ODI | Think Change

Epizodai

• Think Change episode 98: what do clients really think about multilateral development banks? 28.05.2026 35min

  Multilateral development banks (MDBs) are under growing pressure to prove their relevance in a world where development finance is becoming increasingly fragmented, financing needs are rising, and fiscal space is tightening across many countries. Governments are asking these institutions to deliver more finance, more quickly, and with greater efficiency and impact. MDBs are also in the middle of a far-reaching reform agenda – driven through successive G20 presidencies and shareholder processes...
• From donor to partner – what to expect from the Global Partnerships Conference 14.05.2026 41min

  At a moment of fiscal constraint and growing geopolitical fragmentation, international development is being reshaped in real time. This episode of Think Change explores the shift from aid to investment and the growing emphasis on partnerships across governments, development finance institutions, philanthropy, and the private sector. Recorded alongside the Global Partnerships Conference, we bring together four of the conference chairs to answer the following question: are we seeing a mea...
• The UN's glass ceiling – can a woman finally win the race for Secretary-General? 30.04.2026 27min

  Recorded at the Women Deliver conference, this episode of Think Change – produced in partnership with GWL Voices – sets out the stakes for gender equality and multilateralism at a moment of deep geopolitical strain, and asks what the race for the next UN Secretary-General reveals about both. Recent rollbacks on gender rights and climate action are not isolated. They are part of a broader political project that mobilises “traditional values” and divisive narratives to hold onto power, weaken a...
• Food systems in a fractured world – who sets the rules? 16.04.2026 32min

  For years, food systems transformation has been guided by shared global visions, grounded in the idea that sustainable food production and consumption are essential to a resilient, healthy and equitable future. But progress has stalled – and in some places it’s even gone into reverse. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), around 673 million people faced hunger in 2024. More than 2.3 billion experienced moderate or severe food insecurity, and 2.6 billi...
• What’s really “in it” for private investors in emerging markets? 02.04.2026 33min

  Mobilising private capital has become central to development finance and to the future of the International Finance Corporation (World Bank Group) itself. In this episode of Think Change, we unpack what private capital mobilisation actually means in practice, and why it has become such a defining measure of success. We explore the pressures facing the IFC, the changing expectations of global and institutional investors, and what’s really “in it” for the private sector as well as for developme...
• How do wars end? 19.03.2026 43min

  How do wars actually end, and what does it take to make peace lasting and just? What lessons has the world still not learned about how wars end? In collaboration with Conciliation Resources, this episode reflects on what past conflicts can teach us about the pathways out of war, what current wars might tell us about the limits and possibilities of peacemaking today, and how peace processes can be designed to be not only durable but also just and inclusive. Looking ahead, we ask: in a wo...
• Who’s afraid of gender equality? Inside the latest political battleground 05.03.2026 36min

  Across many countries, legislative strategies are increasingly being used to roll back hard-won rights related to gender and bodily autonomy. This International Women's Day, we're asking: what can be done at national and multilateral levels to resist further erosion of sexual and reproductive rights worldwide? This episode explores the political and ideological forces behind the growing politicisation of Women's Sexual Health and Reproductive rights, the weaponisation of gender issues globall...
• Can the G20 fix the global investment disconnect? 19.02.2026 29min

  Why is abundant global capital is not translating into stronger productive investment, and what role the G20 can play in shaping a more resilient and sustainable capital flows framework in an increasingly fragmented global economy? Global finance has demonstrated considerable resilience despite persistent economic uncertainty, geopolitical tension and worsening debt dynamics. Capital flows and investment remain central to economic performance - particularly in emerging and developing economie...
• Beyond rearmament: what does security mean for Europe now? 05.02.2026 28min

  Europe is again confronting war on its continent at a moment when old assumptions and rules about security are breaking down. Alliances feel less certain, deterrence less predictable, and responsibility more contested. Military-first, state-centric models of security are dominating the debate. But this narrow view doesn't capture the overlapping risks shaping the world Europe now faces – from conflicts and humanitarian crises to climate stress, tech disruption and deepening trust between majo...
• Trump 2.0, one year on – how are big powers and smaller states responding? Inside the Indo-Pacific power shift 22.01.2026 32min

  A year into Trump’s second term, guests examine how India, China, Russia and other big powers are recalibrating strategies in a shifting global order. 2026 has already been marked by significant geopolitical upheaval. US military intervention in Latin America points to a wider trend: the return of a world order shaped by hard power, where rules and international law are increasingly sidelined. The international landscape is rapidly evolving. But how are other major powers responding? How is t...
• Davos 2026 – Is impact investing living up to its promise? 08.01.2026 33min

