GDP - The Global Development Primer

You can't even cut the irony on this one.  A week after Donald Trump encouraged, and then joyfully watched a violent mob storm the U.S. Capitol building, his administration placed Cuba on the List of State Sponsors of Terrorism.  That mob posed a greater risk to U.S. democracy than Cuba ever has.  As the Trump administration mocked public health advice, Cuba stood out as a world lea...

There was no one way to handle the COVID-19 pandemic.  Jurisdictions around the world came up with their own unique approaches to balancing economic crisis amid public safety concerns.  In Canada each province developed their own public health guidelines.  Some worked well, others not so much.  In Saskatchewan, COVID-19 crept in slowly, with only a few dozen cases reported. &nb...

Profs in International Development Studies hear the following question a lot: "What can I do with an IDS degree?"  As important as this question is, a better question to ask is "What CAN'T I do with an IDS degree?"  IDS graduates wind up all over the world and in all sorts of careers.  It's not a degree that will keyhole students into a particular profession, but it will build the c...

Cruise ships were left adrift in the Caribbean when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. Ports were closed, airliners were grounded, and the medical tourism industry found itself short on patients.  Medical tourism can be understood as the coordination of travel with the receipt of medical care for patients who elect to seek coverage abroad.  The World Bank, and other development organizatio...

Psychoanalysis has an important place in the journey of decolonizing international development studies.  In subconcious ways the teaching, the learning and the practice of international development gives in to our desires.  The thrill of helping others, the enjoyment of feeling superior to others.  This all comes to the surface through the performative behaviour and automatic reacti...

The co-edited book titled "Canadian Mining in the Aftermath of Genocides in Guatemala" was peer reviewed, and on its way to bookstore shelves until a surprise legal review came forward against the book.  Springer Nature, the publisher, then informed the authors that they were canceling the publication contract, and returned the manuscript to the editors.  What happened?  Why would a...

Viruses don't have a plan.  They don't care who they infect, or how they get the job done.  They only seek a host to reproduce copies of themselves and to help with transport to the next host.  Dirty hands, uncovered mouths, and close contact can give viruses an advantage, but, as we discuss in this kick off episode of season 6, so too can our global food system.  Haroon Akram-...

The year 2020 and the word "unprecedented" go together like peanut butter and jam.  No doubt a lot of firsts occurred in the past 12 months, and a lot of them were pretty awful.  Australian wildfires, passenger planes shot down, racial violence, war in Yemen, civil unrest in Algeria, harsh sanctions against Cuba, and of course, murder hornets, and of course, the COVID-19 pandemic. Many p...

The COVID-19 pandemic is brutal and disruptive to everyone on earth.  The effects of the pandemic, social and economic, could echo on for years to come.  As we know, nothing in our lifetimes has had such a universally disruptive impact to global society. Bad stuff indeed, but nothing compared to what Climate Change has in store for us.  Once again, we're pleased to have Dr. Anders Hayden going GDP...

International Development Studies is focusing more on the impact, damage, and legacies of colonialism, not just in the global South, but in the global North as well.  At the forefront of this conversation are scholars like Ajay Parasram, who studies "The Colonial Present" and who brings important critical dialogue on colonialism into the heart of research and teaching in International Development...

Every country has a tale of COVID-19.  But none like Cuba.  The country has a long-standing policy of medical assistance to other countries while maintaining good health at home.  When the pandemic struck Cuba kept its borders open and even received cruise ships with patients suffering from COVID-19. On top of it, Cuba has been sending its own medical experts to crisis situations ar...

Human trafficking, and dependence on stateless labour has led to unprecedented wealth in the Gulf States.  And with it?  An exceptional social and humanitarian cost.  From domestic service, to airport baggage handling to the construction of World Cup Stadiums, the labour practices require and encourage unfair labour practices.  It's rampant in the Gulf States, will other nations follow suit?  In t...

