In Pursuit of Development

Vijaya Ramachandran argues that blanket bans on fossil-fuel funds will entrench poverty. By pushing a renewables only model on developing countries, and expressing fear about the future emissions of these countries, including those on the African continent, rich countries such as Norway are promoting  colonialism in green. Vijaya is an economist with extensive experience in public policy and academia, having worked for the World Bank and the UN as well as serving on the faculty of Duke University and Georgetown University. She is currently director for energy and development at the Breakthrough Institute, and a non-resident fellow at the Energy for Growth Hub and the Center for Global Development. Why India Can’t Wean Itself Off CoalRich Countries’ Climate Policies Are Colonialism in GreenBlanket bans on fossil-fuel funds will entrench povertyWhy the Climate Panic About Africa Is Wrong (with Todd Moss)Vijaya Ramachandran on Twitter: @vijramachandranHost:Professor Dan Banik, University of Oslo, Twitter: @danbanik  @GlobalDevPod  Host:Dan Banik LinkedInX: @danbanik @GlobalDevPod Subscribe:Apple Spotify YouTubehttps://in-pursuit-of-development.simplecast.com

Nic Cheeseman is Professor of Democracy at the University of Birmingham and was formerly the Director of the African Studies Centre at the University of Oxford. He works on democracy, elections and development, including election rigging, political campaigning, corruption, “fake news” and executive-legislative relations. Nic is the author or editor of ten books, including Democracy in Africa (2015), Institutions and Democracy in Africa (2017), How to Rig an Election (2018), Coalitional Presidentialism in Comparative Perspective (2018), and The Moral Economy of Elections in Africa (2021). Resources:Almost all of Nic's academic articles are available to download for free at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nic-Cheeseman-2 This includes his recent article on democracy in Africa, and the kind of democracy people want:  https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352974495_African_Studies_Keyword_DemocracyAlso see his review of democracy in Africa in 2020: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343713587_The_State_of_Democracy_in_Africa_2020_A_Changing_of_the_Guards_or_A_Change_of_SystemsMany of Bic's blogs on democracy and elections can be found at: https://theconversation.com/profiles/nic-cheeseman-180800/articlesNic's articles and newspaper columns on African politics for the Mail & Guardian newspaper can be found here: https://mg.co.za/author/nic-cheeseman/He also writes a popular column, called "Political Capital", for the Africa Report - you can read it here: https://www.theafricareport.com/in-depth/political-capital/Many  of Nic's pieces, along with those of hundreds of other researchers, can be found on the website that he founded and co-edits: http://democracyinafrica.org/Nic Cheeseman on Twitter: @Fromagehomme  Host:Professor Dan Banik, University of Oslo, Twitter: @danbanik  @GlobalDevPod Host:Dan Banik LinkedInX: @danbanik @GlobalDevPod Subscribe:Apple Spotify YouTubehttps://in-pursuit-of-development.simplecast.com

This year’s Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov for their courageous fight for freedom of expression in the Philippines and Russia. While announcing the award, the Norwegian Nobel Committee highlighted the efforts of these two extraordinary journalists to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.Henrik Urdal is the director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO). Twitter: @h_urdal Host:Professor Dan Banik, University of Oslo, Twitter: @danbanik  @GlobalDevPod Host:Dan Banik LinkedInX: @danbanik @GlobalDevPod Subscribe:Apple Spotify YouTubehttps://in-pursuit-of-development.simplecast.com

Nanjala Nyabola, the Kenya-based writer, advocate, activist and political analyst has written a wonderful new book titled "Travelling While Black: Essays Inspired by a life on the move”. She explore show travel and migration reveal numerous aspects of race, identity politics and culture and why the world order has become hostile to human mobility. In this beautifully written book, Nanjala tackles several important questions: What are the joys and pains of holidays for people of colour, when guidebooks are never written with them in mind? How are black lives today impacted by the othering legacy of colonial cultures and policies? And what can travel tell us about our sense of self, of home, of belonging and identity? Resources:Travelling While Black: Essays Inspired by a Life on the MoveNanjala Nyabola on TwitterHost:Professor Dan Banik, University of Oslo, Twitter: @danbanik  @GlobalDevPod Host:Dan Banik LinkedInX: @danbanik @GlobalDevPod Subscribe:Apple Spotify YouTubehttps://in-pursuit-of-development.simplecast.com

