Diaspora in Development

Host: Soraya Senosier

The Diaspora and Development Podcast is a place where men and women of the African, Asian, Caribbean, and Latin American diaspora working in international development can discuss issues that impact the developing world and their careers. This show is produced by Lola Keyes and Hosted by Soraya Senosier - Editor Katie Stokes S1 Edit/Music: Rukyato & Soile Tolu | S3: APodcastgeek

  1. Conceptualising risk and adapting to policy changes for humanitarian organisations

    AUG 5

    Conceptualising risk and adapting to policy changes for humanitarian organisations

    In this episode we speak to Tara Arthur, the co-founder and CEO of the Collective Security Group. She has more than 25 years of Martial Arts experience and she’s channelled that competitive work ethic into her work protecting and supporting people working in difficult political and socialclimates across the world. Some of the areas we’ll cover on theepisode are: ·     How Tara established herself in amale-dominated field emphasising her empathetic skills ·     How she became the CEO and co-founder ofthe Collective Security Group ·     How her cultural and martial artsbackground gave her USP in security in the humanitarian sector ·     How she describes Collective SecurityGroups person-centred approach to safety and security ·     The importance of equipping individualswith the tools to navigate difficult situations and mitigate risks ·     Her approach to mental health andwellbeing in a cultural context and how it has supported her work ·     How her work has led to her own researchon the impact of race, ethnicity and nationality on aid worker security ·     How she highlights the importance of fullpersonhood for effective security measures ·     How diaspora communities play asignificant role in bridging contextual and cultural gaps in security ·     Her advice for how entrepreneurs can meetthe challenges of the future   With the US policy climate changing,safety and security is one of the most significant areas for growth anddevelopment. Tara delves into the changes, the evolution and how the future ofhumanitarian aid is supporting individual issues with safety – not lumpingeveryone into the same proverbial camp! The opinions shared on this forum are the opinions of theindividuals and are not the opinions of the organizations and institutes thatthey work for.

    35 min
  2. Climate Resilience in Small Island Developing States: Building Resilience Within

    JUN 10

    Climate Resilience in Small Island Developing States: Building Resilience Within

    In this episode we speak to Dr Pepukaye Bardouille, a climate resilience expert specialising in small developing states. Her career has been lucrative, using her expansive knowledge at the United Nations Development programme and after Hurricane Marina. She started her career in earnest as the lead at the Climate Resistance Executing Agency in Dominica. Whilst the headlines are often dominated by the move to Net Zero in the OECD, what is often shrouded in silence, is the impact that climate change has on low-lying states. Dr Bardouille offers in-depth insight on her work in the office of the Prime Minister for Barbados on the show including: ·      Her journey into climate resistance work ·      The unique challenges of work with small island developing states (SIDS) ·      The development of her passion through her focus on Eastern and Southern Africa ·      The impact of the brain drain on climate resilience for Caribbean states Her approach looks at a career in climate resilience and the infrastructure reform required to protect the most vulnerable populations. As a proponent of The Bridgetown Initiative, she aims to reform international financial institutions and increase investment in low-carbon technologies and adaption. Take the journey with Diaspora in Development!   The opinions shared on this forum are the opinions of the individuals and are not the opinions of the organizations and institutes that they work for.

    44 min
  3. Tackling Eco-Anxiety in the Global South Through Creative Advocacy

    MAY 6

    Tackling Eco-Anxiety in the Global South Through Creative Advocacy

    Today’s guest is Svetlana Chigozie Onye, a British-Nigerian climate journalist, writer, and advocate whose work bridges environmental justice, mental health, and storytelling across the Global South. She leads The Eco-Anxiety Africa Project(TEAP), an initiative that explores the psychological toll of climate change on African communities through intergenerational dialogues, climate cafés, andyouth-led training programs in Nigeria, South Africa, and Uganda. Svetlana's efforts have garnered international recognition, including her participation as a delegate at the Skoll World Forum and COP29, where she emphasizes the importance of integrating mental health into climate policy discussions.   With a background in creative writing and human rights, Svetlana employs storytelling as a powerful tool to humanize climate narratives,. Her journalism delves into systemic environmental challenges, such as the impact of foreignindustrial activities on local ecosystems and the gendered dimensions of climate degradation. Through her multifaceted work, Svetlana advocates for accessible climate education and the amplification of underrepresented voices in environmental discourse.   In the podcast episode, Svetlana shares her perspective on the intersection of climate change, education, and policy, particularly in African contexts. Explains the concept of Eco-Anxiety and talks about the need for localized climate education and advocates.

    29 min
  4. Leading Humanitarian Aid with Dignity: The immigrant perspective

    APR 1

    Leading Humanitarian Aid with Dignity: The immigrant perspective

    In this episode we speak to Marina Kobveza, is the Director of Programmes and Partnerships at MapAction. She is a humanitarian leader with 20 years of experience, here on the show to discuss everything from the impact of George Floyd’s murder to the need for data to be evidenced with empathetic narratives. Marina introduces you to her own career in humanitarian aid through her lived experience. As a child in Azerbaijan, that first encounter with humanitarian aid, inspired her to put her energies into one of her first career choices, The Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. She has seen first-hand, how large international agencies have failed to support those most in-need with ineffective leadership and bloated internal structures. On the show, she gets to the heart of decolonising narratives in aid and supporting narratives that use data, to inform and persuade, keeping human experience at the centre of aid. Some of the areas we’ll cover on the episode are: ·      The challenges in humanitarian aid and its ethical considerations ·      The decolonisation process in humanitarian aid ·      The impact of identity and keeping immigrant influences at the centre of her work ·      What solutions we have when aid budgets are cut in traditional supporting countries ·      How the humanitarian system needs to become leaner to benefit from diaspora funding ·      How there has been a growing recognition for mental health support among aid workers   As the international humanitarian aid sector is rocked by shockwaves from the US and across the western world, what solutions are there? How do you lead with empathy? Continue to humanize communities? Lead with dignity that promotes sustained support? Marina tackles this and more on Diaspora in Development.   The opinions shared on this forum are the opinions of the individuals and are not the opinions of the organizations and institutes that they work for

    41 min

About

The Diaspora and Development Podcast is a place where men and women of the African, Asian, Caribbean, and Latin American diaspora working in international development can discuss issues that impact the developing world and their careers. This show is produced by Lola Keyes and Hosted by Soraya Senosier - Editor Katie Stokes S1 Edit/Music: Rukyato & Soile Tolu | S3: APodcastgeek