Natasha Chabbra

Australia has a proud history of supporting people affected by crises. It has been a champion for the rights of women and girls, led the charge on disability inclusion, and been a steadfast supporter of disaster affected countries around the world. But as the global humanitarian landscape shifts, Australia must realign its strategy to ensure it continues to reach the people in greatest need. Humanitarian crises are today driven overwhelmingly by conflict and violence, and the persistent gap between needs and funding demands all governments increase their support to better respond to the most pressing global challenges. Right now, the situation on the ground in the humanitarian space is not positive. There are more displaced people than ever, the toll of conflict and violence on civilians is high, and the globe is facing the greatest food crisis in modern history. Needs have escalated dramatically, around 70 per cent over the past three or four years. ACFID's Humanitarian Advisor Natasha Chabbra joins Jess to give a picture of how targeted humanitarian action helps those most in need.

Australia has a proud history of supporting people affected by crises. It has been a champion for the rights of women and girls, led the charge on disability inclusion, and been a steadfast supporter of disaster affected countries around the world. But as the global humanitarian landscape shifts, Australia must realign its strategy to ensure it continues to reach the people in greatest need. Humanitarian crises are today driven overwhelmingly by conflict and violence, and the persistent gap between needs and funding demands all governments increase their support to better respond to the most pressing global challenges. Right now, the situation on the ground in the humanitarian space is not positive. There are more displaced people than ever, the toll of conflict and violence on civilians is high, and the globe is facing the greatest food crisis in modern history. Needs have escalated dramatically, around 70 per cent over the past three or four years. ACFID's Humanitarian Advisor Natasha Chabbra joins Jess to give a picture of how targeted humanitarian action helps those most in need.

Episode 8: Humans of Humanitarian with Natasha Chabbra

Sandra Hamid

Australia is recognising the importance and relevance of Southeast Asia, with a DFAT Office of Southeast Asia and a standalone Southeast Asia Economic Strategy in the works. ODA reflects this region as a priority, with an additional $470m announced in the October 2022 budget for it. But beyond dollars, there are some very real and practical ways of engaging with Southeast Asia. Sandra Hamid, who is based in Jakarta, served as the Indonesian country representative to The Asia Foundation. She says that engaging with and promoting civil society is absolutely key. She also points out that Australia can, and should, harness the skills and knowledge of locally-employed staff in its embassies and high commissions in Asia. Sandra speaks with Rachel in the penultimate episode of Reimagining Development about why Australia has a pivotal role to play in harnessing civil society, particularly in Indonesia.

Australia is recognising the importance and relevance of Southeast Asia, with a DFAT Office of Southeast Asia and a standalone Southeast Asia Economic Strategy in the works. ODA reflects this region as a priority, with an additional $470m announced in the October 2022 budget for it. But beyond dollars, there are some very real and practical ways of engaging with Southeast Asia. Sandra Hamid, who is based in Jakarta, served as the Indonesian country representative to The Asia Foundation. She says that engaging with and promoting civil society is absolutely key. She also points out that Australia can, and should, harness the skills and knowledge of locally-employed staff in its embassies and high commissions in Asia. Sandra speaks with Rachel in the penultimate episode of Reimagining Development about why Australia has a pivotal role to play in harnessing civil society, particularly in Indonesia.

Episode 7: On Southeast Asia, with Sandra Hamid

Kristy Graham

The private sector is increasingly becoming a player in the development space. Whether through the provision of grants or becoming directly involved in the provision of essential services or investments in sustainability, the private sector has an increasing interest in stepping into a space that has been traditionally occupied by NGOs. How can for-profits and not-for-profits meet in the middle? Is it always just about the greater good? And how can private or blended finance help us to meet the Sustainable Development Goals?   The Australian Sustainable Finance Insitute (ASFI) was set up to help better align finance with development needs and goals. The institute is headed by Kristy Graham, who spent many years at DFAT, and before that AusAID, working primarily in development finance and climate finance.   In this episode of 'Reimagining Development', Kristy joins Jess and Rachel to discuss how private finance can be leveraged and delivered to meet development goals.   www.asfi.org.au   *ASFI was established in 2021. In the podcast, you'll note that we say 'last year'. That's because this was recorded at the tail end of 2022, so isn't quite correct.

The private sector is increasingly becoming a player in the development space. Whether through the provision of grants or becoming directly involved in the provision of essential services or investments in sustainability, the private sector has an increasing interest in stepping into a space that has been traditionally occupied by NGOs. How can for-profits and not-for-profits meet in the middle? Is it always just about the greater good? And how can private or blended finance help us to meet the Sustainable Development Goals? The Australian Sustainable Finance Insitute (ASFI) was set up to help better align finance with development needs and goals. The institute is headed by Kristy Graham, who spent many years at DFAT, and before that AusAID, working primarily in development finance and climate finance. In this episode of 'Reimagining Development', Kristy joins Jess and Rachel to discuss how private finance can be leveraged and delivered to meet development goals. <a href="http://www.asfi.org.au" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.asfi.org.au</a> *ASFI was established in 2021. In the podcast, you'll note that we say 'last year'. That's because this was recorded at the tail end of 2022, so isn't quite correct.

Episode 6: How to Spend It, Private Sector Style, with Kristy Graham, ASFI

John Capper

In so many ways, New Zealand is nimble, creative and progressive. For that reason, looking across the ditch for ideas and inspiration is of great benefit to Australia - in this case, in how to redesign a development program that is fit for purpose. New Zealand underwent a development program review, and its International Cooperation for Effective Sustainable Development policy came into effect in late 2019, which reaffirmed its primary focus as the Pacific. How did they get there? One person who was intimately involved in the formulation of the policy was John Capper. Formerly of MFAT - New Zealand's office of foreign affairs and trade - John now works in the private sector, at Martin Jenkins. In the latest episode of 'Reimagining Development', John tells Rachel and Jess about the restructure and new policy directions, how Maori culture is informing foreign policy and why, when it comes to creating positive workplace culture, it's all about "the vibe".

In so many ways, New Zealand is nimble, creative and progressive. For that reason, looking across the ditch for ideas and inspiration is of great benefit to Australia - in this case, in how to redesign a development program that is fit for purpose. New Zealand underwent a development program review, and its International Cooperation for Effective Sustainable Development policy came into effect in late 2019, which reaffirmed its primary focus as the Pacific. How did they get there? One person who was intimately involved in the formulation of the policy was John Capper. Formerly of MFAT - New Zealand's office of foreign affairs and trade - John now works in the private sector, at Martin Jenkins. In the latest episode of 'Reimagining Development', John tells Rachel and Jess about the restructure and new policy directions, how Maori culture is informing foreign policy and why, when it comes to creating positive workplace culture, it's all about "the vibe".

Episode 5: Looking Across The Ditch with John Capper

Maho Laveil

Papua New Guinea is one of Australia's closest neighbours, and receives one of the largest shares of our development assistance. It is a country that many Australians have had connections with over the decades - but it still feels far away in the experiences of most of us. It's a shame as PNG is a fascinating history, full of incredibly kind, hospitable and deeply resilient people. As a country it has more than its fair share of problems, including issues around governance, COVID, education and literacy, violence against women and corruption.Maholopa Laveil is an economist and a lecturer in economics at the University of Papua New Guinea, currently in Australia holding the FDC Fellowship at the Lowy Institute. This episode, Maho joins Rachel and Jess to discuss why he's hopful for the future, how PNG and Australia can most effectively collaborate - and why PNG needs a properly conducted census, for once and for all.

Papua New Guinea is one of Australia's closest neighbours, and receives one of the largest shares of our development assistance. It is a country that many Australians have had connections with over the decades - but it still feels far away in the experiences of most of us. It's a shame as PNG is a fascinating history, full of incredibly kind, hospitable and deeply resilient people. As a country it has more than its fair share of problems, including issues around governance, COVID, education and literacy, violence against women and corruption. Maholopa Laveil is an economist and a lecturer in economics at the University of Papua New Guinea, currently in Australia holding the FDC Fellowship at the Lowy Institute. This episode, Maho joins Rachel and Jess to discuss why he's hopful for the future, how PNG and Australia can most effectively collaborate - and why PNG needs a properly conducted census, for once and for all.

Episode 4: Partnering in the Pacific with Maho Laveil

Joe Morrison

2023 holds enormous potential when it comes to Indigenous relations in Australia. With a referendum looming, there are great hopes that the role and status of Indigenous people and knowledge will be elevated significantly. Most of the discussion is focusing on how this will happen domestically, but there are moves afoot to incorporate Indigenous culture into the foreign sphere also. Foreign Minister Penny Wong has asserted taht she wants Australia to move towards a First Nations-led foreign policy, and work towards enacting that is underway. Joe Morrison, CEO of the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation, has a long background in working in indigenous affairs, and has written extensively on foreign policy. He joins Jess and Rachel to discuss how traditional and cultural perspectives and practices can be used elsewhere, how they can interact with the commercial sector, and just what opportunities exist to boost our indigenous interconnectivity can cross borders and seas. https://www.ilsc.gov.au https://www.firesticks.org.au

2023 holds enormous potential when it comes to Indigenous relations in Australia. With a referendum looming, there are great hopes that the role and status of Indigenous people and knowledge will be elevated significantly. Most of the discussion is focusing on how this will happen domestically, but there are moves afoot to incorporate Indigenous culture into the foreign sphere also. Foreign Minister Penny Wong has asserted taht she wants Australia to move towards a First Nations-led foreign policy, and work towards enacting that is underway. Joe Morrison, CEO of the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation, has a long background in working in indigenous affairs, and has written extensively on foreign policy. He joins Jess and Rachel to discuss how traditional and cultural perspectives and practices can be used elsewhere, how they can interact with the commercial sector, and just what opportunities exist to boost our indigenous interconnectivity can cross borders and seas. <a href="https://www.ilsc.gov.au" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.ilsc.gov.au</a> <a href="https://www.firesticks.org.au" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.firesticks.org.au</a>

Episode 3: More than a Voice with Joe Morrison

Pat Conroy

New government, new policy directions. Since gaining office, the Albanese Government has signalled that it’s intent on drawing a line and starting afresh. This includes the development space, with not one, but two reviews of policy currently underway, for development and development finance.The Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Minister Pat Conroy, spoke to Rachel and Jess for the second episode of Reimagining Development. In it, he spells out his vision for how the intenational development program can and should evolve: everything from putting people at the heart of development, to how to work with Pacific partners. He also drops hints about how he would like to see DFAT better integrate development practice – and it’s a big one! Tune in for a scintillating listen – one that is in equal parts inspiring and illuminating about our new International Development Minister’s vision for his portfolio.

New government, new policy directions. Since gaining office, the Albanese Government has signalled that it’s intent on drawing a line and starting afresh. This includes the development space, with not one, but two reviews of policy currently underway, for development and development finance. The Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Minister Pat Conroy, spoke to Rachel and Jess for the second episode of Reimagining Development. In it, he spells out his vision for how the intenational development program can and should evolve: everything from putting people at the heart of development, to how to work with Pacific partners. He also drops hints about how he would like to see DFAT better integrate development practice – and it’s a big one! Tune in for a scintillating listen – one that is in equal parts inspiring and illuminating about our new International Development Minister’s vision for his portfolio.

