships Department, FCDO

Engage with us

We want to hear from voices that do not get heard yet have deep insights and knowledge to reimagine donorship for the 21st century. Please do reach out to
Nilima Gulrajani if you have any ideas or would like to write for us.

The second dialogue will take place early in 2025, with four to take place over the next 18 months. Sign up to our Donors in a Post-Aid World newsletter to get updates about the dialogue series. 

Related resources

• Donors in a Post-Aid World (Project, ODI Global)
  
  
• Dialogue #1: Crafting a new rationale for northern donorship (Summary note, ODI Global)
  
  
• Should a Northern donor exist in the 21st century? Introducing a new dialogue series (Insight, ODI Global)
  
  
• Donors In A Post-Aid World – January 2024 update (Insight, ODI Global)
  
  
• Crafting development power: evolving European approaches in an age of polycrisis (Report, ODI Global)
  
  
• Boosting gender equality with finance and fiscal policy (Project, ODI Global)
  
  

Have your say on Think Change

We'd love to get your feedback on the show so we can continue to improve and grow it. Please take this 5 minute survey.

Since April last year, Sudan has been engulfed in a brutal civil war which has claimed over 150,000 lives, displaced over 11 million people and created acute food insecurity.

It is arguably the world's most devastating conflict. So why, over 600 days on, is Sudan still not getting the media and international attention it needs? And what can be done to spur more recognition and action for the people of Sudan, at a time when other crises like those in Gaza and Ukraine dominate the headlines?

Journalists from Al Jazeera and the BBC join us to give their take and share lesser reported stories that highlight both the suffering and unwavering strength of Sudanese people.

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI Global
• Hiba Morgan, Reporter, Al Jazeera English
• James Copnall, Newsday Presenter, BBC World Service
• Mohanad Hashim, Journalist, BBC World Service

Related resources

• Event recap: Sudan’s humanitarian crisis slips further from sight (Event video, ODI Global)
  
  
• Event recap: Sounding the alarm on Sudan’s hunger crisis (Event video, ODI Global)
  
  
• Remembering Darfur – marking 20 years of conflict and its fallout (Disasters journal, ODI Global)
  
  
• The politics of hunger – can famine in Gaza and Sudan be stopped? (Think Change podcast, ODI Global)
  
  
• Three months into Sudan’s conflict: humanitarian leaders on the violence, the humanitarian response and the future (Event video, ODI Global)
  
  
• Sudan conflict – how did we get here and what next? (Think Change podcast, ODI Global)
  
  
• From El-Fasher to Khartoum: The fallout from 20 years of conflict in Darfur (Event video, ODI Global)

Have your say on Think Change

We'd love to get your feedback so we can continue to improve and grow the show. Please take this short survey. 

2024 was a year of significant transitions – characterised by rapid technological progress, shifting geopolitical landscapes, and ongoing crises and conflicts. In this final episode of the year, we reflect on its defining moments and look ahead to the key trends likely to shape 2025.

As the world becomes increasingly multipolar, the shift towards a more balanced global power structure brings both new perspectives and opportunities for collaboration. But this transition also presents challenges, with competing interests potentially impeding global cooperation. The redistribution of power may also deepen economic inequality and instability, and shift priorities in unexpected ways.

In the face of these changes, leading commentators give their take on what to expect from the year ahead.

Guests

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI Global
• Jeremy Bowen, International Editor of BBC News
• Bright Simons, Visiting Senior Fellow, ODI Global and President of mPedigree
• Linda Yueh, Fellow in Economics, University of Oxford
  
  

Related resources

• Rising China-US tensions fuel global economic slowdown ahead of Trump’s inauguration (Insight, ODI Global)
  
  
• Tens of thousands of people forcibly disappeared: will the international community step up for Syrians? (Insight, ODI Global)
  
  
• Holding states to account: do humanitarians undermine civil society? (Insight, ODI Global)
  
  
• Europe and the new world order: an updated approach to foreign engagement (Briefing paper, ODI Global)
  
  
• Will China’s influence in Africa’s AI revolution undermine its sovereignty? (Insight, ODI Global)
  
  
• The environmental risks of generative AI: why better global governance is urgently needed (Insight, ODI Global)

Fast fashion has transformed how we consume clothing. A staggering 11.3 million tonnes of textile waste ends up in US landfills alone every year. 