  As global leaders gather in Davos later this month amid shrinking aid budgets and hardening geopolitical priorities, development finance is being recast through the language of investment – raising urgent questions about who shapes this new model, who carries the risk, and who benefits. Development finance is entering a period of profound transition. Traditional aid models are under strain, squeezed by fiscal pressure, political fragmentation and shifting global priorities. In their place, in...
• What trends will shape 2026? 18.12.2025 40min

  After a year of extraordinary upheaval, this special episode looks ahead to the forces set to shape 2026. From deep aid cuts and accelerating AI to renewed geopolitical tension, political violence and humanitarian catastrophe, guests explore what a fractured global landscape means for democracy, development and the future of international cooperation. 2025 has tested the resilience of the international system. Aid budgets have been slashed, debt pressures have mounted across low-income countr...
• How are Sudan’s Emergency Response Rooms rewriting the humanitarian playbook? 04.12.2025 28min

  After one of the most challenging years for the humanitarian system, Sudan offers both a stark warning and a source of new thinking. This episode of Think Change examines how local actors are reshaping aid around solidarity, dignity and community leadership. Sudan’s crisis is unfolding at an extraordinarily difficult moment. Since violence escalated in April 2023, state institutions have collapsed, essential services have disappeared and millions have been displaced. Yet despite the scale of ...
• Algorithms and online misogyny – how do we fix a system built to harm women? 20.11.2025 38min

  Online misogyny is becoming a defining feature of digital life, amplified by algorithms and enabled by platforms that fail to protect users. As violence against women intensifies across online spaces, the stakes for gender equality and for democracy itself have never been higher. Violence online is surging at a moment when digital spaces should be becoming more inclusive. Algorithms reward outrage, platform design obscures abuse, and hostile online communities allow those who target women to ...
• From Baku to Belém – what does success at COP30 look like? 06.11.2025 32min

  World leaders are heading to the Amazonian city of Belém this month for COP30, as Brazil aims to deliver the most consequential climate summit in years. This year’s negotiations come at a difficult moment. Concerns around trade relations and national security are dominating the political landscape, whilst a resurgence of disinformation has also pushed climate to take a back seat. But every five years, the Paris Agreement compels nations to reveal their progress and ambition. Brazil’s CO...
• How do we go from recognition to meaningful statehood and justice for Palestine? 23.10.2025 37min

  This episode examines the shifting landscape of Palestenian statehood as recognition spreads and new peace initiatives test the future of governance and diplomacy. Momentum around Palestinian self-determination is building. Following a landmark summit chaired by Saudi Arabia and France on the margins of last month's UN general Assembly, the UK formally recognised Palestine, with nine other countries soon following suit. At the same time, Donald Trump unveiled a 20-point plan for Gaza, proposi...
• From aid to alliances – how should development cooperation evolve? 09.10.2025 36min

  This episode examines the evolving role of philanthropy in shaping global development cooperation at a time when official aid is under strain. According to the European Network on Debt and Development (Eurodad), global official development assistance (ODA) hit a record $223.7 billion in 2023. But many governments are cutting back under pressure from debt, Covid recovery, and domestic priorities. At the same time, needs are exploding: climate adaptation could cost $300 billion a year by 2030, ...
• From Suffragettes to Palestine Action – who defines legitimate protest? 25.09.2025 33min

  From the suffragette movement and the fight against apartheid to today’s campaigns for climate justice and Palestine, what defines legitimate protest? And who gets to decide? This episode explores the contested politics of protest through history. We examine what happens when legal and political channels for change are blocked, and how states respond when protest challenges entrenched power. As politicians celebrate historic acts of civil disobedience while criminalising modern movements, we ...
• UNGA 80 – what kind of UN does the world need today? 11.09.2025 35min

  The 80th UN General Assembly (UNGA 80) is under way at a time when the UN faces existential challenges. Established 80 years ago to safeguard peace, foster cooperation and uphold the rights and dignity of all people, today the very foundations of the UN’s mission are being tested by various global trends: intensifying geopolitical rivalries, the climate crisis, record levels of forced displacement, eroding trust in multilateralism, and a systematic disregard for international humanitarian law...
• How can high capital costs in low- and middle-income countries be brought down? 28.08.2025 34min

  The soaring cost of capital for many low- and middle-income countries, particularly in Africa, is one of the most urgent and overlooked development challenges. High borrowing costs are hindering vital investments in energy, infrastructure, food security and public services – threatening development progress and deepening global inequality. But this decisive year for Africa could present opportunities for reform. South Africa is hosting the G20 Presidency – a first for an African country – whi...