Episode 2: The DNA of Development with Minister Pat Conroy

Thenu Herath CEO

'Reimagining Development: Conversations on the new development policy' is a joint initiative between Good Will Hunters and the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID), Australia's peak body for the international aid and development sector. It is hosted by Rachel Mason Nunn, founder of GWH, and Jessica Mackenzie, Chief Policy Officer at ACFID. In the first episode of our latest series of Good Will Hunters, the CEO of youth-focused NGO Oaktree, Thenu Herath, tells Jess and Rachel about why young people are special - and need to have special provisions in policy to reflect this. She also tells us about the benefits that young people bring to the table and how Oaktree is working to harness this. "We need to work with the demographic dividend that we have, and with the youth bulge [in the Asia Pacific region],” said Thenu. Is that happening? What needs to change to make it happen? Thenu answers these questions and more.Thenu Herath is the CEO of Oaktree, a non-profit that supports young people champion sustainable development in the Indo-Pacific. Alongside her role at Oaktree, Thenu is also a Global Shaper at the World Economic Forum and was named a YAIA Young Woman to Watch in International Affairs in 2022. She has a degree in politics and international studies and is currently completing her Juris Doctor at the University of Melbourne. https://www.oaktree.org

'Reimagining Development: Conversations on the new development policy' is a joint initiative between Good Will Hunters and the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID), Australia's peak body for the international aid and development sector. It is hosted by Rachel Mason Nunn, founder of GWH, and Jessica Mackenzie, Chief Policy Officer at ACFID. In the first episode of our latest series of Good Will Hunters, the CEO of youth-focused NGO Oaktree, Thenu Herath, tells Jess and Rachel about why young people are special - and need to have special provisions in policy to reflect this. She also tells us about the benefits that young people bring to the table and how Oaktree is working to harness this. "We need to work with the demographic dividend that we have, and with the youth bulge [in the Asia Pacific region],” said Thenu. Is that happening? What needs to change to make it happen? Thenu answers these questions and more. Thenu Herath is the CEO of Oaktree, a non-profit that supports young people champion sustainable development in the Indo-Pacific. Alongside her role at Oaktree, Thenu is also a Global Shaper at the World Economic Forum and was named a YAIA Young Woman to Watch in International Affairs in 2022. She has a degree in politics and international studies and is currently completing her Juris Doctor at the University of Melbourne. <a href="https://www.oaktree.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.oaktree.org</a>

Episode 1: The Youth Bulge with Thenu Herath CEO, Oaktree

Welcome to the third episode in our three part-series recorded at Ozwater 2022, hosted by Michael Wilson and Rosie Wheen on the ground at the conference, and myself, Rachel Mason Nunn. These interviews were recorded on Turrbal and Jagera Country. I join with Michael and Rosie in acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land that we record these episodes on. We pay our respects to Turrbal and Jagera elders past, present and emerging. In this interview you’ll hear from Roch Cheroux, Managing Director of Sydney Water, discussing the SDGs and overcoming our contemporary water challenges;  and Brooke O’Donnell, Team Leader, Aboriginal Heritage and Native Title in the Water Corporation, Western Australia, on her introduction to the water sector.This brings us to the end of our Ozwater journey. We’d love to hear your insights, now. Please let us know your thoughts via social media.  Enjoy the episode,RachelLINKS:Roch’s Bio: https://www.careers.sydneywater.com.au/t/roch-cheroux Water Corporation, WA: https://www.watercorporation.com.auAWP: https://waterpartnership.org.auWaterAid Australia: https://www.wateraid.org/au/

Welcome to the third episode in our three part-series recorded at Ozwater 2022, hosted by Michael Wilson and Rosie Wheen on the ground at the conference, and myself, Rachel Mason Nunn. These interviews were recorded on Turrbal and Jagera Country. I join with Michael and Rosie in acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land that we record these episodes on. We pay our respects to Turrbal and Jagera elders past, present and emerging. In this interview you’ll hear from Roch Cheroux, Managing Director of Sydney Water, discussing the SDGs and overcoming our contemporary water challenges; and Brooke O’Donnell, Team Leader, Aboriginal Heritage and Native Title in the Water Corporation, Western Australia, on her introduction to the water sector. This brings us to the end of our Ozwater journey. We’d love to hear your insights, now. Please let us know your thoughts via social media.  Enjoy the episode, Rachel LINKS: Roch’s Bio: <a href="https://www.careers.sydneywater.com.au/t/roch-cheroux" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.careers.sydneywater.com.au/t/roch-cheroux</a> Water Corporation, WA: <a href="https://www.watercorporation.com.au" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.watercorporation.com.au</a> AWP: <a href="https://waterpartnership.org.au" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://waterpartnership.org.au</a> WaterAid Australia: <a href="https://www.wateraid.org/au/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.wateraid.org/au/</a>

Water for Development @ Ozwater 2022 - Part 3

Welcome to the second in our three part-series recorded at Ozwater 2022, hosted by Michael Wilson and Rosie Wheen on the ground at the conference, and myself, Rachel Mason Nunn. These interviews were recorded on Turrbal and Jagera Country. I join with Michael and Rosie in acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land that we record these episodes on. We pay our respects to Turrbal and Jagera elders past, present and emerging. In this interview you’ll hear from Beata Sochacka, PhD researcher at the University of Queensland, discussing the importance of urban water management for liveability; Dr Bek Christensen, Program Director, The Peter Cullen Water and Environment Trust, discussing the work of the Trust and the next generation of water leaders; and Kate Maddy, Engagement Lead at Melbourne Metropolitan Urban Water and System Strategy and Lisa Hocking, Policy and Program Manager at Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation, on their partnership and work with communities on water management.  We’ll be back tomorrow with the third instalment in our three part series. Enjoy the episode,RachelLINKS:Beata Sochacka recent papers: https://acweb.uq.edu.au/profile/231/beata-sochacka The Peter Cullen Trust team: https://www.petercullentrust.org.au/our-people/Melbourne Water System Strategy: https://www.melbournewater.com.au/about/strategies-and-reports/melbourne-water-system-strategy

Welcome to the second in our three part-series recorded at Ozwater 2022, hosted by Michael Wilson and Rosie Wheen on the ground at the conference, and myself, Rachel Mason Nunn. These interviews were recorded on Turrbal and Jagera Country. I join with Michael and Rosie in acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land that we record these episodes on. We pay our respects to Turrbal and Jagera elders past, present and emerging. In this interview you’ll hear from Beata Sochacka, PhD researcher at the University of Queensland, discussing the importance of urban water management for liveability; Dr Bek Christensen, Program Director, The Peter Cullen Water and Environment Trust, discussing the work of the Trust and the next generation of water leaders; and Kate Maddy, Engagement Lead at Melbourne Metropolitan Urban Water and System Strategy and Lisa Hocking, Policy and Program Manager at Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation, on their partnership and work with communities on water management.  We’ll be back tomorrow with the third instalment in our three part series.  Enjoy the episode, Rachel LINKS: Beata Sochacka recent papers: <a href="https://acweb.uq.edu.au/profile/231/beata-sochacka" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://acweb.uq.edu.au/profile/231/beata-sochacka</a> The Peter Cullen Trust team: <a href="https://www.petercullentrust.org.au/our-people/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.petercullentrust.org.au/our-people/</a> Melbourne Water System Strategy: <a href="https://www.melbournewater.com.au/about/strategies-and-reports/melbourne-water-system-strategy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.melbournewater.com.au/about/strategies-and-reports/melbourne-water-system-strategy</a>

Water for Development @Ozwater 2022 - Part 2

Join us as Rachel Mason Nunn explores the nuanced world of international development by talking to experts and game-changers whose voices and work are critical to radically transforming the sector and our communities for the better. Listen in and be prepared to hear from incredible people who push us to rethink international development, and how we can create meaningful and long-lasting change.

Good Will Hunters

Lant Pritchett

LEAD

Welcome to Episode 67 of Good Will Hunters from the Development Policy Centre. Today’s guest is Lant Pritchett. Lant is described as a ‘Rock Star’ of the aid world. He is an American development economist, famous for challenging contemporary beliefs on development. Lant recently spoke at the Australasian Aid Conference, hosted by the Development Policy Centre, on why great intentions and great policies don’t always lead to great outcomes - he speaks about the importance of contextualising development approaches, or in other words, why we all can’t just adopt Finland’s education policies. What works in one spot, may fail to work in another, if it doesn’t account for the real, lived experience of locals and the nuances of the social, economic and political system - it sounds rather obvious - we’d all agree that development approaches need to be relevant for the local context - but it doesn’t always play out in practice. Lant’s views are challenging, and often controversial, and he delivers each point with his characteristic humour and light-heartedness, which made for a fun conversation.Once again, this episode is from the Development Policy Centre, a leading think tank for aid and development based at the Australian National University. We’re thrilled to be working with the Development Policy Centre, and continuing to be the leading media platform dedicated to aid and development globally. The Development Policy Centre is hosting the Pacific Update from 24-26 June in Fiji, and the PNG Update from 20 - 21 August in Port Moresby. I’ll be attending both conferences, and hope to see many of you there! Abstracts are now open for both conferences, so we’d love you to submit a paper on a topic relevant to aid and development, and hopefully share your ideas and experience with our community! You can find more info at devepolicy.anu.edu.auEnjoy,The GWH Team

Welcome to Episode 67 of Good Will Hunters from the Development Policy Centre. Today’s guest is Lant Pritchett. Lant is described as a ‘Rock Star’ of the aid world. He is an American development economist, famous for challenging contemporary beliefs on development. Lant recently spoke at the Australasian Aid Conference, hosted by the Development Policy Centre, on why great intentions and great policies don’t always lead to great outcomes - he speaks about the importance of contextualising development approaches, or in other words, why we all can’t just adopt Finland’s education policies. What works in one spot, may fail to work in another, if it doesn’t account for the real, lived experience of locals and the nuances of the social, economic and political system - it sounds rather obvious - we’d all agree that development approaches need to be relevant for the local context - but it doesn’t always play out in practice. Lant’s views are challenging, and often controversial, and he delivers each point with his characteristic humour and light-heartedness, which made for a fun conversation. Once again, this episode is from the Development Policy Centre, a leading think tank for aid and development based at the Australian National University. We’re thrilled to be working with the Development Policy Centre, and continuing to be the leading media platform dedicated to aid and development globally. The Development Policy Centre is hosting the Pacific Update from 24-26 June in Fiji, and the PNG Update from 20 - 21 August in Port Moresby. I’ll be attending both conferences, and hope to see many of you there! Abstracts are now open for both conferences, so we’d love you to submit a paper on a topic relevant to aid and development, and hopefully share your ideas and experience with our community! You can find more info at <a href="http://devepolicy.anu.edu.au" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">devepolicy.anu.edu.au</a> Enjoy, The GWH Team

Lant Pritchett - Why do good intentions and good policies lead to bad outcomes?

