catalystas' podcast

What does corporate investment have to do with feminism and climate change? How can we create a future where feminist organizations and climate action can align to access critical funding? How can governments develop better regulations to protect their citizens while encouraging economic growth and foreign investment? We're tackling these questions - and more - in this episode of Catalystas: Unfolding Change.

Catalystas founders Beatrice Maneshi and Aviva Stein are joined by Aditi Mukund, the founder of the Women in International Relations Network (WIRN), and Leonida Odongo, founder of Haki Nawiri Afrika to discuss the findings of our research paper, a project undertaken as part of the Walking the Talk consortium. Walking the Talk has convened a compendium of 13 research projects under the theme of The Architecture of Change: Financing for Feminist Futures.

Our paper, entitled How Climate Response and Mitigation Financing Intersect with Feminist Funding, examines the role of the private sector and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in advancing feminist financing in alignment with climate response, as well as the role of government in designing and implementing regulations on corporate investment. We examine barriers hindering grassroots and feminist organizations, diving deep into the cases of Kenya and India. Tune in to this episode to hear what we found - and what we recommend!

How has civil activism in Syria evolved over the years, and what role will it play in shaping the country's future? In this episode, we explore the resilience and impact of Syrian civil society, from the early days of grassroots activism to today's ongoing efforts in governance, peacebuilding, and reconstruction. Join us in a conversation between Syrian Civil Society Leaders, our very own Rami Touma, Sara Ajlyakin of Al-Jumhuriya Collective, Muzna Dured of the Nobel Women's Initiative and Assaad Al Achi of The Syria Resource Group on a conversation of where Syrian civil society has been and where it is going today and what the country need most from the internatinoal community.

Catalystas Co-Founders Aviva and Beatrice sit down to discuss Gender Mainstreaming and how organizations can put their money where their mouths are to realize truly transformative change towards gender equality, instead of just ticking a box and maintaining the status quo.

If the thought of having to go through an external evaluation fills your organization with dread, this is the podcast episode for you! Listen in as our founders pull back the curtain on the external evaluation process as senior lead evaluators themselves. We discuss how to prepare your teams and your projects for evaluations from the evaluator perspective; what will make the process go as smoothly as possible from start to finish, how to design your program from the outset with the need for a final evaluation in mind, and tips to make the evaluation experience a positive one for everyone.

In this episode, Catalystas founders Beatrice Maneshi and Aviva Stein share the audio of their presentation on Breaking the Cycle: Donor Involvement, Evaluation, Accountability at the Online IDEAS Conference 2022 on the Power Of Evaluation: Influencing Decision Making for a Better and More Equal World. As expert evaluators, we've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to both programming and partnership dynamics between donors, implementing organizations, local partners, and beneficiary stakeholders. Listen in to hear our take on the challenges facing evaluation - and evaluators - today, and our take on how to transform evaluation processes from an underutilized, underengaged rote exercise, to a participatory, inclusive tool for learning and growth. If you'd like to see our presentation slides, or learn more about our proposed solutions, we'd love to hear from you!

Catalystas Judith and Ambika sit down with Priscilla Philips, founder of the independent African queer lifestyle magazine LGBT Africa, and explore the experiences of being a queer woman in Africa, starting a platform for activism, creativity, and community, and challenging heteronormative narratives in hopes of a better, safer future.