Between the Lines

Social protection for food security and nutrition: A business case 17.06.2026 35min

Social protection is seen as a solution to many problems of development, including poverty, food insecurity and access to services. But we also know that social protection has its limitations. So how do we justify getting Governments to invest in social protection programmes rather than investing in infrastructure or job creation or other services like health and education?In this episode of the IDS Between the Lines podcast, IDS Research Fellows, Kate Pruce, Stephen Devereux and IDS Director of Research Nick Nisbett talk about their new report titled: Social Protection for Food Security and Nutrition: a Business Case published by the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) and World Food Programme (WFP).The discussants argue that while social protection - especially cash transfers - clearly reduces hunger and food insecurity, it does not automatically improve nutrition, which is more complex and requires coordinated action across sectors. Therefore, they put forward a business case for investing in food security - and nutrition‑sensitive social protection.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In conversation with the Hon. Prime Minister of Sri Lanka 27.05.2026 53min

IDS was recently honoured to welcome the Hon. Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Dr Harini Amarasuriya to mark the 60th anniversary of IDS. She shared her journey from her career as an academic and an activist before entering politics and being elected as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka in 2024.In this special episode of the IDS Between the Lines podcast we present the Prime Ministers speech and her discussion with IDS Director Anuradha Joshi. We will also hear from two respondents, IDS Alum, Dr. Sepali Kottegoda and current master’s student Renushi Ubeyratna who will comment on what the Prime Minister said. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Building disability inclusive futures 23.04.2026 51min

Disability is very much part of the human experience, with an estimated 16% of the world’s population experiencing significant disability. Despite this, people with disabilities often remain excluded or underrepresented in development programmes and research.In this new episode of the IDS Between the Lines podcast, researchers - whose articles have been published in the recent IDS Bulletin ‘Building disability inclusive futures’ - shed fresh light on the urgent need for disability‑inclusive development.The episode features journalist and broadcaster Paul Carter who interviews Amba Salelkar, Senior Manager, Programmes and Impact, International Disability Alliance, Dom Haslam, Deputy CEO, Sightsavers and Stephen Thompson, Research Fellow, IDS. Contributors in this podcast hope the IDS Bulletin will serve as both a record of learning and a call to action. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Power and Just Transitions: Struggles for a Post Coal Future in an Appalachian Valley 11.02.2026 41min

A just transition is the fair and inclusive process of moving to a low-carbon, sustainable economy while ensuring workers, communities, and industries in carbon-intensive sectors aren't left behind.This Between the Lines podcast features a conversation between IDS Fellow Rosie McGee and authors John Gaventa and Gabe Schwartzman about their new book, Power and Just Transitions: Struggles for a Post‑Coal Future in an Appalachian Valley. The book examines how power is transformed during energy transitions, using the Clearfork Valley in Appalachia as an in‑depth case study.The discussion demonstrates that energy transitions are fundamentally political, not merely technical shifts from coal to renewables. They raise deep questions about history, ownership, justice, and community agency. By centring the lived experiences of the Clearfork Valley, the podcast illuminates how power is contested, reshaped, and sometimes reclaimed during moments of profound change—offering lessons for communities, policymakers, and activists around the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is Development? 14.01.2026 45min

The term ‘development’ has been central to global conversations for decades, but the way it is understood, practised, and questioned has shifted dramatically. We’re launching our new podcast season by unpacking the evolution of development and tackling the question of what it means in today’s context. In this episode of Between the Lines. IDS External Affairs Officer, Jigyasa Agarwal speaks with Roy Trivedy, former UN Resident Coordinator and UK civil servant; Camille Accolas, ecosystem builder in biodiversity and nature technology; and Emre Yuksek, Senior Advisor at the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency. Their careers span across diplomacy, humanitarian action, policy design, and emerging sustainability sectors.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Equity in research for development 18.12.2025 53min