Welcome to Episode 66 of Good Will Hunters, from the Development Policy Centre. Today’s guest is Virisila Buadromo. Virisila is a Pacific feminist and political activist, who co-leads the Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights for Asia and the Pacific, which is a rapid grant making facility to support female-identifying activists who need urgent assistance. Prior to joining the Urgent Action Fund, Virisila was at the helm of the Fiji Women’s Rights Movement for 14 years. Virisila recently presented at the Australian Aid Conference, on the topic of donor funding for women and girls throughout the Pacific. She also appeared on Q&amp;A in November 2019, alongside former guests of this program, Minister for International Development and the Pacific Alex Hawke and the Honourable Enele Sopoaga, former Prime Minister of Tuvalu. In this episode, Virisila and I discuss human rights in Fiji, and whether climate change is used to deflect scrutiny away from other issues, including the treatment of women, girls and marginalised groups. There is very little media coverage of human rights issues in Pacific Island Countries, in particular in Fiji. Rather, when we discuss matters affecting Pacific Islands, we almost exclusively discuss climate change. But, climate change is a vulnerability multiplier, meaning any social issues that already existing will only be made worse as the climate crisis intensifies - in the case of Fiji, this is a worsening of the situation of women and girls. But, Virisila and her colleagues tackle the issue everyday, and most recently published a paper on why donors are giving so little to local women’s organisations in the region, and why the same organisations are struggle to manage the stringent accountability requirements of donors. But the money is urgently needed, as you’ll hear in this episode.We also discuss conflicting notions of feminism, the fake news epidemic and imposter syndrome, plus ways to create platforms that allow other people to speak their truth, in particular non-English speaking women in the region. This is an important episode and will shine a light on some heavy issues, that require more reporting - I know we’re inly skimming the surface but I’m eager to share these insights with you and spark an important conversation. You will have heard me say at the outset of this episode, that Good Will Hunters was being presented from the Development Policy Centre. Many of you would know that the Development Policy Centre is in the Crawford School of Public Policy in the Australian National University. It is a leading global think-tank supporting the international development community, by undertaking research and promoting practical initiatives to improve the effectiveness of Australian Aid and contributing to better global development policy. We’re so excited to be entering into this partnership, to further strengthen dialogue and research on aid and development in Australia, and give voice to more experts from throughout the region. You’ll be hearing more about the partnership and the Development Policy Centre in the coming weeks, and I welcome your input on how we can continue to be the leading media platform dedicated to aid and development, globally.Links:Urgent Action Fund for Asia and Pacific: https://www.uafanp.orgThe Development Policy Centre: https://devpolicy.orgQANDA Pacific: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izIVV6cDBms Enjoy,The GWH Team

Welcome to Episode 66 of Good Will Hunters, from the Development Policy Centre. Today’s guest is Virisila Buadromo. Virisila is a Pacific feminist and political activist, who co-leads the Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights for Asia and the Pacific, which is a rapid grant making facility to support female-identifying activists who need urgent assistance. Prior to joining the Urgent Action Fund, Virisila was at the helm of the Fiji Women’s Rights Movement for 14 years. Virisila recently presented at the Australian Aid Conference, on the topic of donor funding for women and girls throughout the Pacific. She also appeared on Q&amp;A in November 2019, alongside former guests of this program, Minister for International Development and the Pacific Alex Hawke and the Honourable Enele Sopoaga, former Prime Minister of Tuvalu. In this episode, Virisila and I discuss human rights in Fiji, and whether climate change is used to deflect scrutiny away from other issues, including the treatment of women, girls and marginalised groups. There is very little media coverage of human rights issues in Pacific Island Countries, in particular in Fiji. Rather, when we discuss matters affecting Pacific Islands, we almost exclusively discuss climate change. But, climate change is a vulnerability multiplier, meaning any social issues that already existing will only be made worse as the climate crisis intensifies - in the case of Fiji, this is a worsening of the situation of women and girls. But, Virisila and her colleagues tackle the issue everyday, and most recently published a paper on why donors are giving so little to local women’s organisations in the region, and why the same organisations are struggle to manage the stringent accountability requirements of donors. But the money is urgently needed, as you’ll hear in this episode. We also discuss conflicting notions of feminism, the fake news epidemic and imposter syndrome, plus ways to create platforms that allow other people to speak their truth, in particular non-English speaking women in the region. This is an important episode and will shine a light on some heavy issues, that require more reporting - I know we’re inly skimming the surface but I’m eager to share these insights with you and spark an important conversation. You will have heard me say at the outset of this episode, that Good Will Hunters was being presented from the Development Policy Centre. Many of you would know that the Development Policy Centre is in the Crawford School of Public Policy in the Australian National University. It is a leading global think-tank supporting the international development community, by undertaking research and promoting practical initiatives to improve the effectiveness of Australian Aid and contributing to better global development policy. We’re so excited to be entering into this partnership, to further strengthen dialogue and research on aid and development in Australia, and give voice to more experts from throughout the region. You’ll be hearing more about the partnership and the Development Policy Centre in the coming weeks, and I welcome your input on how we can continue to be the leading media platform dedicated to aid and development, globally. Links: Urgent Action Fund for Asia and Pacific: <a href="https://www.uafanp.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.uafanp.org</a> The Development Policy Centre: <a href="https://devpolicy.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://devpolicy.org</a> QANDA Pacific: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izIVV6cDBms" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izIVV6cDBms</a> Enjoy, The GWH Team

Virisila Buadromo - Is climate change used to deflect scrutiny away from human rights abuses?

Fiona Tarpey

Chris Roche

Welcome to Episode 71 of Good Will Hunters from the Development Policy Centre. This episode is focused on the impact COVID19 will have on both developing countries and the aid and development sector. This week, I spoke on ABC’s Radio National Saturday Extra Program, on the topic of the Pacific and COVID19.https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/ In today’s episode I’m speaking to Fiona Tarpey and Chris Roche. Fiona Tarpey is the Head of Advocacy for the International Programs Department of the Australian Red Cross. She is also Co-Chair of ACFIDs Development Practice Committee. Chris Roche is the Director of the Institute for Human Security and Social Change at La Trobe University, and a Senior Research Partner of the Developmental Leadership Program.  Chris and Fiona jointly authored an article for the Devpolicy blog this week, titled ‘COVID19, localisation and locally led development: A critical juncture’. In sum, the article argued that COVID19 will force a large-scale transformation of the international development sector, and that this may actually be a good thing for local and international actors in the long term. https://devpolicy.org/covid-19-localisation-and-locally-led-development-a-critical-juncture-20200323/ Int he interview, Fiona, Chris and I discuss why a reimagining of the development sector could be a good thing, including why restrictions on travel mean that local organisations suddenly have a more critical role to play. We discuss whether the development sector is equipped to work digitally, and subsequent to that, whether local organisations and local governments in the Pacific are adequately skilled and resourced to manage this new workload.  We also talk about the expected downturn in funding for the international development sector, including both NGOs and contractors, before finally discussing what will happen if developing countries including in the Pacific need economic bail-outs. Lastly, I ask Chris and Fiona whether, given the unprecedented scale of health and economic impacts that COVID19 is causing, is there any way that developing countries come out of this better than before?  I’ve also written an article on the support developing countries will require due to the sudden and complete loss of tourism revenue - https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/no-planes-cruise-ships-crucial-regional-industry-will-need-aid We’ll continue to bring you coverage of the impact of COVID19 in our region as well as for the aid and development sector. If there’s anything you’d really like us to address, please get in touch. Devpolicy Blog also continues to provide extensive coverage of COVID19 impacts on aid and international development, and in the Pacific and in Asia. Check it out at Devpolicy.org, and subscribe to their daily email and fortnightly digest here https://devpolicy.org  Enjoy,Rachel and the GWH Team

Welcome to Episode 71 of Good Will Hunters from the Development Policy Centre. This episode is focused on the impact COVID19 will have on both developing countries and the aid and development sector. This week, I spoke on ABC’s Radio National Saturday Extra Program, on the topic of the Pacific and COVID19. <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/saturdayextra/</a> In today’s episode I’m speaking to Fiona Tarpey and Chris Roche. Fiona Tarpey is the Head of Advocacy for the International Programs Department of the Australian Red Cross. She is also Co-Chair of ACFIDs Development Practice Committee. Chris Roche is the Director of the Institute for Human Security and Social Change at La Trobe University, and a Senior Research Partner of the Developmental Leadership Program. Chris and Fiona jointly authored an article for the Devpolicy blog this week, titled ‘COVID19, localisation and locally led development: A critical juncture’. In sum, the article argued that COVID19 will force a large-scale transformation of the international development sector, and that this may actually be a good thing for local and international actors in the long term. <a href="https://devpolicy.org/covid-19-localisation-and-locally-led-development-a-critical-juncture-20200323/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://devpolicy.org/covid-19-localisation-and-locally-led-development-a-critical-juncture-20200323/</a> Int he interview, Fiona, Chris and I discuss why a reimagining of the development sector could be a good thing, including why restrictions on travel mean that local organisations suddenly have a more critical role to play. We discuss whether the development sector is equipped to work digitally, and subsequent to that, whether local organisations and local governments in the Pacific are adequately skilled and resourced to manage this new workload. We also talk about the expected downturn in funding for the international development sector, including both NGOs and contractors, before finally discussing what will happen if developing countries including in the Pacific need economic bail-outs. Lastly, I ask Chris and Fiona whether, given the unprecedented scale of health and economic impacts that COVID19 is causing, is there any way that developing countries come out of this better than before? I’ve also written an article on the support developing countries will require due to the sudden and complete loss of tourism revenue - <a href="https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/no-planes-cruise-ships-crucial-regional-industry-will-need-aid" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/no-planes-cruise-ships-crucial-regional-industry-will-need-aid</a> We’ll continue to bring you coverage of the impact of COVID19 in our region as well as for the aid and development sector. If there’s anything you’d really like us to address, please get in touch. Devpolicy Blog also continues to provide extensive coverage of COVID19 impacts on aid and international development, and in the Pacific and in Asia. Check it out at <a href="http://Devpolicy.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Devpolicy.org</a>, and subscribe to their daily email and fortnightly digest here <a href="https://devpolicy.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://devpolicy.org</a> Enjoy, Rachel and the GWH Team

Fiona Tarpey and Chris Roche - Does COVID19 mean the end of the aid and development sector?

