Odi Live Events Podcast

The panel discusses the trends, drivers and causes of migration and displacement from Darfur as well as the conditions and experience of Darfuris in Europe.

To mark World Humanitarian Day on 19 August, ODI convenes an expert panel to discuss breaking the silence and promoting action on mental health affecting aid workers and volunteers. Humanitarian aid workers are routinely exposed to traumatic events linked to the cause of mental health issues including depression, burnout and anxiety. But increasingly, work stress including extremely heavy workloads, long hours and limited time for self-care are being highlighted as major causes. Among volunteers, mental health issues can be even higher (Dineson, 2018). Often from affected communities, volunteers experience the same loss and grief as those they are working to support but without the same training, support or structure as professional workers. At the global level, there is now increasing recognition of the importance of ensuring the well-being and safety of humanitarian workers and volunteers. However, too often the appropriate support and care systems are not in place, especially for national or local staff.

What are the opportunities and challenges to providing mental health and psychosocial support in emergencies? This event launches the latest Humanitarian Exchange magazine.

Taliban governance is more coherent than ever before for the tens of millions of Afghans living under its rule. Their control and influence over finance, education, health, justice, taxation and everyday life extends far beyond areas the Taliban is said to control or contest. The provision of public goods, together with systemised violence and coercion, garner a combination of support, complicity and fear. The scale and extent of Taliban governance is a reality with which few in the international community are willing to engage. This has enabled the Taliban to set the rules and parameters of negotiation. To better support Afghans living under Taliban control, the question for the international community must shift from whether to engage to how. Drawing from ODI’s new research, based on first-hand interviews with over 160 Taliban fighters, officials and civilians, this expert panel discusses: - What is the current reality for Afghan’s living under Taliban rule? - How are Afghan civilians and aid workers nav

This event brings together researchers and officials to discuss how development agencies should be governed and structured.

This event explores why disaster risk reduction policy, programming and financing have yet to be sufficiently applied to conflict-affected and fragile contexts.

This event discusses the extent to which external financial support to fragile states is working, and reasons why it isn't.

United Nations Development Programme Administrator, Achim Steiner joined ODI in conversation on UN reform, sustaining peace and how to deliver more effective and integrated support to realise the 2030 Agenda.

Panellists discuss the challenges and opportunities for humanitarian agencies in better engaging with affected communities in armed conflicts and violence.

Honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh delivers a keynote speech on the country's progress and future development prospects.

The Minister for International Development Senator the Hon. Concetta Fierravanti-Wells sets out Australia's vision for aid cooperation and the Pacific region.

Drawing on articles in the latest Humanitarian Exchange and their own research and experience, our panellists discuss what is different about providing humanitarian assistance in urban areas and which tools and approaches can help to make responding to crises in urban environments more effective.

The event explores the latest evidence on discriminatory and harmful gender norms and highlights the work of NGOs and programmes trying to change them.

Panelists address four key questions at this event on Somalia's future: - How should we address the conflict drivers in Somalia? - What should the Government of Somalia do to mitigate the risk of uncertainty with the pending withdrawal of Mission (AMISOM)? - Should the African Union play a bigger role in containing and defusing conflicts caused by al-Shabaab? - How can the international community support Somalia to foster peace and national reconciliation?

Despite promising signs of economic growth, many African countries are struggling to develop the strong industrial sector required for economic transformation and job creation. Fresh thinking is needed on how to achieve Africa’s industrialisation objectives, with trade and trade policy increasingly being looked to as key tools for the task. Much recent research has explored this idea by analysing the extent to which current trade policies and tariff structures are positively contributing to the content’s industrialisation policy, and providing assessments of what African economies can do to industrialise ‘smartly’ through trade. This event sees an expert panel debate these issues and seeks to put forward concrete policy recommendations for African economies looking to realise their industrialisation ambitions.

Mark Green, Administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development and Penny Mordaunt, Secretary of State for International Development of the United Kingdom launch the Humanitarian Grand Challenge at ODI.

Why do some countries enjoy steady and sustained growth, others, periods of boom and bust, while others hardly experience growth at all? The answer to this question affects the rise and fall of nations and the life chances of billions of people—yet until recently economists have failed to answer it. This event brings together ground-breaking researchers providing new approaches to this important conundrum. Among them are Kunal Sen and Yuen Yuen Ang, whose recent work offer radical explanations for how some states have achieved transformative growth, as well as innovative ideas for how others might emulate them. Building on a combination of their findings plus landmark research from other distinguished economists, the event will kick-start a discussion on the politics of growth. In so doing, it seeks to provide actionable levers and policy recommendations for countries seeking to grow, transform, and escape the poverty trap.

Supporting so called ‘fragile states’ to build capacity and exit fragility is one of the most pressing challenges for the world today. Soon most of the world’s poorest people will be left behind in countries affected by conflict. In response, the share of aid to fragile states is growing. But is more aid the right answer? This event explores the case of Afghanistan. While western economies built states and the social contract around tax, modern Afghanistan has been built around aid. Although intended to support effective state-building, the way aid has been delivered has arguably distorted the state and stunted the longer-term development of a social contract: a ‘paradoxical outcome’. This event, which forms part of a series of discussions on ‘new directions in public finance’, explores how external actors can effectively support state-building in fragile states. Drawing on Dr Nematullah Bizhan’s personal experience and extensive research, it discusses how future progress in conflict or post-conflict states

The event provides the latest evidence on policies and programmes that can assist in achieving positive poverty outcomes.

The event provides the latest evidence on policies and programmes that can assist in achieving positive poverty outcomes.