This global fashion waste crisis has far-reaching consequences for the environment, economy and local communities. Sites which often appear like dumping grounds for unused goods can transform themselves into major sources of creativity and livelihoods. One such place is Kantamanto market in Ghana, a vibrant community and trading hub where waste is reimagined into beautiful, sustainable fashion. But Kantamanto is also a site of environmental hazards. 

On 2 January 2025, shortly after recording this episode, the market was hit by a devastating fire that has left over 100 shops and many livelihoods in ruins. It’s the latest of several incidents, and illustrates the complex and precarious nature of daily life in Kantamanto.  

This episode examines this reality in closer detail. Millions of second-hand garments are sent to Kantamanto from the West every week. Many are repaired, altered and resold by local businesses, whilst others are sent unusable, but at a cost to local traders.  

Guests dissect what we can learn from Kantamanto market about how fast fashion and consumer behaviour is impacting African countries. We hear about how to create a fairer, more sustainable fashion industry, and why it’s so critical the voices and realities of communities most directly impacted by fashion’s waste problem are at the heart of solutions.  

Guests 

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI Global
• Marta Foresti, Founder and CEO, LAGO & Visiting Senior Fellow, ODI Global
• Ekaette (Eka) Ikpe, ODI Global Board Member & Director, African Leadership Centre
• Yayra Agbofah, Founder and Creative Director, the Revival
  
  

Related resources

• LAGO Collective website: https://www.lagocollective.org/
  
  
• The Revival website: https://www.therevival.earth/
  
  Culture and the creative economy: https://odi.org/en/topics/culture-and-the-creative-economy/ (Resources hub, ODI Global)
  
  
• Under the tangerine sun: the creative economy in global cities: https://odi.org/en/publications/under-the-tangerine-sun-the-creative-economy-in-global-cities/ (Insight, ODI Global)
  
  
• Tensions and duality in developing a circular fashion economy in Kenya: https://academic.oup.com/cjres/article/17/3/577/7721557 (Paper, Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society)
  
  
• Fashion designers as lead firms from below: creative economy, state capitalism and internationalization in Lagos and Nairobi: https://url.uk.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/lWrXCE92zc3qnonCBCkI7tf_Q?domain=journals.sagepub.com (Paper, Sage Journals)
  
  
• Can art and design change the world? (Think Change podcast, ODI Global)
  
  
• Creating our collective future: what the arts and design can do for development: https://odi.org/en/insights/creating-our-collective-future-what-the-arts-and-design-can-do-for-development/ (Insight, ODI Global)

The term ‘fragility’ is used to describe various complex challenges including protracted conflicts, weak state capacity, and vulnerability to climate-related shocks.

Development progress has been the hardest in these contexts. But the landscape is changing, with new development players emerging – notably in the private sector. Private capital is reaching frontier economies (those in low- and middle-income countries impacted by so-called fragility), fuelled by an impact investing market of more than $1 trillion.

Ahead of next week’s World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, this episode examines who is shaping this new vision of development in frontier markets. Guests dissect the innovative approaches and collaborations needed to strengthen development efforts in areas affected by conflict and instability.

Guests 

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI Global
• Jake Cusack, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, CrossBoundary Group
• Heike Harmgart, Managing Director for Sub-Saharan Africa, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
• Andrej Kirn, Head of International Organisations and Humanitarian Agenda, World Economic Forum
• Surer Mohamed, Research Fellow, Politics and Governance programme, ODI Global
  
  

Related resources

• Humanitarian and Resilience Investing Initiative (World Economic Forum)
  
  
• Mobilising European Institutional Investors into Emerging Markets and Developing Economies: three critical areas to address (Insight, ODI Global)
  
  
• Trillions or billions? Reassessing the potential for European institutional investment in emerging markets and developing economies (Report, ODI Global)
  
  
• Blended finance’s broken promise and how to fix it (Event, ODI Global)
  
  
• Trillions or billions? The Future of European Institutional Investment in Emerging Markets and Developing Economies (Event video, ODI Global)

Nearly a decade ago, nations worldwide committed to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with the first goal focused on ending poverty in all its forms by 2030. Whilst some progress has been made, we remain well off track to reach this ambitious target.
 