Creating equity in research collaboration sounds straightforward - but it often isn't. Whilst everyone can agree that splitting the power, resources and benefits between all partners is the right thing to do, there is often difficulty in translating aspirations for “equitable partnerships” into practical action. This can be due to complex factors such as colonial legacies and structural power imbalances in research ecosystems.How can these challenges be overcome? To find out, IDS Director Peter Taylor speaks to Margarita Gómez from Southern Voice and Kaia Ambrose from IDRC.In this Between the Lines podcast they discuss why equity in research collaboration matters and talk about the challenges in achieving it, and practical steps toward action and accountability. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An interview with Haneen Sayed, Lebanon's Minister of Social Affairs 10.12.2025 34min

For the past five years Lebanon has faced crisis upon crisis including; economic collapse, the Beirut Port blast, and Israel’s war. But now the country is entering a new political chapter under a new government, marked by shifts in priorities and a renewed attention to social policy. In this podcast IDS Research Fellow, Philip Proudfoot, interviews Haneen Sayed, Lebanon’s Minister of social affairs who talks about her country’s main issues.  Philip asks the Minister these key questions: After five years of crisis upon crisis, what do you see as Lebanon’s need right now?  How is the new government approaching social protection differently from the government that came before?  Financing is always a challenge, especially with the increasing withdrawal of international support, is this an obstacle or an opportunity?  At the recent second world summit on social development in Doha, the high-level panel made a big push for social protection as a stabilisation mechanism. What might this mean for Lebanon, the social contract, and the building blocks needed to enhance and build it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Debating policy recommendations about inclusive social protection in protracted crises 20.10.2025 40min

Governments need to focus on local practical delivery, and people focused mechanisms, including dignity to deliver more effective social assistance in crisis contexts, experts explain in a new episode of the Between the Lines podcast.In this episode, researchers and policymakers examine why and how and when to use social protection approaches in different crisis contexts so that more effective social assistance can be delivered. This includes examples of Syrian refugees in Lebanon and Jordan.This episode features a combination of researchers, policy makers and practitioners from the IDS-hosted programme Better Assistance in Crisis Research (BASIC) who share findings and recommendations. They comprise:Rachel Slater, consultant from Better Assistance in Crisis Research (BASIC) project;Nadine Khayat, senior lecturer, School of Architecture and Design, Beirut Urban Lab;Julie Lawson McDowall, senior social protection advisor at Save the Children;Charlotte Bilo, child poverty and social protection consultant, UNICEF.The discussion looks into detail about a particular theme of basic research – and that it is how in these really difficult crisis settings (with examples of Syrian refugees in Lebanon) we can make social protection more inclusive. The second thing they focused on is how we talk about policy implications of basic research. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Breaking the silence on caste in academia 26.08.2025 54min

Caste isn’t just a South Asian issue — it shapes who speaks, who listens, and who is heard in academic and development spaces worldwide. In this episode of Between the Lines, we confront how caste hierarchies continue to influence the production of knowledge, access to opportunity, and the experience of being in higher education.Hosted by Chandni Sai Ganesh, MA Gender and Development alum at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), this conversation brings together anti-caste scholars and activists Aarti Rajput, Ritu Kochar, and Priyanka Samy. They speak about the silences, exclusions, and resistances that define their journeys in the UK and global academic contexts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Between roles: Mother, student, or self? 23.07.2025 48min

What does it mean to navigate motherhood while pursuing a postgraduate degree? How do students balance identity, care, and academia in a world not built with them in mind?In this IDS Between the Lines podcast, MA Gender and Development (GAD) students Patronela Tshuma, Chaltu Merera Fana, and Akinyi Ochieng’ speak about their journeys as mothers pursuing higher education. Hosted by Akinyi Ochieng, the episode delves into personal stories of motivation, cultural expectations, identity conflicts, and the transformative power of education. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dignity in development 26.06.2025 44min

