This Week in Global Development

By Devex | Global Development

Dive into the week's most critical global development news with the This Week in Global Development podcast.

In each episode, hosts Adva Saldinger, David Ainsworth, and Rumbi Chakamba bre... more

· News

3.9

88 ratings

Download on the App Store

Download on the App Store

Get it on Google Play

FAQs about This Week in Global Development:

How many episodes does This Week in Global Development have?

The podcast currently has 157 episodes available.

This Week in Global Development episodes:

January 23, 2025 What does Trump's first week in office mean for global development?
In his first week in office, U.S. President Donald Trump has implemented several executive orders, including a 90-day freeze on U.S. foreign assistance funding. The executive order states that the “foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests” and the Trump administration plans to review aid programs to decide what should stay and what should go.

Trump also ordered the nation’s exit from the World Health Organization, citing the agency’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic and other global health crises as one of the main reasons for his decision.

Reporting live from Davos this week, this week’s episode of This week in global development podcast also brings you reactions to the start of Trump’s second term from the World Economic Forum annual meeting.

Devex Senior Editor Rumbi Chakamba sits down with Devex President and Editor-in-Chief Raj Kumar and Global Development Reporter Elissa Miolene to discuss Trump’s presidency and provide an update from the WEF annual meeting in Davos.

Sign up to the Devex Newswire and our other newsletters.
...more
29min
January 23, 2025 Davos Dispatch: ‘People may die’ if US cuts foreign aid, says UNAIDS chief
On a special special episode of This Week in Global Development, Winnie Byanyima, executive director of UNAIDS, warned of major consequences for people with HIV if U.S. under President Trump cuts funding to programs such as PEPFAR and the Global Fund.

Sign up to the Devex Newswire and our other newsletters.
...more
23min
January 22, 2025 Davos Dispatch: IOM chief talks about the realities of migration and deportation
Migration is surging worldwide — as is the backlash to it. Perhaps nowhere is this backlash more evident at the moment than in the United States, where newly minted President Donald Trump has said he will deport all of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the country.

Amy Pope doesn’t think that is practical, or productive.

Pope, director-general of the International Organization for Migration, which falls under the United Nations, told Devex that such a mass deportation would have a range of repercussions, assuming it’s even feasible.

“In the United States where you’re talking over 11 million people who’ve been living and working there, frankly — and I know this because I worked at a time when more than 400,000 people were removed in a year under President Obama — the system cannot bear removing 11 million people. The logistical capacity does not exist,” she told Devex Editor-in-Chief Raj Kumar during a special episode of the This Week in Global Development podcast from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

While the logistical capacity may not exist, the economic toll certainly does, Pope said.
“It is clear that American industry has been relying on migrants — high-skilled, low-skilled, irregular, regular — across the board. So if you start to pull out that workforce, if you do not have another workforce ready to go in, you’re going to see the impact across the board,” she said, citing industries such as agriculture, construction, manufacturing, and food processing.

Moreover, irregular migration strengthens smugglers and traffickers while weakening trust in governments.

“It undermines confidence in government. Because if the government cannot manage its border and if there’s a perception that everybody can come to the border and cross and you don’t have to wait in a line … it undermines public confidence,” she said.

Rather, governments need to set up a system where migration is legal and orderly.
“If you’ve been living in a country, if you have been holding a job, paying your taxes, not committing crimes, kids are in school, whatever … you offer people a way to regularize their status,” she said. “Let’s give them status — make sure they’re paid fairly, make sure that their entry into the workforce is being done in a regular way.”

To hear more of Pope’s thoughts — including why people migrate and what aid agencies can do in a time of ever-tightening budgets — check out the podcast.

Sign up to the Devex Newswire and our other newsletters.
...more
23min
January 17, 2025 What are the key global development trends to watch in 2025?
As we kickstart 2025, we speak to Devex President and Editor-in-Chief Raj Kumar about the trends he believes will shape global development this coming year. We examine how significant shifts, including reduced government funding in traditionally generous countries and the evolving role of philanthropy, will impact the sector.