Poverty reduction has stalled, whilst a new report by Oxfam – launched during the recent World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos – highlights how rising inequality is being driven by today’s colonial economic system. It finds billionaire wealth rose three times faster in 2024 than in 2023, and most of this is taken – not earned. 

What’s driving these worrying trends? Are policy-makers addressing the root causes, or are systemic issues being overlooked? And what must be done to shift the course, especially amidst rising global uncertainties that could reshape international cooperation? 

Guests

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI Global
• Anthony Kamande, Inequality and Policy Research Advisor, Oxfam International. Anthony was also one of the key authors of Oxfam’s annual inequality report this year.
• Sofía Sprechmann Sineiro, Chair, Pledge for Change on Decolonising Aid and former Secretary General, CARE International
• Kevin Watkins, Distinguished Fellow and former Executive Director, ODI Global. Kevin has long been a key voice on education, development finance, and the need for equitable public policy.
  
  

Related resources

• Rethinking policy for a new era of poverty (Event video, ODI Global)
  
  
• Takers Not Makers: The unjust poverty and unearned wealth of colonialism (Report, Oxfam International)
  
  
• SDG 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere (UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs)
  
  
• Financing the fight against poverty and hunger - mobilising resources for a sustainable development goal reset (Report, ODI Global)
  
  
• What does poverty really mean today? (Think Change podcast, ODI Global)

For decades, US foreign aid has played a vital role in humanitarian assistance, development and global security.

But last month, the US government – the world’s biggest aid donor – announced a sudden 90-day freeze on foreign aid. This will have a devastating impact on communities globally who depend on it to survive. It has triggered widespread uncertainty across the global development sector.

In the days following the decision, the harm was already visible. Reports show that antiretroviral drugs for HIV patients ran out, landmine clearance efforts stopped, and critical humanitarian operations were left in limbo.

Although an exemption was later introduced for “life-saving humanitarian assistance”, its scope remains unclear. Many organisations are scrambling to understand the full implications of USAID's brutal shutdown.

This episode examines these developments in detail. Experts formerly at USAID join us to assess what the freeze means for communities dependent on this funding and the global development sector, and what should come next.

Guests

• Sara Pantuliano (Chief Executive, ODI Global)
• Elizabeth Campbell (Executive Director, ODI Global Washington and former Deputy Assistant Secretary, US State Department, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration)
• Sarah Charles (Former Assistant to the Administrator, Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, USAID)
• Kate Almquist Knopf (Senior Advisor, Former Director of the Africa Centre for Strategic Studies, US Department of Defense, and Former Assistant Administrator for Africa, USAID)

Related resources

• Out of the rubble (Insight, ODI Global)
  
  
• Donors In A Post-Aid World January 2025 update (Newsletter, ODI Global)
  
  
• What role should donors play in a post-aid world? (Think Change podcast, ODI Global)
  
  
• Investing in frontier economies – what can public-private collaboration achieve? (Think Change podcast, ODI Global)

This horrific war is displacing millions of people, challenging the region’s stability and threatening peace and security in our time. But what role has disinformation played to get us to this point? We hear a lot about Russia’s methods to disrupt narratives, paint false pictures and spread conspiracies. But how do they do it? What’s the significance of it? And how should we really be responding to it?Speakers:Sara Pantuliano, Chief Executive at ODI, Nathalie Van Raemdonck, researcher at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Stephanie Diepeveen, Research Fellow at ODI, Theo Tindall, Research Officer at ODI.

For further information on the episode and its speakers, visit: Think Change episode 1: disinformation and the Russia - Ukraine War

French President Emmanuel Macron will face Marine Le Pen in the second round of the country’s presidential election, with both candidates doing better than expected in the first round. We delve into the policy positions of each of the candidates and explore potential implications for the economy, Europe-Africa relations, migration, peace and security, and more. How might their campaigns evolve to scoop up those left and right voters, and how is this election influencing France’s place in the world? Speakers:Sara Pantuliano, Chief Executive, ODIJulien Marcilly, Chief Economist at Global Sovereign AdvisoryKathryn Nwajiaku-Dahou, Director of Programme (Politics and Governance), ODIMarta Foresti, Executive Director of ODI Europe, ODI

For further information on the episode and its speakers, visit: Think Change episode 2: reactions to the French election results – what impact will they have?