The development sector proclaims that it values dignity. Yet it often breaks this promise, with people leaving encounters with charities feeling bruised and unseen. In this podcast, drawn from a recent lecture at IDS, research fellow Marina Apgar is in conversation with Tom Wein from the IDinsight Dignity Initiative who examines dignity as a core value around the world.Drawing on his in-progress research for his future book Lives of Dignity, Tom explores how dignity serves as both a universal human value and a practical principle for improving development outcomes and offers compelling evidence that dignity matters deeply to people worldwide. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The empathy fix: Why poverty persists and how to change it 30.04.2025 46min

A poverty line of $6.85 a day, as used by the World Bank, indicates a substantial level of deprivation, impacting the lives of billions globally. Indeed, nearly half of the World’s population falls into this category. So, if poverty is something we all want to see less of, why does it prove so difficult to tackle and can empathy help fix it?In this podcast, IDS Research Fellow Stephen Devereux is in conversation with Keetie Roelen, Senior Research Fellow from the Open University and an IDS Research Associate who talks about her book, The Empathy Fix: Why Poverty Persists and How to Change it.In the podcast, Keetie exposes the realities of poverty – with examples from the Global North and South – and reveals why current policies don’t work.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Humanitarian diplomacy in a world gone mad 31.03.2025 30min

Humanitarian diplomacy is a broad landscape and possibly one with internal contradictions. For example, traditionally humanitarian agencies have sought to distance themselves from mediation and human rights activism. The concept of humanitarian diplomacy requires at least an end to these silos. But how is the distance to be managed?In this special podcast – recorded at a recent Sussex Development Lecture – Lewis Sida, IDS Honorary Associate and Co-Director of the IDS-led Humanitarian Learning Centre is in conversation with Martin Griffiths, former Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator of the United Nations. Martin brings extensive experience as a global mediator and his work has made him a key figure in humanitarian diplomacy.In this podcast Martin presents his own definition of the concept which includes: independent and principled mediation to end conflicts; humanitarian negotiation for access and protection; and advocacy against impunity and violations of international humanitarian law.This podcast is a must-listen for those working and studying in humanitarian issues – particularly in today’s global climate where conflict continues and humanitarian advocacy is needed more than ever. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Strategies for building solidarities for gender justice 05.03.2025 44min

Significant progress on gender equality has been made in past decades, but in recent years gender and sexual rights have become increasingly under threat from a global wave of backlash.In this special podcast to celebrate International Women’s Day, IDS Fellow Deepta Chopra is in conversation with gender experts Myriam Sfeir, Director of the Arab Institute for Women at the Lebanese American University in Beirut and Aisha Lai, Liberian Country Director of the Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation.In the podcast, they discuss the rollback of gender justice, the backlash they have faced in their own work, and the strategies that we can use to counter these challenges.This podcast is a must-listen for researchers, policymakers and students with an interest in gender rights and for those that advocate for building solidarities for gender justice as a primary tactic to counter the rising backlash. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Evidence for hope: The emerging sustainability revolution 30.01.2025 47min

Understanding and advancing how evidence can be used to inform decisions to improve people’s lives is a crucial priority for IDS. This is especially important for evidence-led solutions that need to balance between social, economic, and environmental domains to achieve sustainability.In this podcast James Georgalakis, Director of Evidence and Impact at IDS is in conversation with Rob D. van den Berg, Visiting Professor at King’s College, London who talks about his new book Evidence for Hope: The Emerging Sustainability Revolution. Rob, who has worked as independent evaluator in international development for decades, advocates in the podcast that evaluative evidence should be more widely used as it provides a rich source for solutions of sustainability problems. He also notes that we are on the verge of a sustainability revolution that will happen regardless of current-day populist movements: these two factors are the Evidence for Hope that Rob sees. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Navigating uncertainty: Radical rethinking for a turbulent World 17.12.2024 58min

In this podcast IDS Research Fellow Shilpi Srivastava is in conversation with Professor Ian Scoones who talks about the issues in his new book Navigating uncertainty: Radical rethinking for a turbulent World.In the podcast Ian argues that we need to adjust our modernist, controlling view and to develop new approaches, including some reclaimed and adapted from previous times or different cultures. This requires a radical rethinking of policies, institutions and practices for successfully navigating uncertainties in an increasingly turbulent world.This podcast is a must-listen for researchers, policymakers and advocates about the role uncertainty plays in a shifting, uncertain, and volatile global context. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Reimagining Social Protection 14.11.2024 54min