Mark Sullivan

Welcome to Episode 69 of Good Will Hunters from the Development Policy Centre. Today's guest is Mark Sullivan. Mark is a drug development expert and the founder of Medicines Development for Global Health (https://www.medicinesdevelopment.com). Along with his colleague John Reeder, Mark was featured in the Development Policy Centre’s Aid Profile Series in 2019 and was nominated for the Mitchell Humanitarian Award, which he they jointly won in Canberra in February of this year. Mark’s Aid Profile, authored by Robin Davies of the Indo-Pacific Centre for Health Security, detailed the incredible efforts Mark and John have undertaken to end river blindness, a debilitating and historically neglected diseases afflicting tens of millions of people in Sub-Saharan Africa. https://devpolicy.org/aidprofiles/2020/01/31/really-ending-river-blindness-mark-sullivan-and-john-reeder/  In this episode we discuss what river blindness is, and why some diseases are neglected by the pharmaceutical sector. Mark explains why he founded a not for profit organisation dedicated to developing drugs that are unlikely to be commercially viable in the long term. We discuss moxidectin, the drug Mark has developed to treat river blindness. It’s a fascinating insight into the drug research, development and licensing process, and the pivotal role that both the WHO and the FDA play in this equation, plus a great example of how the aid effort and the private sector can work together for transformational development outcomes, especially in Australia where we have so much medical expertise. Although we recorded this episode in mid-february before we knew that coronavirus would be declared a pandemic by the WHO, this is a very topical episode. Mark shines a light on how equipped global health systems are to respond to disease outbreaks, and how this manifestly different in more developed and less developed countries. As well as disease outbreaks, this episode looks at health equity and how Mark has dedicated his career to using his very technical skillset to make big changes to healthcare accessibility globally. Moving forward, Mark is turning his attention even more to diseases here in Australia, including scabies which continues to afflict Indigenous communities.  We're proud to present this episode from the Development Policy Centre, a leading think tank for aid and development at the Australian National University serving Australia, the region and the global development community. Check out all the Centre’s Aid Profiles at devpolicy.org/aidprofiles. If you know someone whose made an outstanding contribution to development, nominate them for a future Aid profile by writing to devpolicy@anu.edu.au.Enjoy,The GWH Teamhttp://www.goodwillhunterspodcast.com.au

Welcome to Episode 69 of Good Will Hunters from the Development Policy Centre. Today's guest is Mark Sullivan. Mark is a drug development expert and the founder of Medicines Development for Global Health (<a href="https://www.medicinesdevelopment.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.medicinesdevelopment.com</a>). Along with his colleague John Reeder, Mark was featured in the Development Policy Centre’s Aid Profile Series in 2019 and was nominated for the Mitchell Humanitarian Award, which he they jointly won in Canberra in February of this year. Mark’s Aid Profile, authored by Robin Davies of the Indo-Pacific Centre for Health Security, detailed the incredible efforts Mark and John have undertaken to end river blindness, a debilitating and historically neglected diseases afflicting tens of millions of people in Sub-Saharan Africa. <a href="https://devpolicy.org/aidprofiles/2020/01/31/really-ending-river-blindness-mark-sullivan-and-john-reeder/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://devpolicy.org/aidprofiles/2020/01/31/really-ending-river-blindness-mark-sullivan-and-john-reeder/</a> In this episode we discuss what river blindness is, and why some diseases are neglected by the pharmaceutical sector. Mark explains why he founded a not for profit organisation dedicated to developing drugs that are unlikely to be commercially viable in the long term. We discuss moxidectin, the drug Mark has developed to treat river blindness. It’s a fascinating insight into the drug research, development and licensing process, and the pivotal role that both the WHO and the FDA play in this equation, plus a great example of how the aid effort and the private sector can work together for transformational development outcomes, especially in Australia where we have so much medical expertise. Although we recorded this episode in mid-february before we knew that coronavirus would be declared a pandemic by the WHO, this is a very topical episode. Mark shines a light on how equipped global health systems are to respond to disease outbreaks, and how this manifestly different in more developed and less developed countries. As well as disease outbreaks, this episode looks at health equity and how Mark has dedicated his career to using his very technical skillset to make big changes to healthcare accessibility globally. Moving forward, Mark is turning his attention even more to diseases here in Australia, including scabies which continues to afflict Indigenous communities. We're proud to present this episode from the Development Policy Centre, a leading think tank for aid and development at the Australian National University serving Australia, the region and the global development community. Check out all the Centre’s Aid Profiles at <a href="http://devpolicy.org/aidprofiles" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">devpolicy.org/aidprofiles</a>. If you know someone whose made an outstanding contribution to development, nominate them for a future Aid profile by writing to devpolicy@anu.edu.au. Enjoy, The GWH Team <a href="http://www.goodwillhunterspodcast.com.au" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.goodwillhunterspodcast.com.au</a>

Mark Sullivan - How do you develop a pharmaceutical drug for a neglected disease?

Radhika Coomaraswamy

Welcome to Episode 70 of Good Will Hunters from the Development Policy Centre. Today’s guest is Radhika Coomaraswamy. Radhika is a Sri Lankan lawyer, diplomat and human rights advocate. She has held a range of appointments within the United Nations, including as Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict from 2006 to 2012, as lead author on a global study into Women, Peace and Security in 2014, and most recently as a Member in the United Nations Fact Finding Mission to Myanmar, following atrocities committed against the Rohinyga. Radhika was a keynote speaker at the recent Australasian Aid Conference hosted by the Development Policy Centre and The Asia Foundation on the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, which we discuss in this episode. It was an incredibly powerful speech. You can listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6eQlF5MYUQ#t=26m20sRadhika and I talk about her experience growing up in Sri Lanka, including her reflections on having Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi as a family friend. We then talk about violence against women as a toxic expression of power, and how the continued use of gender based violence as part of conflict and war, has shaped the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. It’s a critical agenda, but Radhika argues that it is also one that needs reform. In her words, it needs to “get real”. Radhika has visited every war zone in recent history, and she reflects on her recent experiences in Myanmar, and her conversations with the Rohinyga. She also talks about the fears of the Buddhist population in Myanmar and attempts to decipher the social and cultural factors that enable a genocide.  Ultimately, this episode gets to the heart of fear, oppression and intolerance and how it impacts on the safety and security of all people but especially women. Enjoy,The GWH Team

Welcome to Episode 70 of Good Will Hunters from the Development Policy Centre. Today’s guest is Radhika Coomaraswamy. Radhika is a Sri Lankan lawyer, diplomat and human rights advocate. She has held a range of appointments within the United Nations, including as Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict from 2006 to 2012, as lead author on a global study into Women, Peace and Security in 2014, and most recently as a Member in the United Nations Fact Finding Mission to Myanmar, following atrocities committed against the Rohinyga. Radhika was a keynote speaker at the recent Australasian Aid Conference hosted by the Development Policy Centre and The Asia Foundation on the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, which we discuss in this episode. It was an incredibly powerful speech. You can listen to it here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6eQlF5MYUQ#t=26m20s" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6eQlF5MYUQ#t=26m20s</a> Radhika and I talk about her experience growing up in Sri Lanka, including her reflections on having Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi as a family friend. We then talk about violence against women as a toxic expression of power, and how the continued use of gender based violence as part of conflict and war, has shaped the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. It’s a critical agenda, but Radhika argues that it is also one that needs reform. In her words, it needs to “get real”. Radhika has visited every war zone in recent history, and she reflects on her recent experiences in Myanmar, and her conversations with the Rohinyga. She also talks about the fears of the Buddhist population in Myanmar and attempts to decipher the social and cultural factors that enable a genocide. Ultimately, this episode gets to the heart of fear, oppression and intolerance and how it impacts on the safety and security of all people but especially women. Enjoy, The GWH Team

Radhika Coomaraswamy  - What do women, peace and security have in common?

Terence Wood

Welcome to Episode 72 of Good Will Hunters from the Development Policy Centre. Our guest today is Terence Wood.  Terence is a Research Fellow at the Development Policy Centre, at the Australian National University. Terence undertakes research on Australia and New Zealand’s aid programs, in particular the domestic political economy of aid. He also undertakes research on Melanesian politics, with a focus on the Solomon Islands.  We recorded this episode in late February, before COVID19 was declared a pandemic and before mass unemployment began in Australia, so naturally the context in which we had this conversation six weeks ago is very different to the context we find ourselves in today. None the less, we address some topical issues, including the effectiveness of aid in the Pacific versus in the rest of the world, and why many donors and NGOs find working in the Pacific more difficult than working in other regions. We also discuss Terence’s view that the main motivator behind Australia’s focus in the Pacific is the rising influence of China, and whether it’s reasonable that aid to the Pacific is being delivered at the expense of aid to other places. We also discuss whether we need to worry about our comparative advantage, or our unique “brand” of aid, rather than focusing now what and where the greatest need is - it’s an interesting paradigm shift for us all to consider. We also address Terence’s work tracking Australian government aid transparency, as well as a discussion of gender and diversity on NGO Boards in Australia. Lastly, Terence tells us about his work in the Solomon Islands and broadly the impacts of poor governance, and whether aid can actually fix it. Terence’s work features prominently on the Devpolicy blog. On March 30 he wrote an article on what COVID19 will mean for the Pacific. You can read the full article on the Devpolicy blog here, https://devpolicy.org/what-will-covid-19-mean-for-the-pacific-a-problem-in-four-parts-20200330/.  Enjoy,The GWH Team

Welcome to Episode 72 of Good Will Hunters from the Development Policy Centre. Our guest today is Terence Wood. Terence is a Research Fellow at the Development Policy Centre, at the Australian National University. Terence undertakes research on Australia and New Zealand’s aid programs, in particular the domestic political economy of aid. He also undertakes research on Melanesian politics, with a focus on the Solomon Islands. We recorded this episode in late February, before COVID19 was declared a pandemic and before mass unemployment began in Australia, so naturally the context in which we had this conversation six weeks ago is very different to the context we find ourselves in today. None the less, we address some topical issues, including the effectiveness of aid in the Pacific versus in the rest of the world, and why many donors and NGOs find working in the Pacific more difficult than working in other regions. We also discuss Terence’s view that the main motivator behind Australia’s focus in the Pacific is the rising influence of China, and whether it’s reasonable that aid to the Pacific is being delivered at the expense of aid to other places. We also discuss whether we need to worry about our comparative advantage, or our unique “brand” of aid, rather than focusing now what and where the greatest need is - it’s an interesting paradigm shift for us all to consider. We also address Terence’s work tracking Australian government aid transparency, as well as a discussion of gender and diversity on NGO Boards in Australia. Lastly, Terence tells us about his work in the Solomon Islands and broadly the impacts of poor governance, and whether aid can actually fix it. Terence’s work features prominently on the Devpolicy blog. On March 30 he wrote an article on what COVID19 will mean for the Pacific. You can read the full article on the Devpolicy blog here, <a href="https://devpolicy.org/what-will-covid-19-mean-for-the-pacific-a-problem-in-four-parts-20200330/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://devpolicy.org/what-will-covid-19-mean-for-the-pacific-a-problem-in-four-parts-20200330/</a>. Enjoy, The GWH Team

Terence Wood - Should aid to the Pacific come at the expense of aid elsewhere?