Around the world, countries are feeling the effects of the ‘triple shock’ caused by the Ukraine war – the perfect storm of economic, energy and food risks. A looming food crisis could have devastating consequences globally, exacerbating inequality and further slowing the recovery from the pandemic. In this episode, we take a step back to understand what’s really going on here. How is the war impacting global prices, supply chains and markets? What countries are most at risk? And how should governments respond? Speakers: Sara Pantuliano, Chief Executive, ODI; Sarah Taber, crop scientist; Sherillyn Raga, Research Fellow, ODI; Steve Wiggins, Principal Research Fellow, ODI.

For further information on the episode and its speakers, visit: Think Change episode 3: will the war in Ukraine cause a food crisis?

This episode examines how we can stop wars and better support peace efforts around the world. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has again put the spotlight on the failures of current approaches, but could this also be a critical moment to reform the agenda? Our experts discuss what we have been getting wrong and what needs the change. Speakers:· Sara Pantuliano, Chief Executive, ODI· Elizabeth Spehar, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support, UN· Paul Murphy, Executive Director, Saferworld· Kathryn Nwajiaku-Dahou, Director of Politics and Governance programme, ODI

For further information on the episode and its speakers, visit: Think Change episode 4: how can we stop wars before they start?

What does overturning Roe vs Wade mean for people living beyond US borders? We discuss the international aftershocks of the news that this 1973 Supreme Court decision is likely to be overturned.How can global activists safeguard existing abortion rights and at the same time prevent backsliding? How can we collectively navigate this new context while supporting a comprehensive agenda on reproductive justice and bodily autonomy?Join us and our invited guests as we unpack the gender norms at the heart of overturning Roe vs Wade, exploring what this means for people everywhere.Speakers: - Sara Pantuliano, Chief Executive, ODI, - Françoise Moudouthe (CEO, African Women’s Development Fund), - Dr. Anu Kumar (President & CEO, Ipas), - Megan Daigle, Senior Research Fellow, ODI. For more information, including further reading and references, visit https://odi.org/en/insights/think-change-episode-5-can-global-feminists-fight-back-on-roe/

For further information on the episode and its speakers, visit: Think Change episode 5: how can global feminists help fight back on Roe?

Following four failed rains and with the threat of a fifth, the Horn of Africa is now facing the worst drought for 40 years, with up to 20 million people at risk of going hungry. The current crisis is drawing parallels to the famine in 2011 that killed nearly 260,000 people in Somalia alone.Aid agencies and food security experts raised the alarm about the impact of failed rains long ago, so why are we here again? And why is this devastating crisis not getting the attention it urgently needs? In this episode, experts join us from Mogadishu discuss the situation on the ground. We assess why the famine is continuing to evade media and donor attention, and what can be done to break this silence and mobilise action.Speakers:Sara Pantuliano, Chief Executive, ODIMary Harper, Africa Editor, BBC World ServiceNimo Hassan, Director, Somalia NGO ConsortiumDaud Jiran, Somalia Country Director, Mercy CorpsSimon Levine, Senior Research Fellow, ODI

For further information on the episode and its speakers, visit: Think Change episode 6: how can we break the silence on famine in the Horn of Africa?

This month global trade ministers held talks at the World Trade Organization for the first time in five years. As the conference spilled into a sixth day, an agreement was finally reached to waiver Covid-19 patents (the TRIPS waiver).This deal temporarily removes intellectual property barriers around patents for Covid-19 vaccines and postpones the discussions on extending the waiver to treatments and tests by six months. But it has been heavily criticised for watering down the original text proposed by India and South Africa.So what benefit will it really have? This episode assesses the impact of the deal and asks what other action is needed to respond to this pandemic and prepare for future ones.Speakers: Sara Pantuliano, Chief Executive, ODIHelen Clark, former Prime Minister of New ZealandTom Hart, Senior Research Fellow, ODI

For further information on the episode and its speakers, visit: Think Change episode 7: what can be done to tackle Covid-19 vaccine inequity?