Social protection features in numerous country policies and development agency strategies, as well as in several Sustainable Development Goals. However, following more than two decades of considerable expansion in policies, programmes, and research, the sector finds itself at a crossroads. In this podcast Rachel Sabates-Wheeler, IDS Research Fellow and one of the editors of the recent IDS Bulletin Reimagining Social Protection is in conversation with social protection experts Charis Reid (International Labour Organization), Jeremy Seekings (University of Cape Town) and Maria Kuss (UNICEF).Drawing on key insights and lessons, they speak on why Social Protection is such an important issue in development, particularly in the Global South. Given that Social protection coverage recently passed 50 percent for the first time, but almost half the world’s population, (some 3.8 billion people) still have no access, what needs to be prioritised to ensure that we do not lose momentum on increasing social protection coverage globally? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 24-hour Risk City: Lessons from Nairobi and Karachi 15.10.2024 58min

In this podcast we look at the research findings from the IDS-partnered project The 24-Hour Risk City: A Framework for Thinking About Building Infrastructures of Climate Repair in Nairobi and Karachi. The project aims to investigate, explore and understand the relationship between urban change and intensifying climate impacts as this generates new cycles of “24-hour risks” in the urban global south.Chairing the podcast is Joe Mulligan, Executive Director and Founding Principal, Kounkuey Design Initiative. In the podcast he talks to researchers: Nirmal Riaz, Senior Research Associate, Karachi Urban Lab at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) and Christine Wandera, Senior Community Associate, Kounkuey Design Initiative.The guests talk about the how research from Nairobi and Karachi points to the opportunities to build resilient infrastructures in ways that strengthen and support community networks for the future.Related publication.The 24-Hour Risk City: A Framework for Thinking About Building Infrastructures of Climate Repair in Nairobi and Karachi Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What are the benefits of long-term research funding 31.07.2024 51min

In this episode of the IDS Between the Lines podcast we look at an ‘accompanied’ approach to sustaining poverty reduction through long-term research. It focuses on work undertaken by the IDS-hosted Chronic Poverty Advisory Network (CPAN) in Zambia, and draws on insights from the project’s funder – the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and partners from the World Bank and researchers in Zambia.Leading the podcast is Vidya Diwakar, Deputy Director of the Chronic Poverty Advisory Network. In the podcast she talks to:Joseph Simbaya, a Research Fellow and Director of the Institute of Economic and Social Research at the University of Zambia who talks about the project research findings and what was the problem this piece of research was trying to solve.Makda Abebe, Senior social protection specialist at the World Bank about her earlier work with FCDO especially in Ethiopia and Zambia. Makda talks on what makes this type of long-term collaboration around poverty reduction evidence and policy engagement worth it and how can it best be replicated, if it is sufficiently valuable?Leah Gaffney, Social Development Advisor, FCDO. Leah talks on what she values most in this research and how can this knowledge about poverty dynamics be used to shape development thinking? The three speakers all offer a different slant on the benefits of being with a project for a long period of time, speaking from their point of view as either a researcher, project partner or funder. This podcast is essential listening on how we can learn from long-term research funding for creating a more sustainable and equitable world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ebola: How a people's science helped end an epidemic 27.06.2024 48min

In this episode of the IDS Between the Lines podcast IDS Research Officer Catherine Grant from the IDS-led Pandemic Preparedness project talks to Paul Richards an anthropologist with over forty-five years' experience of living and working in West Africa and author of the book Ebola: How a People’s Science Helped End an Epidemic. In the podcast and drawing on extensive first-hand experiences in Sierra Leone, Paul and Catherine discuss that the international community’s panicky response failed to take account of local expertise and common sense.Crucially, they discuss that the humanitarian response to the disease was most effective in those areas where it supported these initiatives and that it hampered recovery when it ignored or disregarded local knowledge. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.