Shane McLeod

Welcome to Episode 73 of Good Will Hunters from the Development Policy Centre. Today’s guest is Shane McLeod. Shane is a Research Fellow working with the Lowy Institute’s Australia-PNG Network.Before joining the Institute, he was a senior editor at ABC News in roles where he managed its Sydney newsroom and the flagship radio programs AM, The World Today, and PM.  He is a former foreign correspondent with postings in Japan and Papua New Guinea, as well as reporting assignments throughout the Asia-Pacific region. He has also worked as a journalist in regional Queensland, Melbourne, Sydney, and Canberra.As we go to air today, PNG has two confirmed cases of COVID19. Whilst the first case was brought in by a foreigner who had recently arrived in the country, the second case is of a Papua New Guinean. In this episode, Shane and I discuss the relationship between Australia and PNG since independence in 1975, including whether Australia is in fact an “embarrassed" former colonialist. We also discuss, as we have on a few podcasts now, whether  aid to PNG should come at the expense of aid elsewhere, and how much of our support for infrastructure and other sectors is driven by increasing competition with China. Then of course we address COVID-19 in PNG, as well as Cyclone Harold which has already hit Fiji and Vanuatu. We discuss how misinformation and fake-news have impacted PNG’s response to COVID19. We also discuss the ongoing needs of PNG, including economic assistance and balancing concerns about health with concerns about economic growth. Shane is firmly an optimist when discussing PNG and believes the country has good reason to be positive about its future.Shane and I went to East Sepik in November last year with the Lowy Institutes Australia-PNG Emering Leaders Dialogue. Whilst there, we met with Governor Alan Bird, who is doing much to transform the economy of East Sepik Province during his time in office. You’ll hear us discuss Governor Bird in this episode, and the steps the Province is taking to reduce COVID19 transmission from the Indonesian Border. Meanwhile, if you’re interested in the impact of COVID-19 on the region, check out devpolicy.org, which covers blogs on the pandemic and … Fiji, PNG, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, the Pacific as a whole, the Philippines, agriculture, gender-based and other forms of violence, and implications for Australian aid, with more being added every day. Enjoy,The GWH Team

Welcome to Episode 73 of Good Will Hunters from the Development Policy Centre. Today’s guest is Shane McLeod. Shane is a Research Fellow working with the Lowy Institute’s Australia-PNG Network. Before joining the Institute, he was a senior editor at ABC News in roles where he managed its Sydney newsroom and the flagship radio programs AM, The World Today, and PM. He is a former foreign correspondent with postings in Japan and Papua New Guinea, as well as reporting assignments throughout the Asia-Pacific region. He has also worked as a journalist in regional Queensland, Melbourne, Sydney, and Canberra. As we go to air today, PNG has two confirmed cases of COVID19. Whilst the first case was brought in by a foreigner who had recently arrived in the country, the second case is of a Papua New Guinean. In this episode, Shane and I discuss the relationship between Australia and PNG since independence in 1975, including whether Australia is in fact an “embarrassed" former colonialist. We also discuss, as we have on a few podcasts now, whether aid to PNG should come at the expense of aid elsewhere, and how much of our support for infrastructure and other sectors is driven by increasing competition with China. Then of course we address COVID-19 in PNG, as well as Cyclone Harold which has already hit Fiji and Vanuatu. We discuss how misinformation and fake-news have impacted PNG’s response to COVID19. We also discuss the ongoing needs of PNG, including economic assistance and balancing concerns about health with concerns about economic growth. Shane is firmly an optimist when discussing PNG and believes the country has good reason to be positive about its future. Shane and I went to East Sepik in November last year with the Lowy Institutes Australia-PNG Emering Leaders Dialogue. Whilst there, we met with Governor Alan Bird, who is doing much to transform the economy of East Sepik Province during his time in office. You’ll hear us discuss Governor Bird in this episode, and the steps the Province is taking to reduce COVID19 transmission from the Indonesian Border. Meanwhile, if you’re interested in the impact of COVID-19 on the region, check out <a href="http://devpolicy.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">devpolicy.org</a>, which covers blogs on the pandemic and … Fiji, PNG, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, the Pacific as a whole, the Philippines, agriculture, gender-based and other forms of violence, and implications for Australian aid, with more being added every day. Enjoy, The GWH Team

Shane McLeod - Could COVID-19 spark a humanitarian emergency in Papua New Guinea?

Richard Curtain

Liz Pechan

Welcome to Episode 79 of Good Will Hunters from the Development Policy Centre. Today on the program we have Richard Curtain and Elizabeth Naru Pechan. Richard is a Research Fellow with the Development Policy Centre, with a focus on Pacific Labour Mobility. Liz is the Founder and Co-Owner of the multi-award winning resort The Havannah in Vanuatu. Within four days of Australia closing its borders to international travel, Liz’s resort had zero income. Over the last two months, she’s been contributing to Vanuatu’s response to both Covid-19 and Cyclone Harold by devising a tourism sector recovery plan. Liz, on the Devpolicy blog - https://devpolicy.org/vanuatu-a-tourism-sector-perspective-on-potential-recovery-from-covid-19-and-tc-harold-20200506-1/Richard, on the Devpolicy blog - https://devpolicy.org/a-travel-pathway-to-revive-pacific-tourism-20200522/ In this episode Richard and I discuss the Trans-Pacific Travel Bubble, including whether the benefits outweigh the risks for Pacific Island countries. We discuss whether the Pacific is too dependent on tourism, along with how best to approach labour migration during the Covid-19 recovery period. Liz and I discuss what the reality has been for tourism sector workers in Vanuatu, and whether any support is being provided to workers who have had their contracts terminated.  This episode analyses the road-ahead for tourism and labour mobility in the Pacific, and whether a travel bubble is the best way forward.  Enjoy,The GWH Team

Welcome to Episode 79 of Good Will Hunters from the Development Policy Centre. Today on the program we have Richard Curtain and Elizabeth Naru Pechan. Richard is a Research Fellow with the Development Policy Centre, with a focus on Pacific Labour Mobility. Liz is the Founder and Co-Owner of the multi-award winning resort The Havannah in Vanuatu. Within four days of Australia closing its borders to international travel, Liz’s resort had zero income. Over the last two months, she’s been contributing to Vanuatu’s response to both Covid-19 and Cyclone Harold by devising a tourism sector recovery plan. Liz, on the Devpolicy blog - <a href="https://devpolicy.org/vanuatu-a-tourism-sector-perspective-on-potential-recovery-from-covid-19-and-tc-harold-20200506-1/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://devpolicy.org/vanuatu-a-tourism-sector-perspective-on-potential-recovery-from-covid-19-and-tc-harold-20200506-1/</a> Richard, on the Devpolicy blog - <a href="https://devpolicy.org/a-travel-pathway-to-revive-pacific-tourism-20200522/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://devpolicy.org/a-travel-pathway-to-revive-pacific-tourism-20200522/</a> In this episode Richard and I discuss the Trans-Pacific Travel Bubble, including whether the benefits outweigh the risks for Pacific Island countries. We discuss whether the Pacific is too dependent on tourism, along with how best to approach labour migration during the Covid-19 recovery period. Liz and I discuss what the reality has been for tourism sector workers in Vanuatu, and whether any support is being provided to workers who have had their contracts terminated. This episode analyses the road-ahead for tourism and labour mobility in the Pacific, and whether a travel bubble is the best way forward. Enjoy, The GWH Team

Richard Curtain and Liz Pechan - Should the Pacific join the Trans-Pacific Travel Bubble?

Diana Fernandez

Faisal Seraj

Welcome to Episode 78 of Good Will Hunters from the Development Policy Centre. Today on the show we have Diana Fernandez and  Faisal Bin Seraj. Diana is the Deputy Country Representative for the Asia Foundation in Myanmar and Faisal is the Asia Foundation’s Country Representative in Bangladesh. Myanmar and Bangladesh, like all countries, have been hit by Covid-19. At this stage, the economic impacts are outweighing the health impacts, despite both countries having fragile health systems. Diana and I discuss Myanmar’s economic dependence on China, and how this has impacted on Myanmar’s response to Covid-19 including the closure of their borders along with the emergence of Chinese NGOs. We discuss why Myanmar’s healthcare system is ranked as one of the worst in the world, and why the Ministry of Health recognises that it cannot cope with a Covid-19 outbreak. We also discuss the internet blackout occurring in Myanmar, as revealed by a private telecommunications provider, Telenor, who was ordered by the Ministry of Information in Myanmar to switch off some of their internet towers. The blackout has made the coordination of aid to parts of Myanmar difficult and speaks to broader concerns about the freedom of the media and the spread of critical information.Faisal and I discuss why the growth-rate of Covid-19 infections in Bangladesh has been higher than other Asian countries, but also how Cox’s Bazar and the large refugee camp it houses, have managed to emerge with no confirmed cases. However, since the time of recording, two Rohingya refugees have tested positive for Covid-19 in Cox’s Bazar. Faisal and I also discuss the low-cost test kits that have been distributed in Bangladesh and whether their reliability is a problem. Like Myanmar, there are also restrictions on internet access and media freedoms in Bangladesh, which we discuss. Lastly, we discuss the stimulus package announced by the Bangladesh government and whether it is enough to protect precious informal sector workers as well as the garment manufacturing sector, who have been hit hard by international brands cancelling their orders.You can find out more about the Asia Foundation here - https://asiafoundation.org  You can also find more coverage of Covid-19 impacts in Asia via the Devpolicy blog at Devpolicy.org. Recently, Diana, Faisal and other staff from the Asia Foundation wrote an article for Devpolicy on women’s safety in Asia. It’s an important read - https://devpolicy.org/in-asia-not-all-homes-are-safe-we-need-an-urgent-shift-in-thinking-20200408/Other articles contributed by Asia Foundation staff on Devpolicy cover the impact of and response to COVID-19 in Vietnam, Laos, and MalaysiaEnjoy,The GWH Team

Welcome to Episode 78 of Good Will Hunters from the Development Policy Centre. Today on the show we have Diana Fernandez and Faisal Bin Seraj. Diana is the Deputy Country Representative for the Asia Foundation in Myanmar and Faisal is the Asia Foundation’s Country Representative in Bangladesh. Myanmar and Bangladesh, like all countries, have been hit by Covid-19. At this stage, the economic impacts are outweighing the health impacts, despite both countries having fragile health systems. Diana and I discuss Myanmar’s economic dependence on China, and how this has impacted on Myanmar’s response to Covid-19 including the closure of their borders along with the emergence of Chinese NGOs. We discuss why Myanmar’s healthcare system is ranked as one of the worst in the world, and why the Ministry of Health recognises that it cannot cope with a Covid-19 outbreak. We also discuss the internet blackout occurring in Myanmar, as revealed by a private telecommunications provider, Telenor, who was ordered by the Ministry of Information in Myanmar to switch off some of their internet towers. The blackout has made the coordination of aid to parts of Myanmar difficult and speaks to broader concerns about the freedom of the media and the spread of critical information. Faisal and I discuss why the growth-rate of Covid-19 infections in Bangladesh has been higher than other Asian countries, but also how Cox’s Bazar and the large refugee camp it houses, have managed to emerge with no confirmed cases. However, since the time of recording, two Rohingya refugees have tested positive for Covid-19 in Cox’s Bazar. Faisal and I also discuss the low-cost test kits that have been distributed in Bangladesh and whether their reliability is a problem. Like Myanmar, there are also restrictions on internet access and media freedoms in Bangladesh, which we discuss. Lastly, we discuss the stimulus package announced by the Bangladesh government and whether it is enough to protect precious informal sector workers as well as the garment manufacturing sector, who have been hit hard by international brands cancelling their orders. You can find out more about the Asia Foundation here - <a href="https://asiafoundation.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://asiafoundation.org</a> You can also find more coverage of Covid-19 impacts in Asia via the Devpolicy blog at <a href="http://Devpolicy.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Devpolicy.org</a>. Recently, Diana, Faisal and other staff from the Asia Foundation wrote an article for Devpolicy on women’s safety in Asia. It’s an important read - <a href="https://devpolicy.org/in-asia-not-all-homes-are-safe-we-need-an-urgent-shift-in-thinking-20200408/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://devpolicy.org/in-asia-not-all-homes-are-safe-we-need-an-urgent-shift-in-thinking-20200408/</a> Other articles contributed by Asia Foundation staff on Devpolicy cover the impact of and response to COVID-19 in Vietnam, Laos, and Malaysia Enjoy, The GWH Team

Diana Fernandez and Faisal Seraj - Is COVID-19 worsened by internet blackouts in Asia?