The Rwanda asylum plan refers the UK’s government’s controversial proposed policy to deport people identified as illegal immigrants, or seeking asylum, to Rwanda for resettlement. A judicial review of the policy is now set to take place in September, but the UK government continues to defend it and has not ruled out deportation flights over the summer. The case itself has been hugely divisive in the UK, Rwanda, and internationally. What started as a legal argument has caused a ripple effect into areas of religious morality and political ideology, while raising practical questions about whether this plan is lawful and workable, and why Rwanda is the destination of choice. And with a Conservative Party leadership contest now under way following the resignation of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the plan is featuring highly on the list of issues for leadership candidates. So what next? We dive into these issues with experts from the legal profession, humanitarian policy and refugee action. Speakers:Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODISorcha O'Callaghan, Director of ODI’s Humanitarian Policy GroupBecca Hird, Associate at Mishcon Private specialising in immigrationIsabel Alonso García, Programmes Manager, Calais, Collective Aid

For further information on the episode and its speakers, visit: Think Change episode 8: what next? Rwanda asylum plan in a changing political landscape

Since the birth of Bitcoin in 2008, cryptocurrency (or crypto) has had a significant impact on the way we think about money and financial services. It has even prompted discussion of a ‘new dawn’ in global financial inclusion.Many argue that cryptocurrencies – as well as the blockchain technology that forms the basis of this digital money – can help create more open and democratic financial systems in parts of the world that have historically lacked these privileges.But some have cast doubt on the idea that crypto represents a more cost-effective alternative to traditional financial transactions, while the price volatility of the likes of Bitcoin has been well documented. Environmental and regulatory concerns are also often cited.In this episode, experts weigh up these arguments and assess the potential of crypto to create more inclusive, democratic financial systems.SpeakersSara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODICathal Long, Research Fellow, ODISheila Warren, CEO, Crypto Council for InnovationMercina Tillemann Perez, Vice President, Circle Impact

For further information on the episode and its speakers, visit: Think Change episode 9: is crypto the key to global financial inclusion?

Twenty years of western intervention in Afghanistan were bought to an abrupt end a year ago after the Taliban’s swift advance on Kabul.Their takeover sparked international disarray. Short-term, humanitarian solutions have failed to address the most critical challenges Afghans face.The Taliban were ‘semi-governing’ everyday life in parts of Afghanistan long before the fall of Kabul. Reports from the country have been troubling albeit not surprising over the past year – with restrictions on freedom of speech, erosion of the rights of women and girls, and a devastating economic and food security crisis across the country. But with the war in Ukraine dominating the headlines and funding, it has been tricky to get a clear picture of what is really happening.This episode delves into the current situation in Afghanistan, as seen through the eyes of Afghan women who have played key roles in the development of their country. They discuss the role that regional and international partners have been playing and explain what needs to change.Speakers:Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODISeema Ghani, human rights activistNargis Nehan, Afghan former Minister of Mines, Petroleum and IndustriesForozan Rasooli, women’s rights activist

For further information on the episode and its speakers, visit:  Think Change episode 10: what has the impact of Taliban rule been, one year on? Afghan women’s perspectives

Global energy prices continue to rise. Coal prices are projected to increase by 81% in 2022, crude oil prices by 42% and natural gas prices by 74%. But these costs aren’t shared equally, especially for natural gas which requires specialised distribution infrastructure. The Russia-Ukraine war has therefore had an especially profound impact on Europe, which has been beset by a cost of living crisis.European countries are already introducing radical policies to ensure there is enough fuel to last the winter: windfall taxes, consumption caps, extra subsidies for consumers, extra liquidity for utilities. But there is an anomaly: the UK. The UK is relatively less reliant on Russian energy than its European neighbours, but as of July 2022 its electricity prices were the second highest on the continent.UK energy bills are not just a function of the cost of energy, but also level of demand. The UK’s old housing stock means a lot of energy is required to heat homes. British households – particularly the poorest families who live in the lowest-quality housing – will need a lot of very expensive energy this winter.In this episode, which our Chief Executive Sara Pantuliano hosts from New York Climate Week, we ask how the UK has ended up in this situation. Have efforts to decarbonise left the UK vulnerable to price shocks? Will the government protect citizens and at whose cost? And will the UK – and other wealthy countries – revert on climate commitments?SpeakersSara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODISimon Evans, Deputy Editor and Policy Editor, Carbon BriefLeo Barasi, Strategic Communications Manager, European Climate FoundationSarah Colenbrander, Director of Climate and Sustainability programme, ODI

For further information on the episode and its speakers, visit:
Think Change episode 11: what’s causing the energy crisis?

