EHTZ - Everyday Humanitarianism in Tanzania

What have we learned from five years of researching everyday humanitarianism in Tanzania—and what’s next?

In this final episode, we reflect on the journey of EHTZ. From key insights and turning points to the evolving landscape of humanitarian research, we explore what the project achieved, what surprised us along the way, and what lies ahead for both scholarship and practice in Tanzania.

To discuss this, our host Alex Maxelon is joined by:

• Prof. Lisa Ann Richey, Principal Investigator of EHTZ and Professor of Globalization at Copenhagen Business School (CBS), whose interdisciplinary work has shaped the study of humanitarianism, aid branding, and North–South relations.
• Prof. Herbert Hambati, Associate Professor of Human Geography at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) and South Coordinator of the project, with research expertise in disaster management, environmental planning, and local resilience.

This podcast is part of the Everyday Humanitarianism in Tanzania (EHTZ) research project—a collaboration between universities in Denmark and Tanzania. Funded by Danida and led by Professor Lisa Ann Richey, the project explores how ordinary people engage in humanitarian action. Learn more at everydayhumanitarianismintanzania.org. 

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What happens when research leaves the classroom and enters the public conversation?

In this thirteenth episode, we bring you a special live recording from the EHTZ research dissemination event in Dar es Salaam. The discussion focuses on how findings from the Everyday Humanitarianism in Tanzania project resonate beyond academia—and what they mean for practice, policy, and public dialogue.

To guide this conversation, veteran broadcaster Hamza Kassongo, one of Tanzania’s most respected media personalities and a member of the EHTZ Advisory Board, moderates a panel featuring:

• Prof. Lisa Ann Richey, Principal Investigator of EHTZ and Professor of Globalization at Copenhagen Business School (CBS), and
• Prof. Daudi Mukangara, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) and South Team Leader of EHTZ. His work focuses on peace-building, governance, and democracy across East and Southern Africa.

This podcast is part of the Everyday Humanitarianism in Tanzania (EHTZ) research project—a collaboration between universities in Denmark and Tanzania. Funded by Danida and led by Professor Lisa Ann Richey, the project explores how ordinary people engage in humanitarian action. Learn more at everydayhumanitarianismintanzania.org. 

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How can academic research influence real-world decisions?

In this twelfth episode, we explore what it takes to move research beyond academic journals and into the hands of policymakers. What makes findings stick? What are the obstacles to engagement? And how can researchers work more effectively across the gap between knowledge and action?

To discuss this, our host Alex Maxelon is joined by Peter Kragelund, Director of the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) and Senior Researcher at EHTZ. With a background in political economy and international development, his work spans issues of South–South cooperation, private-sector development, and policy influence in Sub-Saharan Africa.

This podcast is part of the Everyday Humanitarianism in Tanzania (EHTZ) research project—a collaboration between universities in Denmark and Tanzania. Funded by Danida and led by Professor Lisa Ann Richey, the project explores how ordinary people engage in humanitarian action. Learn more at everydayhumanitarianismintanzania.org. 

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How does gender shape humanitarian action?

In this eleventh episode, we explore what humanitarianism looks like when viewed through a feminist lens. From everyday acts of care to the politics of aid, we discuss how gender influences who gives, who receives, and whose voices are heard in times of crisis. We also reflect on the power of women-led grassroots efforts and their often-overlooked role in shaping humanitarian responses across Tanzania.

To discuss this, our host Janette Kotivirta is joined by Mary Rusimbi, a Tanzanian activist, educator, and gender and development expert. She is a founding member of the Tanzania Gender Networking Programme (TGNP), serves on the EHTZ Advisory Board, and has worked extensively with civil society organizations across the region to promote gender equality and good governance.

This podcast is part of the Everyday Humanitarianism in Tanzania (EHTZ) research project—a collaboration between universities in Denmark and Tanzania. Funded by Danida and led by Professor Lisa Ann Richey, the project explores how ordinary people engage in humanitarian action. Learn more at everydayhumanitarianismintanzania.org.

