The Imposters

In this bonus episode of The Imposters, Season 1 guest, Nana Ama Boa Amponsem is the host. In true decolonial fashion, she and The Imposters founder, Lila Raouf switch places. In this episode, Nana Ama interviews the project founder on the concept underlying this project, season highlights, and what to expect next. Chapters 00:00 The Birth of The Imposters 02:54 The Origin Story 03:23 Imposter Syn...

The conversation with Fadela Novak-Irons explores the power of participation, the shift from inclusion to agency, and the challenges faced by refugee-led organizations in the humanitarian system. It delves into the concept of meaningful participation, the need for solidarity, and the systemic barriers to recognizing lived experience as expertise. By founding The CALLs Network, Fadela demonstrates...

The conversation delves into the experience of imposter syndrome in humanitarian work and the potential of Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) frameworks in ensuring meaningful engagement with communities. The conversation delves into the complexities of humanitarian work, emphasizing the need to understand and address the diverse needs of affected communities. It explores the challenges...

In this conversation, Aya Sharfi delves into the redefinition of expertise and the intersection of lived experience and professional capacity. She then gives an overview of her research on peace education and her argument that imposter feelings can be used as diagnostic tools. Chapters 00:00 The Impostors Podcast: Redefining Expertise 08:34 The Origin of The Impostors Podcast 14:11 Professional Jo...

The conversation covers Jill Barasa's journey in navigating high-level policy and governance spaces, the importance of centering African voices in international initiatives, and the role of contextual intelligence in project success. Additionally, it delves into multi-stakeholder collaboration, the navigation of urgency and long timelines in policy work, and advice for early career professionals....

The conversation delves into the intersection of education, power, and colonial legacies, highlighting the challenges and opportunities in higher education, the impact of colonial legacies on education, and the reimagining of TVET education. The discussion emphasizes the need to question the foundations of education systems and the importance of understanding education as a site of power. Chapters...

The conversation delves into the experiences of Najlaa Dawod, focusing on imposter syndrome and the challenges faced by refugee-led organizations. It explores the impact of displacement on identity and belonging, the empowerment and recognition of refugee-led organizations, the challenges and hope for displaced youth, and the vision for a community-led humanitarian system. Chapters 00:00 Navigatin...

The conversation explores imposter syndrome in education and development spaces, the power of lived experience in education and emergencies, and the role of diaspora and community-led initiatives in education. It also delves into the impact of imposter syndrome on practitioners and the systemic outcomes of dependency and coloniality. Additionally, it highlights the research interests in refugee ed...

The conversation explores the systemic nature of imposter syndrome and the recognition of lived experience as professional expertise in humanitarian and psychosocial work. It delves into the recentering of expertise in humanitarian work and the practice of psychosocial support, highlighting the importance of dignity, ethics, and community-led approaches to care.

What does it mean to navigate humanitarian spaces shaped by systems you’ve personally lived through? In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Lila sits down with Mohammed Kappi, a Sudanese humanitarian and human rights practitioner whose work is deeply informed by his own experience of displacement. Together, they unpack how “imposter syndrome” often shows up not as a personal shortcoming, but as...

Nana Ama, an education policy and system specialist, discusses the challenges of navigating power in education systems and the importance of local voices in shaping policy. She emphasizes the need for a decolonial approach to education reform, highlighting the impact of lived experience and local expertise.

The conversation delves into the systemic nature of imposter syndrome and its connection to coloniality in knowledge production. It explores the impact of Orientalism on knowledge authorization and the structural production of imposter syndrome. The discussion also highlights the role of positionality in research and the reframing of imposter syndrome as a form of criticality.

In this insightful interview, Aafreen shares her journey through academia, her experiences with imposter syndrome, and how lived experience can serve as a powerful form of knowledge. She discusses the impact of her upbringing in Kashmir, her academic pursuits, and her current research on belongingness in STEM education.

Do you ever feel like an imposter? This trailer introduces The Imposters, a podcast that explores the recentering of expertise in global development and highlights the need to recognize communities as decision makers and leaders in their own right. It challenges the traditional view of communities as recipients and beneficiaries, emphasizing the importance of lived experience in shaping expertise...