Finance Ministers, Central Bank Governors and leaders of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) are heading to Washington for the Annual Meetings, to discuss how to respond to the grim forecast captured in the latest outlook for the global economy.The IMF and the World Bank emerged from a pact between world leaders in the aftermath of another international catastrophe – World War II. Many other multilateral development banks have been created since then. Our research has shown that these banks are providing valued assistance to low- and middle-income countries around the world. They are also a critical tool for meeting our climate finance commitments.But the effectiveness and the relevance of this system has long been challenged by member states. The Annual Meetings come just after the UN General Assembly, where this year the calls to reform the so-called Bretton Woods institutions were louder than ever before.There are no simple solutions and the stakes are high.How should economies protect themselves from the continuing impacts of the pandemic and the global supply chain crisis, while they fight the longer-term battle against climate change? Are the tools we have at our disposal fit for purpose, and if not – what should be done?Speakers:Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODIJosé Antonio Ocampo, Minister of Finance, ColombiaRania Al-Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation, EgyptAlexia Latortue, Assistant Secretary for International Trade and Development, US TreasuryAnnalisa Prizzon, Senior Research Fellow, ODI

For further information on the episode and its speakers, visit: Think Change episode 12: do we need a new Bretton Woods agreement for the post-Covid era?

The International Energy Agency last year found that there is no room for any new coal, oil or gas if the world is to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 – a crucial target to keep global heating to 1.5°C. But how do we balance this with the stark reality that fossil fuels today account for around 80% of the world’s energy consumption and that in many countries these energy needs are growing?Renewables are cost-competitive and growing, but many countries are still hugely dependent on fossil fuels – not only for their energy needs, but also for government revenue through their exports.In this episode, we discuss the urgent need for a just energy transition that also meets development objectives, and the role of the international community, in particular the wealthy countries and big emitters, in supporting this transition.This is the first of a three-part series focusing on COP27, the 27th annual UN climate conference, which is taking place in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt, in November. It will be the fifth COP to be hosted in Africa – a continent responsible for less than 4% of global emissions, but which faces some of the worst impacts of climate change. Questions around taking responsibility for addressing climate change will be high on the agenda – and in the next two episodes, we will focus on climate adaptation and what to do about loss & damage as a result of climate change.Speakers:Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODIChukwumerije Okereke, Professor of Global Climate and Environmental Governance and Director of Center for Climate and Development, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, NigeriaMichael Jacobs, Professor of Political Economy, University of SheffieldIpek Gencsu, Senior Research Fellow, ODI

For further information on the episode and its speakers, visit:
Think Change episode 13: how do we solve the fossil fuel problem?

With COP27 now under way in Sharm El Sheikh, this episode explores why loss and damage is a key focus for this year’s negotiations through the perspective of Small Island Developing States (SIDS).SIDS are most heavily impacted by the impacts of climate change, despite being the least responsible for them. Average annual losses from extreme weather events are projected in the trillions of dollars by 2050, and pressure for financial redress is growing.At COP26 in Glasgow last year, the G77+China negotiating group proposed a loss and damage finance facility. This was blocked by the US and EU in favour of a ‘dialogue’ on loss and damage finance – the Glasgow Dialogue – which, to date, has made little progress.So where do we go from here? In this second instalment of our three-part series for COP27, ODI climate specialists and leading voices in the loss and damage debate from SIDS discuss what outcomes are needed at the negotiations and – just as importantly – what is happening outside them.Speakers:Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODIAvinash Persaud, adviser to the prime minister of Barbados, Mia MottleyBakoa Kaltongga, Vanuatu’s Caretaker Minister of Agriculture and Special Envoy on Climate ChangeEmily Wilkinson, Senior Research Fellow, ODICharlene Watson, Senior Research Associate, ODI

To read reports cited in this episode and related content, visit:  Think Change episode 14: climate loss and damage – who should pay?