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Who deserves help—and who decides?

In this tenth episode, we explore how Tanzanians think about giving through the lens of deservingness. Drawing on a large-scale survey conducted across three regions, we examine how people assess need, respond to crisis, and make decisions about who is worth supporting.

To discuss this, our host Alex Maxelon is joined by:

• Prof. Mogens Kamp Justesen, Professor of Political Economy at Copenhagen Business School (CBS) and Director of the CBS Inequality Platform. His work focuses on political institutions, inequality, and democratic governance across African contexts.
• Dr. Innocent Pantaleo, Senior Lecturer and Head of the Department of Economics at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), where he also serves as Deputy Coordinator of the Centre for Behavioural Studies. His expertise lies in behavioural and development economics, with a focus on public policy and poverty analysis.

For a deeper dive into the themes of this episode, we recommend:

📁 Hambati, H., Justesen, M. K., Pantaleo, I., & Richey, L. A. (2024). Deservingness and Support in Everyday Humanitarianism [Policy Brief].

This podcast is part of the Everyday Humanitarianism in Tanzania (EHTZ) research project—a collaboration between universities in Denmark and Tanzania. Funded by Danida and led by Professor Lisa Ann Richey, the project explores how ordinary people engage in humanitarian action. Learn more at everydayhumanitarianismintanzania.org. 

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How do local acts of help reshape refugee support beyond the confines of the camps?

In this ninth episode, we explore how humanitarian responses unfold in and around Tanzania’s refugee camps—not just from NGOs and international actors, but from Tanzanian citizens and refugees themselves.

To discuss this, our host Alex Maxelon is joined by:

• Prof. Simon Turner, Professor of Social Anthropology at Lund University and Senior Researcher at EHTZ, whose work focuses on forced displacement, refugee camps as spaces of confinement across East Africa.
• Dr. Yvette Ruzibiza, Visiting Scholar at the University of Amsterdam and researcher at EHTZ. She is an ethnographer with expertise in refugee lives, migration, and cross-border solidarity.

For a deeper dive into the themes of this episode, we recommend:

📄 Turner, S., & Ruzibiza, Y. (2024). Precarious Care across Migrant Generations in Tanzania. Genealogy, 8(3), 110.

📁 Msoka, R., Ruzibiza, Y., & Turner, S. (2024). Everyday Humanitarianism in Refugee-Affected Areas [Policy Brief].

📰 Ruzibiza, Y., & Turner, S. (2023). Tanzania’s Open Door to Refugees Narrows. Migration Policy Institute.

This podcast is part of the Everyday Humanitarianism in Tanzania (EHTZ) research project—a collaboration between universities in Denmark and Tanzania. Funded by Danida and led by Professor Lisa Ann Richey, the project explores how ordinary people engage in humanitarian action. Learn more at everydayhumanitarianismintanzania.org. 

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How do religious ties shape the way people help each other in times of crisis?

In this eight episode, we explore the role of faith in everyday humanitarianism. Drawing on research from Kilosa, Tanzania, we examine how individual religious actors—rather than large organizations—mobilize aid in the face of floods and other disasters.

To discuss this, our host Alex Maxelon is joined by Dr. Lucas Kitula, Assistant Lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam and researcher at EHTZ. His recent PhD research focused on religious giving in disaster-affected communities, exploring how faith-based values influence everyday acts of care and solidarity.

For a deeper dive into the themes of this episode, we recommend:

📖 Kitula, L. S., & Mhando, N. E. (2024). The Impact of Religious Influence on Humanitarianism: Evidence from Local Communities Affected by Floods in Kilosa, Tanzania. Tanzania Journal of Population Studies and Development, 31(1).

This podcast is part of the Everyday Humanitarianism in Tanzania (EHTZ) research project—a collaboration between universities in Denmark and Tanzania. Funded by Danida and led by Professor Lisa Ann Richey, the project explores how ordinary people engage in humanitarian action. Learn more at everydayhumanitarianismintanzania.org. 

🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review!

How do Tanzania’s elites and middle classes contribute to humanitarian efforts?

