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, proposing a “Board of Peace” led by Tony Blair to oversee governance, demilitarisation and reconstruction.

With recognition spreading and new peace initiatives on the table, some welcomed, others highly contested - the questions are urgent: What do these developments mean for Palestinian statehood? How can governance be structured to support stability, rights, and accountability? And what is the role of international diplomacy in shaping a just and lasting peace in the region?

Guests:

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI Global
• Nimer Sultany, Reader in Public Law, SOAS University of London
• Nomi Bar-Yaacov, international negotiator, arbitrator and mediator
• Sultan Barakat, Professor in Conflict and Humanitarian Studies, Hamad Bin Khalifa University

Related resources:

• Gaza and the 'day after' – international protection for reconstruction (Expert comment, ODI Global)
• Israel-Gaza crisis (Our topics, ODI Global)
• Stop the siege, stop the starvation – political gestures won't save Gaza (Expert comment, ODI Global)
• Political economy: an antidote to outrage on Gaza (Expert comment, ODI Global)
• Three key takeaways from UNGA 80 (Expert comment, ODI Global)

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, and low-income countries already spend more on debt than on health and education combined.

Philanthropy is being called to step up. But what should that look like? Beyond filling gaps, can foundations help reshape systems themselves – and do so with accountability and long-term impact?

Guests ask what lessons we can take from the Gates Foundation's bold decision to double its annual spending – with a plan to disburse $200 billion over 20 years before closing down. Could it spark a new model of North-South cooperation?

We hear how philanthropy can complement shrinking aid flows, address structural inequalities, and respond to emerging challenges – from climate shocks to pandemics to debt crises in the Global South.

Guests

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI Global
• Alice Albright, Former Chief Executive Officer, Millennium Challenge Corporation
• Gargee Ghosh, President, Global Policy & Advocacy, Gates Foundation
• Alexia Latortue, ODI Global Board Member & Former Assistant Secretary for International Trade and Development, US Treasury Department

Related resources

• Donors in a Post-Aid World (Project, ODI Global)
• What’s next for global cooperation? (Event video, ODI Global)
• Can multilateralism be saved? (Think Change podcast, ODI Global)
• The case for development in 2025: exploring new narratives for aid in the context of the EU’s new strategic agenda (Report, ODI Global)
• The future of aid (Resources hub, ODI Global)
• Climate-responsive social protection: A primer for philanthropy (Report, ODI Global)

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 ask: who gets to decide what counts as legitimate protest – and how will history judge us?

Helen Pankhurst CBE, Chancellor of University of Suffolk and great grand-daughter of iconic suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst, discusses what we can learn from shifting attitudes to protest movements over time. We hear from Chief Executive of Amnesty International UK Sacha Deshmukh, who explains why proscribing Palestine Action sets a dangerous precedent for criminalising peaceful protest. And Kathryn Nwajiaku-Dahou (Director of Politics and Governance programme, ODI Global) assesses how definitions of 'protest' are shaping grassroots movements globally.

Guests

• Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI Global
• Sacha Deshmukh, Chief Executive, Amnesty International UK
• Kathryn Nwajiaku-Dahou, Director of Politics and Governance programme, ODI Global
• Helen Pankhurst CBE, Chancellor of University of Suffolk; Convenor of Centenary Action and Advisor to CARE International