DevDive

In conversation with Prashant Lingam, a Social Entrepreneur from Hyderabad, India, and co-founder of Bamboo House India. His social venture works in sustainable bamboo-based livelihoods with an aim of utilizing bamboo as an economic driver for providing sustainable livelihood opportunities to rural and tribal communities at the base of the economic pyramid and use bamboo as an eco-friendly substitute to wood, steel, iron & plastic. He is credited with building the world's first Recycled Plastic House. Prashant's innovative social business models have been globally studied with universities including Harvard and Cornell researching his work. In this episode, he speaks about his journey from looking for a furniture for his new home to building bamboo houses, initial challenges, why bamboo is a sustainable alternative to wood, and how plastic is a resource that can be used to build homes. 

In conversation with Fozia Parveen, a postdoctoral fellow and an adjunct faculty at the Centre for Water Informatics and Technology (WIT) at the Lahore University of Management Sciences. She holds a PhD in Engineering Science from the University of Oxford. Her thesis was titled, Development of Lab-scale Forward Osmosis Membrane Bioreactor (FO-MBR) with Draw Solute Regeneration for Wastewater Treatment. She completed her bachelors and masters in Environmental Sciences from Fatima Jinnah Women University and National University of Science and Technology, Pakistan. She has also started a discussion and awareness forum called ‘Meer-e-Karwan’ where she emphasises on environmental problems and women rights, amongst other issues. In this episode, she speaks to us about her early days growing up close to nature, her observations and experiences of how the environment is often not taken care of in urban areas, and the the Rs we often hear in conversations around sustainability- reduce, reuse, and recycle, and how these are evolving. She also shares some potential solutions that individuals, organisations and governments can consider to do their bit in keeping the environment healthy and safe. 

In conversation with Katie Bernhard, an environment and development economist with substantial research experience in conservation and human rights. She currently works as a Statistician and Spatial Data Analyst with an international organisation, and has experience of working in Rwanda, Uganda, and Morocco. Katie holds a Masters degree in Environment and Development from The London School of Economics and Political Science. In this episode, she speaks to us about her personal, academic and professional journey into the field of sustainability, the relationship between sustainable development and human rights, the conceptualisation of sustainability, and the impact of colonial histories on development projects. 

Disclaimer by the Guest- All views are my own and do not represent those of my present or past employers. 

In conversation with Hayat Mirshad, a feminist activist, journalist, trainer and communications and advocacy. She holds a diploma in Gender in Development and Humanitarian Assistance (GDHA) from the Lebanese American University, Beirut and a Bachelor's in English literature from the Lebanese University. Hayat is an advocate for women and girls’ rights, coordinating and leading various projects and campaigns in Lebanon. She is a co-founder and co-director at FE-MALE, a non-profit feminist collective, and Head of communications and campaigning at the Lebanese Women Democratic Gathering- RDFL, a women’s rights organization working for gender equality in Lebanon. In this episode, she speaks to us about manifestations of gender inequality, the role of communities and leaders, and feminism as a lifestyle. 

In conversation with Kosar Bano, a Gender and Adaptation Specialist based in Nepal. She holds a Masters in Gender and Development studies from Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex with the Chevening scholarship. She speaks to us about her experience of being an educator to working with women in traditional communities, the need to look beyond stereotypes and generalisations, the diversity within genders, the role of women and communities in development projects, and how anti-sexual harassment policies work in the unorganised sector. 

In conversation with Tashnuva Anan, a trans activist, performer and writer based in Bangladesh. She holds a Master's degree in Social Work from National University of Bangladesh and is currently working as a Case Management Officer at Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Program, a community based migrants organisation. In this episode of DevDive, she speaks to us about her decision to join the development sector, issues and challenges trans communities face, how they have been aggravated by the current pandemic, the importance of the #MeToo movement for trans communities, and her efforts to create a community of committed citizens working towards an inclusive and sustainable model of development.