In this seventh episode, we examine how wealthier Tanzanians respond to crises—not as foreign donors or aid workers, but as neighbors, employers, and community leaders. From financial contributions to in-kind support and social networking, we explore how giving is shaped by proximity, obligation, and moral expectation.

To discuss this, our host Alex Maxelon is joined by:

• Peter Kragelund, Director of the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) and Senior Researcher at EHTZ. His work focuses on international political economy, South–South cooperation, and the role of private-sector actors in African development.
• Dr. Consolata Raphael Sulley, Senior Lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) and Senior Researcher at EHTZ. Her expertise lies in gender, democracy, and electoral politics in Tanzania and the broader region.

For a deeper dive into the themes of this episode, we recommend:

📁 Kitula, L., Kragelund, P., Mukangara, D., Richey, L. A., & Sulley, C. R. (2024). Elite Giving in Everyday Humanitarianism [Policy Brief]. EHTZ Website.

This podcast is part of the Everyday Humanitarianism in Tanzania (EHTZ) research project—a collaboration between universities in Denmark and Tanzania. Funded by Danida and led by Professor Lisa Ann Richey, the project explores how ordinary people engage in humanitarian action. Learn more at everydayhumanitarianismintanzania.org. 

🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review!

Who helps when disasters strike—and what are their main challenges?

In this sixth episode, we explore how Tanzanian communities respond to natural disasters such as floods, droughts, and earthquakes. While formal systems are often slow to act, ordinary people step in with immediate support. We examine how everyday giving operates alongside—and sometimes in spite of—formal institutions, and what this means for disaster preparedness, equity, and recognition.

To discuss this, our host Alex Maxelon is joined by:

• Dr. Line Engbo Gissel, Associate Professor at Roskilde University (RUC), whose research explores the politics of international law, transnational justice, and how legal institutions interact with African governance systems.
• Dr. Esther Mlingwa, Lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) and Researcher at EHTZ. Her research within EHTZ focuses on legal and institutional frameworks related to everyday humanitarianism.

For a deeper dive into the themes of this episode, we recommend:

📄 Mlingwa, E. (2024). The Legal and Institutional Challenges Facing Community-Based Disaster Management in Tanzania. Tanzania Journal of Population Studies and Development, 31(1).

📁 Gissel, L. E., Hambati, H., Majamba, H., & Mlingwa, E. (2024). Everyday Humanitarianism in Disaster Response [Policy Brief]. EHTZ Website.

This podcast is part of the Everyday Humanitarianism in Tanzania (EHTZ) research project—a collaboration between universities in Denmark and Tanzania. Funded by Danida and led by Professor Lisa Ann Richey, the project explores how ordinary people engage in humanitarian action. Learn more at everydayhumanitarianismintanzania.org. 

🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review!

How does humanitarianism reproduce or resist the legacies of colonialism?

In this fifth episode, we take a closer look at what it means to decolonize humanitarianism—not just in theory, but through the lived realities of people navigating aid and governance in spaces shaped by inequality and control. We explore how these dynamics play out in Palestine and reflect on what comparisons with Tanzania reveal about legitimacy, power, and everyday practices of care.

To discuss this, our host Alex Maxelon is joined by Prof. Somdeep Sen, Associate Professor in International Development Studies at Roskilde University (RUC) and author of Decolonizing Palestine: Hamas between the Anticolonial and the Postcolonial. His work explores race, liberation movements, settler colonialism, and spatial politics, and his writing has appeared in both academic and global media outlets.

For a deeper dive into the themes of this episode, we recommend:

📖 Sen, S. (2020). Decolonizing Palestine: Hamas between the Anticolonial and the Postcolonial. Cornell University Press.

This podcast is part of the Everyday Humanitarianism in Tanzania (EHTZ) research project—a collaboration between universities in Denmark and Tanzania. Funded by Danida and led by Professor Lisa Ann Richey, the project explores how ordinary people engage in humanitarian action. Learn more at everydayhumanitarianismintanzania.org. 

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