Justin Yifu Lin is the  former Chief Economist of the World Bank. He is one of China’s leading economists and has worked extensively on the industrialization policies of rapidly developing countries. Justin is currently the Dean of the Institute of New Structural Economics at Peking University. At the same university, he is also the Dean of the Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development and Professor and Honorary Dean of the National School of Development. ResourcesWorld Bank names Chinese academic as chief economistWorld Bank archives on Justin LinBeating the Odds: Jump-Starting Developing Countries (Justin Yifu Linand Célestin Monga) Host:Professor Dan Banik, University of Oslo, Twitter: @danbanik  @GlobalDevPodhttps://in-pursuit-of-development.simplecast.com/  Host:Dan Banik LinkedInX: @danbanik @GlobalDevPod Subscribe:Apple Spotify YouTubehttps://in-pursuit-of-development.simplecast.com

Bangladesh has witnessed a remarkable turnaround in recent decades. From being termed as a “basket case” by the American Under Secretary of Political Affairs in 1971, it is now frequently talked of a development success, having achieved fast economic growth and considerable poverty reduction. While Bangladesh’s per capita GDP was the tenth lowest in the world upon independence in 1971 and by 2015, the country had reached lower-middle-income status. Over the past decade, Bangladesh has been one of the fastest growing economies in the world. It has among others benefited from a demographic dividend, strong ready-made garment exports, and stable macroeconomic conditions. While literacy rates have soared, infant mortality has plunged. And Bangladesh is now on track to graduate from the UN’s Least Developed Countries (LDC) list in 2026.Imran Matin studied for a PhD in Economics at the University of Sussex and is the executive director of the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development in Dhaka. He has worked extensively on poverty reduction, financial inclusion, governance, health, and social protection. Imran previously served as a Country Director of the International Growth Centre in Bangladesh.ResourcesNo time for perfection when poor are in dire need of food (op.ed)Need for an Empathetic Understanding of the Migrants’ Issues (op.ed.)Bringing in Citizens’ Voices in Decision Making: The DIMAPPP Experience (op.ed.)Exploring a new governance agenda: What are the questions that matter? (Oxfam blog)Finding out fast about the impact of Covid-19: The need for policy-relevant methodological innovation (journal article, open access)An adaptive governance and health system response for the COVID-19 emergency (journal article, open access)Long-Term Strategies to Control COVID-19 in Low and Middle-Income Countries: An Options Overview of Community-Based, Non-Pharmacological Interventions (journal article, open access)Imran Matin on Twitter Host:Professor Dan Banik, University of Oslo, Twitter: @danbanik  @GlobalDevPodhttps://in-pursuit-of-development.simplecast.com/   Host:Dan Banik LinkedInX: @danbanik @GlobalDevPod Subscribe:Apple Spotify YouTubehttps://in-pursuit-of-development.simplecast.com

Simone Dietrich is an Associate Professor of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Geneva. Her research interests are in International Development, international and comparative political economy and democratization. She is a member of the EGAP network that promotes rigorous knowledge accumulation, innovation, and evidence-based policy across development domains. Prior to her academic career, she was development practitioner in Bosnia and Herzegovina.In her new book States, Markets and Foreign Aid, Simone explores why some donors (e.g. US, UK, Sweden) systematically bypass local authorities in recipient countries while implementing aid projects, while others (such as Germany, France, and Japan) tend to engage and work closely with local authorities. She argues that ideological orientations about the role of the state in donor countries shape the structure of foreign aid bureaucracies and, therefore, influence current aid delivery patterns and how donors approach international development.  Resources:"States, Markets, and Foreign Aid" (Cambridge University Press, 2021)"Elite Experiments: Strengthening Scholarship While Bridging the Gap" (Duck of Minerva, 2021)"From Text to Political Positions on Foreign Aid: Analysis of Aid Mentions in Party Manifestos from  1960 to 2015" (International Studies Quarterly, 2020)"Overseas Credit-Claiming and Domestic Support for Foreign Aid" (Journal of Experimental Political Science, 2019)"Foreign Aid, Foreign Policy, and Domestic Government Legitimacy: Experimental Evidence from Bangladesh" (Journal of Politics, 2018)"Foreign aid can help combat anti-Western sentiment in Bangladesh" (Monkey Cage, Washington Post 2016)For other research on foreign aid and democracy promotion etc please consult Simone Dietrich`s research profile.  Host:Professor Dan Banik, University of Oslo, Twitter: @danbanik  @GlobalDevPodhttps://in-pursuit-of-development.simplecast.com/   Host:Dan Banik LinkedInX: @danbanik @GlobalDevPod Subscribe:Apple Spotify YouTubehttps://in-pursuit-of-development.simplecast.com

