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.

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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.

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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.

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