The Tokyo Olympics may be on hold as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but sport carries on, nevertheless, even in the world of International Development.  In this episode of GDP, Simon Darnell from the University of Toronto joins us to discuss his work on Sport for Development and Peace. Simon with a C. Darnell is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education at the Un...

Conflict comes with long-lasting mental health challenges.  Even decades after a conflict, combatants and those affected by conflict can endure suffering.  But where are the resources to help with trauma and mental health in post-conflict states?  Who funds them?  How well do they work?   In this episode of GDP, Peter Steele shares his research on evaluating mental health resources in Uganda.  See...

Somed Shahadu grew up in a rural setting in Northern Ghana.  Growing up, he witnessed first-hand how gender dynamics mattered when it came time for dinner.  In polygamous settings, who ate what and when was no accident.  Now as a doctoral student at the University of Ottawa, his research explores exactly how gender dynamics play a role on food security in his home country. In this episode he share...

Benedicte Westre Skog first visited Morocco in 2008 when she first encountered the inimitable Argan Trees.  These seemingly frail desert trees are tough. They bear the brunt of harsh desert climates and put up with routine abuse from inconsiderate goats that climb into their branches.  They also produce a rare oil that is highly sought after as a cosmetic product.   Benedicte connected with women'...

It's a sticky wicket to lock down the world's 2nd largest nation, and the world's largest democracy for the COVID-19 pandemic.   How could a government tell 1.3 billion people in India, where day to day conditions of poverty create serious health concerns, to stay home?  Who suffered the hardest during this time? Why was there a fatal military scrimmage with China?  And what ar...

In 1993 the Canadian Broadcast Corporation ran a brief clip about how something called "The Internet" was connecting millions to talk about sports scores, recipes, philosophy and gossip.  In the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, almost everyone depended upon the internet in order to get through it.  The deep dependency on cyber technology and connectivity raises security concerns.  As Mark Ra...

For this episode of GDP, we're happy to share a cross-over podcast from the series Radio FASS, a podcast from Dalhousie's Faculty of Arts & Social Science about teaching in an online world.  As many university educators are teaching online, Radio FASS serves as a space to share thoughts and tips about on-line learning. For this Episode, Chef Ben Kelly joins the podcast to talk about how he, as a T...

During the COIVID-19 pandemic, it is telling to see who is faring well, and who is suffering greatly.  Like most matters in health, social justice, structural violence and colonial legacies matter enormously in determining health outcomes.  For over 30 years, Partners In Health has put social justice at the forefront of health, arguing that good health can be a reality for all regardless...

In July 2020 Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a funding commitment of $900 Million to the WE Charity to administer bursaries for students who volunteered a certain number of hours.  Critics immediately called out the lack fo transparency around this deal, and other charities were outraged that they were not approached and that all of the eggs went into the WE Charity basket. &...

Climate change and geopolitics come together in this episode where we chat about water security, politics and development with Dr. Doug Hill in the department of geography at the University of Otago, in Dunedin, New Zealand.   Many see tensions in Asia as the consequence of geopolitical borders, but as Dr. Bob Huish chats with Dr. Doug Hill, it becomes clear that important waters that traverse bor...

The social determinants of health are complicated, interconnected, and tremendously important for measuring and shaping health outcomes for everyone.  Researchers talk a lot about how good housing, good food, and good air all lead towards better health.  But what about gender?  Germaine Tuyisenge explains why gender matters so much for the health and well-being of all - by sharing w...

"Working with communities", "social entrepreneurship", "consulting with the UN" are all terms students in International Development have heard and use.  But how to get started?  In this episode Soudeh Jamshidian joins Dr. Bob to chat about how she has worked on various social entrepreneurship initiatives as well as with the United Nations, and founding her own organization "Peace Geeks"?...

Urban gardening dates back to ancient times.  Community gardens are increasingly celebrated as a means to improve food security in urban settings, and especially for those experiencing economic hardship.   However, many homeless persons are mobiles, and gardens are not.  Kate Elliott joins us on GDP to share a story about making the gardens themselves mobile.  The Gro-Cart...