GDP - The Global Development Primer

If you've studied global development, you probably didn't get too far into the curriculum before learning about how private partnerships in development have led to ruin more than once.  Oil companies, mining companies, water companies, chemical companies and others have all been called out on human rights abuses.  Yet, the private sector remains a major player in global development. &nbs...

Journalists, it’s often said, write the first drafts of history because they are the first recorders and commentators of current events and social realities.  And the last couple of years have been a meaty first draft.  A global pandemic, a rise in authoritarianism, economic chaos, war in Europe, and now Artificial Intelligence that will write essays for you, and probably one day curate...

The power of stories in global development cannot be under-estimated.  Chronicling experiences, encounters and adventures can inspire others to journey, engage and do the same.  Rich stories can build relations and understanding in rich and dynamic ways.  Telling stories comes with great power and responsibility.  Stereotypes can be forged, speaking on behalf of others leads to...

When a World Bank Development project gets rolling, people's lives will be impacted. Sometimes for the better?  Sometimes for the worse.  If you are a person living in a project impacted community, and you feel that your life will worsen, what can you do?  Protest? Standby and watch?  Leave your home?  These are all options, but another key option is to take your concerns...

Frederico Fellini films are a mix of "memory, dreams, fantasy and desire" that create idiosyncratic interpretations of society.  If you're have any ties to, or interests in, Cuba, it might feel like you're in a Fellini script.  Cuba entered the pandemic on the front foot.  Sending its own health care workers around the world to assist with COVID-19 care, and then exporting its domes...

Health and human needs only intensify during a conflict.  Persons relying on disability-inclusive spaces and services face enormous challenges when attempting to flee their homes because of the threat of invasion or attack.  Moldova continues to receive refugees from Ukraine, many of whom are in great need of disability inclusive care.  But Who Cares?  Where does the responsibi...

The Guatemalan genocide was the systematic murder of Maya civilians during the government rule in the 1970s and 1980s.  Some 200,000 lives were taken by military and paramilitary operations during this era, all the while the government denied it was occurring. Governments are notoriously lousy at hiding secrets forever, and the military dictatorship in Guatemala was no exception.  In 200...

Child exploitation.  Any is too much.  No government in the world would openly advocate for child exploitation.  Yet, it occurs with impunity.  The Out of the Shadows Index is a tool that can help get governments get on track to prevent vulnerabilities for child exploitation. Check out this episode with Rute Caldeira from Ignite Philanthropy, who is overseeing the strategic dir...

We want affordable housing!  And we want housing to be the greatest appreciating asset!  How can it be both?   This antipodal relationship is not only impossible to fulfill, its consequences are falling on renters.  In the United States the average renter has a few thousand dollars of net wealth, while home owners boast hundreds of thousands.    Michael Barnes sees th...

A 17-year old student from Ukraine who may be able to put the land mine business out of business.  A video game that connects players to solving pressing climate change challenges.  And a robotic habitat for bees.  These are 3 stories of innovations that are unfolding not just so people can thrive, but so they can thrive.  In this episode of GDP, broadcast live from the CGI 202...

Not since 2016 has the Clinton Global Initiative met in person to make commitments for action against pressing global challenges.  Climate change, health care, inclusive economic growth, gender inequalities, even the health and well being of bees.  It's all on the table.  For this episode of GDP, Dr. Bob heads to New York to catch the conversations of world leaders in government, bu...

Imagine this.  A Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) founded in a post-conflict country in Western Africa that offers assistance to the Global North.  And what if that same NGO refuses funds from those who disagree with its feminist mandate, and yet continues to thrive?  And what if this organization, Purposeful - based in Sierra Leone, is a leading example of how to turn the develo...

Great ideas can be contagious.  But they need networks, validation, and times mentorship.  For the first time since 2016, the Clinton Global Initiative is coming back to New York alongside the United Nations General Assembly to bring together established and emerging leaders from government, business and philanthropy to tackle some of the world's most pressing challenges.  From war...

Finish your prescriptions even if you feel well.  Wash your hands.  And get ready for a tough new era of global health: Antimicrobial resistance.  Antibiotics were the greatest heroes of World War 2.  Thanks to this miracle medicine the 2nd world war was the first major conflict where people died of the actual wounds, not of infection.  Praise for antibiotics was so high f...

In Uganda 1 in 5 high-school aged children attend classes.  In rural areas the number plummets to only 5% for young girls.  This is in a country where 55% of the population is under 18.  Ronald Kibirige works with InteRoots, an organization that sees how serious this education crisis is in Uganda.  Beyond getting students into classrooms, there is real concern that traditions,...

People are paying more for food in 2022 - a lot more!  And in countries where food security is frail, access to the basics is going to get harder.  Price spikes are being felt around the world.  In some cases leading to violence, in other cases, triggering famine warnings.  Russia's war in Ukraine is fuelling the crisis first by targeting Ukraine's wheat and sunflower oil produ...

In this season finale of GDP, James Grall joins the conversation about how development practitioners can do what they do best in a challenging post-pandemic world.  Will remote working be part of the equation?  Are there risks of relying remote technology in countries with heavy handed internet surveillance?  Are there opportunities for development scholars and practitioners to get...

Deep poverty is increasing.  Since the COVID-19 pandemic is making more people poorer - especially those who are already experiencing poverty.  Some estimates suggest that COVID-19 wiped out the global gains on poverty alleviation in the three to four years before the pandemic.  Knowing this?  Now what?  How can development practitioners begin to address this challenge? &n...

If you thought that the COVID-19 pandemic knocked put the threat of terrorism to rest?  Think again.  Sondre Lindahl sees the threat of terrorism happening anywhere that there is political instability.  The form it takes?  Who perpetuates it, and how they carry out actions can vary widely, but rest assured, the threat of terror activities remains high.  So how should the w...

Humanitarian organizations do their jobs well in times of crisis.  Be it crisis born from conflict, famine, climate change, or natural disasters, the humanitarian sector knows how to respond to people's needs when they are in need.  Mark Lowcock suggests that despite this great work on the ground, it almost always takes shape as reactions to crisis, rather than prevention of crisis. &nbs...

"We need global leadership in order to prevent starvation" wrote Masood Ahmed and former U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown in the Financial Times .  COVID-19, and Russia's war in Ukraine have created massive disruptions to the world economy, and it will be world's poor who will pay the highest price.  As the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank commence, Masoo...

When it comes to addressing global health challenges, handling stigma is essential.  In Eswatini 27% of the population lives with HIV.  Organizations like pact have worked within communities to help achieve the 95 - 95 - 95 goal in Eswatini.  This is to say that 95% of persons with HIV are aware of it, and 95% of them have regular access to medication, and 95% of them are experienci...

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away Atul Tandon was making it on Wall Street.  At 39, Tandon was running one of the world’s largest international banking efforts on Wall Street when he was faced with a serious health crisis. Questioning his purpose, Tandon walked away from a life of wealth and turned to the very poorest in the world, vowing to serve those he left behind. Tandon has made...

Access to higher education remains a challenge in sub-Saharan Africa.  Select scholarships and bursaries are available to some, but getting access to knowledge to many remains a challenge.   Germaine Tuyisenge, an Assistant Professor at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine is working to change that.  By expanding online learning to students in sub-Saharan Africa, and to hi...

Following from our last GDP podcast on the challenges of online learning, we're pleased to welcome the President of Neontrain , Rob Belliveau to the podcast to talk about how profs can work to overcome real challenges and presumed stereotypes of online education.  In this episode Rob & Dr. Bob make the case that online learning can, in some ways, be more connected, more personal and more...