Achim Steiner is UNDP Administrator. He has served across the United Nations system. He was the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Nairobi and between 2006-2016 he led the United Nations Environment Programme, where he prioritized investments in clean technologies and renewable energy. Achim has also held other notable positions including Director General of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, and Secretary General of the World Commission on Dams.Achim Steiner- TED Talk : Humanity's planet-shaping powers -- and what they mean for the futureFuture of Development public conversation between Amartya Sen, Nobel Laureate and Professor of Economics and Philosophy, and Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator.  UNDP Future Of Development - YouTubeClimate Promise | United Nations Development Programme (undp.org)UNDP Development Futures Series | United Nations Development ProgrammeHuman Development Reports (undp.org)Hello Future | UNDPTwitter: @AchimSteiner @UNDP Host:Professor Dan Banik, University of Oslo, Twitter: @danbanik  @GlobalDevPodhttps://in-pursuit-of-development.simplecast.com/  Host:Dan Banik LinkedInX: @danbanik @GlobalDevPod Subscribe:Apple Spotify YouTubehttps://in-pursuit-of-development.simplecast.com

Guests:Raya Ahmed is a climate justice defender from Lamu. She holds Bachelor of Science in Development Studies and is the founder of Lamu Women Alliance which is a consortium organizations under Save Lamu, championing climate justice and women’s rights. In 2019, she was awarded the Lamu County Mashujaa by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyata,and the Shujaa Female Activist of the Year Award by MUHURI/ Coast Women’s Magazine.Omar Elmawi is a lawyer who helps communities assert their rights and have their voices heard on various development projects. He coordinates the deCOALonize campaign – a movement that, with the help of community engagement, public activism and legal advocacy, pushes for green and sustainable energy solutions and is opposed to coal-related industrialization in Kenya and the region. He is also the coordinator of the Stop EACOP campaign that is against the construction of the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline. Twitter: @OmarElmawiGino Cocchiaro is the Director of Programmes and Development at Natural Justice, where he previously served as the Director of the Kenya Hub as well as the Director of the Extractives and Infrastructure Programme. He is legally trained and has supported communities to participate in environmental decision-making processes in Southern Africa and Kenya. He was the lead lawyer from Natural Justice against the Lamu coal plant and has worked closely with the communities of Lamu since 2010. Twitter: @GinoCocchiaro Host:Professor Dan Banik, University of Oslo, Twitter: @danbanik  @GlobalDevPodhttps://in-pursuit-of-development.simplecast.com/   Host:Dan Banik LinkedInX: @danbanik @GlobalDevPod Subscribe:Apple Spotify YouTubehttps://in-pursuit-of-development.simplecast.com

Tony Addison is a Professor of Economics, University of Copenhagen in the Development Economics Research Group. He was a Chief Economist and Deputy Director of UNU-WIDER in Helsinki, Finland. He was previously Professor of Development Studies, University of Manchester; Executive Director of the Brooks World Poverty Institute (BWPI), University of Manchester (from 2006-2009); and Associate Director of the Chronic Poverty Research Centre (CPRC).His books include: From Conflict to Recovery in Africa (Oxford University Press), Making Peace Work: The Challenges of Economic and Social Reconstruction (Palgrave Macmillan), and Poverty Dynamics: A Cross-Disciplinary Perspective (Oxford University Press). He was a lead author for The Chronic Poverty Report 2008-09: Escaping Poverty Traps.Extractive Industries: The Management of Resources as a Driver of Sustainable Development (Oxford University Press, 2018, open access book)Twitter: Tony AddisonTwitter: Dan Banik & In Pursuit of Developmenthttps://in-pursuit-of-development.simplecast.com/ Host:Dan Banik LinkedInX: @danbanik @GlobalDevPod Subscribe:Apple Spotify YouTubehttps://in-pursuit-of-development.simplecast.com