Dan McGarry

Odo Tevi

Welcome to Episode 75 of Good Will Hunters from the Development Policy Centre. Today I'm speaking with Odo Tevi and Dan McGarry. Odo is Vanuatu’s Representative to the United Nations based in New York, and Dan is an independent journalist living in Vanuatu since 2003. Both Odo and Dan contribute to the Devpolicy blog, on matters relating to development in Vanuatu and the broader Pacific region.It’s been a big month for Vanuatu. They’re one of the few remaining countries on Earth without Covid-19, but at the beginning of April, were hit with by Category 5 Tropical Cyclone Harold, which caused widespread destruction through the North of the country. Due to travel restrictions, the usual surge response didn’t occur, and so Vanuatu has been left to deal with the aftermath of Cyclone Harold without the usual international actors flying it. At the same time, Vanuatu has formed a new Government and has a new PM as of a few days ago, and has announced a stimulus package to support the country to recover from the economic impacts of both Covid-19 and Cyclone Harold.But, will it be enough?Odo and I discuss the stimulus package, and why Vanuatu may still need an international bail-out and what this could mean for the country. Odo shares his concerns around the conditions associated with a bail-out. We also discuss the role of the multilateral system, as well as bilateral donors including Australia and China. Dan acknowledges that he is not an objective voice in the wake of Cyclone Harold, given many of his family members are without urgent medical assistance on affected islands. Dan discusses why the response to Cyclone Harold is weeks behind Cyclone Pam, and how the Vanuatu Government has been slow to accept support from international actors including the UN and the World Food Programme. Dan shares his grave concerns about the welfare of so many in Vanuatu if the Government continues to respond inadequately.More optimistically, Dan is confident that Vanuatu does not have Covid-19 due to the comprehensive testing and prevention measures that have been undertaken. Despite several Pacific countries not having Covid-19, the economic impacts will still be felt widely, and Dan recommends that a restructure of development assistance to the Pacific occurs.As noted earlier, both Dan and Odo have contributed to the Devpolicy blog and we’ve included links to their recent articles here.https://devpolicy.org/author/dan-mcgarry/ https://devpolicy.org/author/odo-tevi/ The Devpolicy blog has extensive coverage of the impacts of both Covid-19 and Cyclone Harold on the Pacific. You can read more at Devpolicy.orgEnjoy,The GWH Team

Welcome to Episode 75 of Good Will Hunters from the Development Policy Centre. Today I'm speaking with Odo Tevi and Dan McGarry. Odo is Vanuatu’s Representative to the United Nations based in New York, and Dan is an independent journalist living in Vanuatu since 2003. Both Odo and Dan contribute to the Devpolicy blog, on matters relating to development in Vanuatu and the broader Pacific region. It’s been a big month for Vanuatu. They’re one of the few remaining countries on Earth without Covid-19, but at the beginning of April, were hit with by Category 5 Tropical Cyclone Harold, which caused widespread destruction through the North of the country. Due to travel restrictions, the usual surge response didn’t occur, and so Vanuatu has been left to deal with the aftermath of Cyclone Harold without the usual international actors flying it. At the same time, Vanuatu has formed a new Government and has a new PM as of a few days ago, and has announced a stimulus package to support the country to recover from the economic impacts of both Covid-19 and Cyclone Harold. But, will it be enough? Odo and I discuss the stimulus package, and why Vanuatu may still need an international bail-out and what this could mean for the country. Odo shares his concerns around the conditions associated with a bail-out. We also discuss the role of the multilateral system, as well as bilateral donors including Australia and China. Dan acknowledges that he is not an objective voice in the wake of Cyclone Harold, given many of his family members are without urgent medical assistance on affected islands. Dan discusses why the response to Cyclone Harold is weeks behind Cyclone Pam, and how the Vanuatu Government has been slow to accept support from international actors including the UN and the World Food Programme. Dan shares his grave concerns about the welfare of so many in Vanuatu if the Government continues to respond inadequately. More optimistically, Dan is confident that Vanuatu does not have Covid-19 due to the comprehensive testing and prevention measures that have been undertaken. Despite several Pacific countries not having Covid-19, the economic impacts will still be felt widely, and Dan recommends that a restructure of development assistance to the Pacific occurs. As noted earlier, both Dan and Odo have contributed to the Devpolicy blog and we’ve included links to their recent articles here. <a href="https://devpolicy.org/author/dan-mcgarry/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://devpolicy.org/author/dan-mcgarry/</a> <a href="https://devpolicy.org/author/odo-tevi/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://devpolicy.org/author/odo-tevi/</a> The Devpolicy blog has extensive coverage of the impacts of both Covid-19 and Cyclone Harold on the Pacific. You can read more at <a href="http://Devpolicy.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Devpolicy.org</a> Enjoy, The GWH Team

Dan McGarry and Odo Tevi - What will Cyclone Harold, COVID-19 and a new PM mean for Vanuatu?

Lyn Morgain

Anthea Spinks

Welcome to Episode 74 of Good Will Hunters, from the Development Policy Centre. Today on the show I’m speaking to newly appointed Oxfam Australia CEO Lyn Morgain, and Director of Programs Anthea Spinks.Oxfam of course is one of Australia’s and the world’s biggest and most influential development NGOs. But it’s had some rough times lately with a decline in donations, and in Australia the closure of the iconic Oxfam shops. In this interview, we discuss how the organisation is responding to the challenges it is facing. Lyn unveils Oxfam Australia’s new strategy that focuses on the connection between poverty and climate change, champions the integral role Indigenous Australians play in Oxfam,  and outlines how Oxfam will transform its operating model as the world of INGOs continues to be “utterly redefined” as Lyn puts it.Of course, we also discuss COVID19. In the last few weeks, Oxfam Australia has called on G20 Leaders to cancel or postpone the debt repayments of developing countries to help their economic recovery from COVID19. Oxfam has also been advocating for Australia to contribute just over 80m to the UN’s COVID19 Global Humanitarian Response Plan. Anthea and I also discuss Oxfam’s programming response. As we have in recent programs, we look at the localisation agenda, and whether local actors are ready for the task at hand. In particular, we zero in at Cyclone Harold which has hit some Pacific Island Countries, and compare it to the response to Cyclone Pam in 2015, and the key difference that this time there are no international actors flying-in.Here is some of Oxfam’s recent research and advocacy around COVID19 - https://www.iaran.org/covid19-scenarios Here is a link to Devpolicy analysis on donations to Australian development NGOs - https://devpolicy.org/ngo-donations-winners-and-losers-since-2000-20200203/ And here is a link to the IMF’s most recent press briefing on the economic outlook  - https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2020/04/14/tr041420-transcript-of-april-2020-world-economic-outlook-press-briefing For more coverage on COVID19, check out the Devpolicy website at devpolicy.org. There is comprehensive coverage of the Pacific, but there are also some great articles from The Asia Foundation on the response in the Philippines and Nepal, and on the intersection of the pandemic with domestic violence and with civil conflict. We’ll be going into more depth on some of those issues in some of our upcoming episodes.Please share any comments with us via our social media channels, which you can find @goodwillpod - we’d love to hear your feedback.Enjoy the episode,The GWH Team

Welcome to Episode 74 of Good Will Hunters, from the Development Policy Centre. Today on the show I’m speaking to newly appointed Oxfam Australia CEO Lyn Morgain, and Director of Programs Anthea Spinks. Oxfam of course is one of Australia’s and the world’s biggest and most influential development NGOs. But it’s had some rough times lately with a decline in donations, and in Australia the closure of the iconic Oxfam shops. In this interview, we discuss how the organisation is responding to the challenges it is facing. Lyn unveils Oxfam Australia’s new strategy that focuses on the connection between poverty and climate change, champions the integral role Indigenous Australians play in Oxfam, and outlines how Oxfam will transform its operating model as the world of INGOs continues to be “utterly redefined” as Lyn puts it. Of course, we also discuss COVID19. In the last few weeks, Oxfam Australia has called on G20 Leaders to cancel or postpone the debt repayments of developing countries to help their economic recovery from COVID19. Oxfam has also been advocating for Australia to contribute just over 80m to the UN’s COVID19 Global Humanitarian Response Plan. Anthea and I also discuss Oxfam’s programming response. As we have in recent programs, we look at the localisation agenda, and whether local actors are ready for the task at hand. In particular, we zero in at Cyclone Harold which has hit some Pacific Island Countries, and compare it to the response to Cyclone Pam in 2015, and the key difference that this time there are no international actors flying-in. Here is some of Oxfam’s recent research and advocacy around COVID19 - <a href="https://www.iaran.org/covid19-scenarios" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.iaran.org/covid19-scenarios</a> Here is a link to Devpolicy analysis on donations to Australian development NGOs - <a href="https://devpolicy.org/ngo-donations-winners-and-losers-since-2000-20200203/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://devpolicy.org/ngo-donations-winners-and-losers-since-2000-20200203/</a> And here is a link to the IMF’s most recent press briefing on the economic outlook - <a href="https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2020/04/14/tr041420-transcript-of-april-2020-world-economic-outlook-press-briefing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2020/04/14/tr041420-transcript-of-april-2020-world-economic-outlook-press-briefing</a> For more coverage on COVID19, check out the Devpolicy website at <a href="http://devpolicy.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">devpolicy.org</a>. There is comprehensive coverage of the Pacific, but there are also some great articles from The Asia Foundation on the response in the Philippines and Nepal, and on the intersection of the pandemic with domestic violence and with civil conflict. We’ll be going into more depth on some of those issues in some of our upcoming episodes. Please share any comments with us via our social media channels, which you can find @goodwillpod - we’d love to hear your feedback. Enjoy the episode, The GWH Team

Lyn Morgain and Anthea Spinks - Can developing countries recover from COVID-19?

