By Werner Raza / Part of the European Development Policy Outlook Series
The new EU Commission is forcing EU development policy under the yoke of its security strategy. By overestimating its global negotiating power, it risks not only to harm Europe’s long-term interests, but to exacerbate geopolitical tensions.
Continue reading “EU Development Policy in the Security Trap”
By Eyob Balcha Gebremariam
In February 2024, I found myself at a pivotal moment in the academic landscape, attending a regional network launching event of “Africanist researchers” at one of the UK universities. The room was a microcosm of diverse academic, cultural, gender, and racial backgrounds, all converging with a common purpose to establish a network of researchers. The organisers set ambitious objectives, including partnering to co-develop research proposals, recruiting more African students to their respective regional universities, and providing capacity-building support for Africa-based partners. This was the backdrop against which I observed the dynamics of coloniality, power and privilege that underpin such collaborations.
Continue reading “Decolonising International Research Collaborations Requires us to go Beyond the “Ts and Cs Apply” Approach”
By Eija Ranta and Martta Kaskinen / Part of the European Development Policy Outlook Series
The boost in popularity of the populist right-wing Finns party has meant a bumpy ride for Finland’s development affairs. With far-right extremists in the government, Finland’s development aid is plunging. In this blog post, we recall the historical peculiarities of Finland’s path from an aid recipient to becoming an international development donor and shed light on the contemporary challenges and controversies of Finland’s stance to development issues, demonstrating a drastic change to earlier commitments.
Continue reading “Finland’s Development Aid Plunges amid Far-Right Take-Over of Policy Agendas”
By Anisa Muzaffar and Sana Kainat Moyeen
The recent workshop “Unity in Diversity? Reflecting on the Future of Development Studies provided a fascinating platform for debates that brought to life the four broad schools of thought underpinning contemporary Development Studies. The four broad schools of thought referenced here are drawn from a paper by Andy Sumner in the European Journal of Development Research, with the diagram below visualising these respective schools. It was compelling to see how the discussions evolved within these four broad schools, revealing a rich tapestry of perspectives. Despite the diversity of opinions, the conversations underscored the critical importance of these debates in shaping the future of Development Studies discourse.
Continue reading “The Future of Development Studies – Further Discussions Needed”
By Amrita Saikia
In June 2024, the Nagaland state in India’s Northeast held the Urban Local Body (ULB) elections after a gap of two decades. According to reports, out of 278 seats in civic bodies, women won 102 seats. The numbers indicate how women’s quota can pave the way for women into male-dominated political arenas in patriarchal societies. In 2023, two Naga women were elected to the 60-member Nagaland Legislative Assembly for the first time since state formation in 1963, which was hailed as “historic.” These positive developments can be considered major steps in Naga women’s decades of struggle for their constitutional rights.
Continue reading “Women and Women’s Quota in Urban Local Bodies in Nagaland: A Saga of Struggle and Success”