Rosemary Addis

Welcome to Episode 64 of Good Will Hunters, our Third Impact Investment Masterclass with Rosemary Addis, and the fourth time we’ve had Rosemary on the show. Rosemary is one of the world’s preeminent impact pioneers.  She has helped to shape the system to deliver innovation and investment that benefits people and the planet.  Her global portfolio includes Trustee of the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment, Senior Advisor to United Nations Development Programme’s SDG Impact and she has been an expert reviewer for impact initiatives of the OECD and World Economic Forum.Rosemary’s 30+ years track record spans sectors, disciplines and geographies from a global legal career with Allens-Linklaters and Kirkland &amp; Ellis NY, where she ranked among the world’s leading lawyers, to the first Social Innovation Strategist for the Australian Government and member of the Social Impact Investment Taskforce established under the UK Presidency of the G8 where she was invited to represent Australia as the only participating country from outside the G7 and EU. She was founding Chair of the Australian Advisory Board on Impact Investing, for which she remains an Ambassador, and is founding Chair of Impact Capital Australia and Impact Investing Australia, Impact Investing Asia Pacific Market Builder of the Year (2018).We cover a lot of ground in this episode. We start with the state of the nation here in Australia, in particular the bushfire crisis that has faced our country this Summer. We talk about what the crisis means for leadership and for investment and the way we think about funding social change. We discuss the Social Impact Investing Taskforce and the opportunity we have to shape a better enabling environment for impact investment.We then discuss the review of our policy that is underway, including innovative financing opportunities and measuring progress against the SDGs. This includes discussion of the Pacific Infrastructure Financing Facility and one of my favourite programs, Investing in Women. Lastly we discuss what’s happening globally, including the launch fo the Impact Investment Institute in the UK and the Davos Manifesto 2020. Rosemary and I chat regularly both in these episodes and outside of them about why impact investment is so important for our aid sector. As Rosemary and I acknowledge in this episode, we’re in an environment in Australia where our government funded development spending is very unlikely to increase in the short-term, however we are having a refresh of our aid policy where we can all contribute to the discussion on what a great aid program looks like. Impact investment presents an opportunity to sustainably fund the sector for greater impact. All organisations that I chat to are actively considering impact investment, so I hope these episodes are, and continue to be, an opportunity to learn more about impact investment and how it relates to our aid sector.Also, tickets are now on sale for the Australasian Aid Conference, from 17-19 February at ANU in Canberra. The conference is run by the brilliant Development Policy Centre, which you heard about a few weeks back when I had Stephen Howes on the show. I’ll be at the conference, I’ll be interviewing a lot of the keynote speakers, and I’ll be hosting the Conference dinner! I would love to see lots of you there, so if you haven’t bought your ticket already, get on to it! https://devpolicy.crawford.anu.edu.au/annual-australasian-aid-conference/2020 Enjoy,Rachel and the GWH Team

Welcome to Episode 64 of Good Will Hunters, our Third Impact Investment Masterclass with Rosemary Addis, and the fourth time we’ve had Rosemary on the show. Rosemary is one of the world’s preeminent impact pioneers. She has helped to shape the system to deliver innovation and investment that benefits people and the planet. Her global portfolio includes Trustee of the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment, Senior Advisor to United Nations Development Programme’s SDG Impact and she has been an expert reviewer for impact initiatives of the OECD and World Economic Forum. Rosemary’s 30+ years track record spans sectors, disciplines and geographies from a global legal career with Allens-Linklaters and Kirkland &amp; Ellis NY, where she ranked among the world’s leading lawyers, to the first Social Innovation Strategist for the Australian Government and member of the Social Impact Investment Taskforce established under the UK Presidency of the G8 where she was invited to represent Australia as the only participating country from outside the G7 and EU. She was founding Chair of the Australian Advisory Board on Impact Investing, for which she remains an Ambassador, and is founding Chair of Impact Capital Australia and Impact Investing Australia, Impact Investing Asia Pacific Market Builder of the Year (2018). We cover a lot of ground in this episode. We start with the state of the nation here in Australia, in particular the bushfire crisis that has faced our country this Summer. We talk about what the crisis means for leadership and for investment and the way we think about funding social change. We discuss the Social Impact Investing Taskforce and the opportunity we have to shape a better enabling environment for impact investment. We then discuss the review of our policy that is underway, including innovative financing opportunities and measuring progress against the SDGs. This includes discussion of the Pacific Infrastructure Financing Facility and one of my favourite programs, Investing in Women. Lastly we discuss what’s happening globally, including the launch fo the Impact Investment Institute in the UK and the Davos Manifesto 2020. Rosemary and I chat regularly both in these episodes and outside of them about why impact investment is so important for our aid sector. As Rosemary and I acknowledge in this episode, we’re in an environment in Australia where our government funded development spending is very unlikely to increase in the short-term, however we are having a refresh of our aid policy where we can all contribute to the discussion on what a great aid program looks like. Impact investment presents an opportunity to sustainably fund the sector for greater impact. All organisations that I chat to are actively considering impact investment, so I hope these episodes are, and continue to be, an opportunity to learn more about impact investment and how it relates to our aid sector. Also, tickets are now on sale for the Australasian Aid Conference, from 17-19 February at ANU in Canberra. The conference is run by the brilliant Development Policy Centre, which you heard about a few weeks back when I had Stephen Howes on the show. I’ll be at the conference, I’ll be interviewing a lot of the keynote speakers, and I’ll be hosting the Conference dinner! I would love to see lots of you there, so if you haven’t bought your ticket already, get on to it! <a href="https://devpolicy.crawford.anu.edu.au/annual-australasian-aid-conference/2020" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://devpolicy.crawford.anu.edu.au/annual-australasian-aid-conference/2020</a> Enjoy, Rachel and the GWH Team

Rosemary Addis - What's new in the world of impact investment?

Nigel Spence

Welcome to Episode 59 of Good Will Hunters, with Nigel Spence, the Outgoing CEO of ChildFund Australia. Nigel retired from ChildFund at the end of 2019, after 14 years with the organisation. Under his leadership, ChildFund has expanded its programs to children and young people in Vietnam and Papua New Guinea, and commenced new operations in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Timor-Leste.Nigel is taking some time off to continue his studies into child protection policies in Vietnam, before continuing his work in the social sector in Australia. You may recall a few weeks back I aired the talk that Nigel delivered at the Pawa Liklik NGO Forum organised by the Kokoda Track Foundation in Sydney in October 2019. In this episode Nigel and I dive a bit deeper into some topics that are very important to our sector, including Sport For Development, our Aid Review and Child Sponsorship.  In this episode, you’ll hear Nigel and I talk about ChildFund’s work in the area of sport for development. It feels like sport and aid programs were once an unlikely pair, but in recent years many NGOs in Australia have implemented sports-based programs as a means of building relationships in communities, teaching vital skills, combating non-communicable diseases and more. In fact, Australian Aid has been funding sport for development programs since  2009. According to the DFAT website, sport is a vehicle to achieve development outcomes in areas such as health, gender and disability inclusion. In my view, sport has it’s own inherent benefits to communities but it’s also an effective means of outreach and relationship-building, and has flow on effects to other development programs. As a country that provides itself on sport, it also makes sense for sport to be part of our unique aid identify. In this episode we also discuss why economic growth doesn’t always equate to widespread poverty reduction, despite popular belief that the two go hand in hand. Countries in South East Asia especially exemplify that increased economic growth alone doesn’t result in improvements nationwide to the wellbeing of communities. This part of the discussion gets to the heart of why economic growth doesn’t always justify decreased aid support. The other topic I particularly like in this discussion is child sponsorship. ChildFund continues to have child sponsorship as an element of its fundraising and outreach strategy, however has diversified into several other funding streams as well. Nigel and I chat about how child sponsorship has evolved as child protection laws are tightened, and how exactly ChildFund administers sponsorship funds. So - where do you sit on the sport for development agenda and should it play an even bigger role in our aid policy? Where has economic growth not equated to widespread poverty reduction and how do we rewrite this narrative? And lastly, how do we build connections between Australians and people in countries our aid supports, with respect for cultural nuance and identity?Enjoy,Rachel and the GWH Team

Welcome to Episode 59 of Good Will Hunters, with Nigel Spence, the Outgoing CEO of ChildFund Australia. Nigel retired from ChildFund at the end of 2019, after 14 years with the organisation. Under his leadership, ChildFund has expanded its programs to children and young people in Vietnam and Papua New Guinea, and commenced new operations in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Timor-Leste. Nigel is taking some time off to continue his studies into child protection policies in Vietnam, before continuing his work in the social sector in Australia. You may recall a few weeks back I aired the talk that Nigel delivered at the Pawa Liklik NGO Forum organised by the Kokoda Track Foundation in Sydney in October 2019. In this episode Nigel and I dive a bit deeper into some topics that are very important to our sector, including Sport For Development, our Aid Review and Child Sponsorship. In this episode, you’ll hear Nigel and I talk about ChildFund’s work in the area of sport for development. It feels like sport and aid programs were once an unlikely pair, but in recent years many NGOs in Australia have implemented sports-based programs as a means of building relationships in communities, teaching vital skills, combating non-communicable diseases and more. In fact, Australian Aid has been funding sport for development programs since 2009. According to the DFAT website, sport is a vehicle to achieve development outcomes in areas such as health, gender and disability inclusion. In my view, sport has it’s own inherent benefits to communities but it’s also an effective means of outreach and relationship-building, and has flow on effects to other development programs. As a country that provides itself on sport, it also makes sense for sport to be part of our unique aid identify. In this episode we also discuss why economic growth doesn’t always equate to widespread poverty reduction, despite popular belief that the two go hand in hand. Countries in South East Asia especially exemplify that increased economic growth alone doesn’t result in improvements nationwide to the wellbeing of communities. This part of the discussion gets to the heart of why economic growth doesn’t always justify decreased aid support. The other topic I particularly like in this discussion is child sponsorship. ChildFund continues to have child sponsorship as an element of its fundraising and outreach strategy, however has diversified into several other funding streams as well. Nigel and I chat about how child sponsorship has evolved as child protection laws are tightened, and how exactly ChildFund administers sponsorship funds. So - where do you sit on the sport for development agenda and should it play an even bigger role in our aid policy? Where has economic growth not equated to widespread poverty reduction and how do we rewrite this narrative? And lastly, how do we build connections between Australians and people in countries our aid supports, with respect for cultural nuance and identity? Enjoy, Rachel and the GWH Team

Nigel Spence - Is sport really a tool for better development?

Welcome to Episode 57 of Good Will Hunters with the Honourable Pat Conroy. Pat is the Member for Shortland in NSW. He is also the Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific, the Shadow Minister Assisting for Climate Change and the Shadow Minister Assisting for Defence. Pat has held the portfolios since June of 2019. In this episode, Pat responds to the comments made by Minister Alex Hawke on this show a few weeks back. We chat about the intersection of our aid program and climate change, the consequences of reducing our aid budget along with our presence in many regions of the world, the focus on infrastructure in the Pacific, matters of natural security and regional stability, and a lot more.As you would know, it’s a really pivotal time to be discussing aid and what our new aid policy should look like. The ALP and the Coalition have different perspectives on our aid program, and I hope that through these episodes we can unpack what those differences are and contribute to a more informed debate on how we can maximise our impact overseas. Enjoy,Rachel and the GWH Team

Welcome to Episode 57 of Good Will Hunters with the Honourable Pat Conroy. Pat is the Member for Shortland in NSW. He is also the Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific, the Shadow Minister Assisting for Climate Change and the Shadow Minister Assisting for Defence. Pat has held the portfolios since June of 2019. In this episode, Pat responds to the comments made by Minister Alex Hawke on this show a few weeks back. We chat about the intersection of our aid program and climate change, the consequences of reducing our aid budget along with our presence in many regions of the world, the focus on infrastructure in the Pacific, matters of natural security and regional stability, and a lot more. As you would know, it’s a really pivotal time to be discussing aid and what our new aid policy should look like. The ALP and the Coalition have different perspectives on our aid program, and I hope that through these episodes we can unpack what those differences are and contribute to a more informed debate on how we can maximise our impact overseas. Enjoy, Rachel and the GWH Team

The Honourable Pat Conroy - Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific

Stephen Howes

Welcome to Episode 56 of Good Will Hunters, with Stephen Howes.Stephen is a Professor of Economics at the Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University. Stephen is also the Director of the Development Policy Centre. The Centre is a leading think tank on aid and development, undertaking independent research and promoting practical initiatives to improve the effectiveness of Australian aid. A few weeks back Stephen and I were on a panel together at the Pawa Liklik NGO Forum organised by the Kokoda Track Foundation, and following that I asked him to be on the show. More recently, Stephen wrote an article for the Lowy Institute on our recent interview with Minister Alex Hawke - https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/stepping-pacific-expense-pakistani-women-and-girls In this episode, we discuss the Australian Aid program, including the Pacific Step-Up, InnovationXChange, Biltaeral Aid Investment Plans, and the refresh of the aid policy that’s on the horizon.  We also discuss the challenges Pacific Islands face with the Seasonal Workers Program and other labour schemes in Australia. And lastly we discuss the connection between academia and NGOs and the rise of evidence-based programs along with the notion of aid effectiveness. I hope that many of you working in NGOs will reach out to an academic after you listen to this episode and find a way to work together.Enjoy,Rachel and the GWH Team

Welcome to Episode 56 of Good Will Hunters, with Stephen Howes. Stephen is a Professor of Economics at the Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University. Stephen is also the Director of the Development Policy Centre. The Centre is a leading think tank on aid and development, undertaking independent research and promoting practical initiatives to improve the effectiveness of Australian aid. A few weeks back Stephen and I were on a panel together at the Pawa Liklik NGO Forum organised by the Kokoda Track Foundation, and following that I asked him to be on the show. More recently, Stephen wrote an article for the Lowy Institute on our recent interview with Minister Alex Hawke - <a href="https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/stepping-pacific-expense-pakistani-women-and-girls" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/stepping-pacific-expense-pakistani-women-and-girls</a> In this episode, we discuss the Australian Aid program, including the Pacific Step-Up, InnovationXChange, Biltaeral Aid Investment Plans, and the refresh of the aid policy that’s on the horizon. We also discuss the challenges Pacific Islands face with the Seasonal Workers Program and other labour schemes in Australia. And lastly we discuss the connection between academia and NGOs and the rise of evidence-based programs along with the notion of aid effectiveness. I hope that many of you working in NGOs will reach out to an academic after you listen to this episode and find a way to work together. Enjoy, Rachel and the GWH Team

Stephen Howes - DevPolicy, Pacific Labour and Working with Academic

Welcome to Episode 55 of Good Will Hunters, with Nigel Spence, the outgoing-CEO of ChildFund Australia. This episode was recorded at the Pawa Liklik NGO Forum hosted by the Kokoda Track Foundation in October 2019. KTF launched the forum as a platform to discuss the challenges facing small and medium NGOs working in international development. Visit https://www.ktf.ngo to learn more about KTF and the forum.Nigel was one of the keynote speakers at the forum, and reflected on his time as ChildFund CEO, including the drive for innovation, collaboration and strengths-based approaches. I am interviewing Nigel in a few weeks, so I'd love for you to listen to this episode and send me some questions to ask him! He is a wealth of knowledge and insight, as you'll hear.Enjoy,Rachel and the GWH Team

Welcome to Episode 55 of Good Will Hunters, with Nigel Spence, the outgoing-CEO of ChildFund Australia. This episode was recorded at the Pawa Liklik NGO Forum hosted by the Kokoda Track Foundation in October 2019. KTF launched the forum as a platform to discuss the challenges facing small and medium NGOs working in international development. Visit https://www.ktf.ngo to learn more about KTF and the forum. Nigel was one of the keynote speakers at the forum, and reflected on his time as ChildFund CEO, including the drive for innovation, collaboration and strengths-based approaches. I am interviewing Nigel in a few weeks, so I'd love for you to listen to this episode and send me some questions to ask him! He is a wealth of knowledge and insight, as you'll hear. Enjoy, Rachel and the GWH Team

CONFERENCE EPISODE: Nigel Spence - Reflections on ChildFund, Innovation, and Knowing Your Strengths

Welcome to Episode 54 of Good Will Hunters, with Watna Mori, Papua New Guinean-Australian human rights lawyer.Watna and I attended the Australia-PNG Emerging Leader's Dialogue together a few weeks ago.  I met Watna at Brisbane Airport and I think about 10 seconds into our conversation we were already laughing - which you’ll certainly hear us do more of in this episode. Watna grew up between Papua New Guinea and Australia. She studied law, and now works primarily in the area of human rights law. She has also worked in the Manus Island and Nauru Detention Centres representing asylum seekers. Watna also does a whole lot more, which we’ll start to unpack in this episode.You’ll hear us chat about growing up between Australia and PNG, Australia’s colonial legacy and the impact of offshore detention on that legacy, the need for more locally owned tourism in PNG, the future of Australian aid to PNG, and more.This episode gets to the heart of a few topics that are very important to me, and so many of us - offshore detention, healing our colonial legacy, cultural and intellectual property and aid dependency. I suggest listening to this one with a cup of tea in hand - there's a lot to take in! Enjoy,Rachel and the GWH Team

Welcome to Episode 54 of Good Will Hunters, with Watna Mori, Papua New Guinean-Australian human rights lawyer. Watna and I attended the Australia-PNG Emerging Leader's Dialogue together a few weeks ago. I met Watna at Brisbane Airport and I think about 10 seconds into our conversation we were already laughing - which you’ll certainly hear us do more of in this episode. Watna grew up between Papua New Guinea and Australia. She studied law, and now works primarily in the area of human rights law. She has also worked in the Manus Island and Nauru Detention Centres representing asylum seekers. Watna also does a whole lot more, which we’ll start to unpack in this episode. You’ll hear us chat about growing up between Australia and PNG, Australia’s colonial legacy and the impact of offshore detention on that legacy, the need for more locally owned tourism in PNG, the future of Australian aid to PNG, and more. This episode gets to the heart of a few topics that are very important to me, and so many of us - offshore detention, healing our colonial legacy, cultural and intellectual property and aid dependency. I suggest listening to this one with a cup of tea in hand - there's a lot to take in! Enjoy, Rachel and the GWH Team

Watna Mori - The Colonial Legacy and How We Rewrite The Story

Welcome to Episode 53 of Good Will Hunters, with the Right Honourable Alex Hawke, Minister for International Development and the Pacific and Assistant Minister for Defence. The Minister was sworn into office on May 28, 2019. He has spent much of the last 6 months travelling throughout the Pacific Islands and PNG, understanding the concerns of our nearest neighbours. In this episode, we cover a whole range of topics relating to the aid and development agenda in Australia, including the nexus of defence and development, climate change support to the Pacific, debt sustainability, funding for infrastructure versus funding for health and education, the role of China, our agenda in PNG, the future of our aid program, the role of NGOs, and also the advice the Minister would have liked to give himself ten years ago. This interview was a fantastic opportunity to ask the Minister many of the questions that I, and others in the sector, have been wanting to know. As always, we welcome your feedback. You can get in touch via our website www.goodwillhunterspodcast.com.au and if you love the show, we'd love you to leave a review on iTunes!Enjoy,Rachel and the GWH Team

Welcome to Episode 53 of Good Will Hunters, with the Right Honourable Alex Hawke, Minister for International Development and the Pacific and Assistant Minister for Defence. The Minister was sworn into office on May 28, 2019. He has spent much of the last 6 months travelling throughout the Pacific Islands and PNG, understanding the concerns of our nearest neighbours. In this episode, we cover a whole range of topics relating to the aid and development agenda in Australia, including the nexus of defence and development, climate change support to the Pacific, debt sustainability, funding for infrastructure versus funding for health and education, the role of China, our agenda in PNG, the future of our aid program, the role of NGOs, and also the advice the Minister would have liked to give himself ten years ago. This interview was a fantastic opportunity to ask the Minister many of the questions that I, and others in the sector, have been wanting to know. As always, we welcome your feedback. You can get in touch via our website <a href="http://www.goodwillhunterspodcast.com.au" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.goodwillhunterspodcast.com.au</a> and if you love the show, we'd love you to leave a review on iTunes! Enjoy, Rachel and the GWH Team

The Honourable Alex Hawke - Minister for International Development and the Pacific

Welcome to Episode 52 of Good Will Hunters. This is a special episode, summarising the four resolution that were passed at the ACFID Annual General Meeting, held in late October in Sydney. I chat to Mat Tinkler from Save the Children, Jane Edge from CBM Australia, Simon Bradshaw from Oxfam Australia and Jeremy Hobbs from ActionAid Australia. To learn more about the resolutions, visit https://acfid.asn.au/about/acfid-councilEnjoy,Rachel and the GWH Team

Welcome to Episode 52 of Good Will Hunters. This is a special episode, summarising the four resolution that were passed at the ACFID Annual General Meeting, held in late October in Sydney. I chat to Mat Tinkler from Save the Children, Jane Edge from CBM Australia, Simon Bradshaw from Oxfam Australia and Jeremy Hobbs from ActionAid Australia. To learn more about the resolutions, visit <a href="https://acfid.asn.au/about/acfid-council" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://acfid.asn.au/about/acfid-council</a> Enjoy, Rachel and the GWH Team

SPECIAL EPISODE - ACFID Annual General Meeting Wrap-Up

Sally Hetherington

Welcome to Episode 51 of Good Will Hunters, with Sally Hetherington, author of 'It's Not About Me' - a manifesto on the realities of short term volunteering, based on Sally's lived experience in Cambodia.Sally and I have a brilliant, and deeply important, conversation about why short term, unskilled volunteering often does more harm than good. We chat about the need to change the narrative around volunteering, to be more aligned with principles of local-ownership and sustainable livelihoods.As always, we welcome your feedback via our socials or our website www.goodwillhunterspodcast.com.auEnjoy,Rachel and the GWH Team

Welcome to Episode 51 of Good Will Hunters, with Sally Hetherington, author of 'It's Not About Me' - a manifesto on the realities of short term volunteering, based on Sally's lived experience in Cambodia. Sally and I have a brilliant, and deeply important, conversation about why short term, unskilled volunteering often does more harm than good. We chat about the need to change the narrative around volunteering, to be more aligned with principles of local-ownership and sustainable livelihoods. As always, we welcome your feedback via our socials or our website <a href="http://www.goodwillhunterspodcast.com.au" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.goodwillhunterspodcast.com.au</a> Enjoy, Rachel and the GWH Team

Sally Hetherington - It's Not About Me: The Other Side of Volunteering

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