We also revisit our exclusive interview with USAID chief Samantha Power and highlight key takeaways from the agency's latest report on localization.

What does the incoming Trump administration mean for The World Bank? What can we expect from Davos?

To dig into these topics and others Senior Reporter Adva Saldinger sits down with Devex President and Editor-in-Chief Raj Kumar and Global Development Reporter Elissa Miolene to dissect for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series, with a look ahead to the World Economic Forum.

Sign up to the Devex Newswire and our other newsletters.
...more
28min
January 14, 2025 How Samantha Power performed a delicate balancing act as USAID chief
In one of her last interviews before leaving office, Samantha Power spoke with Devex for a special edition of its This Week in Global Development podcast about navigating that push-and-pull, and how she expects the Trump administration’s USAID to face similar challenges.

Sign up to the Devex Newswire and our other newsletters.
...more
48min
January 10, 2025 What will the Trump presidency mean for the United Nations?
As the world gets ready for a second Trump presidency, significant uncertainty surrounds the United Nations as the organization prepares to implement substantial funding cuts. With the new administration predicted to prioritize national security over humanitarian and human rights principles, China may seek to fill the void left by the United States.

Faced with domestic economic pressures and competing priorities, European countries across the continent continued to make cuts to their aid budgets in 2024, including the European Commission. The trend is raising questions regarding the continent's commitment to addressing global challenges.

How will Trump’s approach to the U.N. be different to that of Biden’s? Will European countries continue to cut their foreign aid funding in 2025?

To discuss these questions, Devex Business Editor David Ainsworth sits down with Tom Hart, the president and CEO of InterAction, as well as Devex Global Development Reporter Colum Lynch, for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series.

Sign up to the Devex Newswire and our other newsletters.
...more
30min
January 03, 2025 Jimmy Carter’s legacy on global health
This week’s podcast kicks off with a look at the legacy of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who passed away at the age of 100 on Sunday. Following his four-year presidency, Carter devoted four decades to humanitarian efforts, founding The Carter Center in 1982 to promote peace and improve global health. One of his most significant contributions was his campaign to eradicate Guinea worm disease, which has now been eliminated in 17 countries.

The team also delves into a new plan to establish an African-led response to the HIV epidemic, as well as a report from Publish What You Fund, which highlights gaps in donor nations’ localization targets.

Sign up to the Devex Newswire and our other newsletters.
...more
30min
December 20, 2024 What were trends that shaped global development in 2024?
This week we delve into the key trends that have shaped the global development landscape. From the impact of declining aid budgets in high-income countries to Donald Trump’s reelection, we examine how these forces are influencing the sector and consider their implications for the year ahead.

We also explore the potential of cash transfers to revolutionize the aid sector and challenge the traditional global financial architecture.

In the United States, a landmark bill is poised to significantly expand the reach of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, potentially enabling the agency to operate in middle-income countries for the first time.

To look back at 2024 and to dig into these stories, Devex President and Editor-in-Chief Raj Kumar sits down with Yolande Wright, vice president of partnerships at GiveDirectly, and Devex Senior Business Editor David Ainsworth for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series.

Sign up to the Devex Newswire and our other newsletters.
...more
36min
December 13, 2024 A new World Bank initiative, and an infrastructure project in Africa
This week, we take a look at the Civil Society and Social Innovation Alliance, known as CIVIC, a new, forthcoming World Bank Group initiative designed to support civil society organizations and social economy players. This venture seeks to foster more collaboration in line with the bank’s localization agenda, enabling civil society to play a crucial role in addressing global challenges.

On the topic of the World Bank, the financial institution announced $23.7 billion in contributions to the International Development Association, or IDA, the bank’s fund for providing grants and low-interest loans to 78 low-income countries. This is a 0.8% increase from the last replenishment of $23.5 billion in 2022 but falls short of the $27 billion that some advocates had hoped for.

We also discuss the Lobito corridor, which will connect Angola, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo via a rail that runs to the Lobito port in Angola. With many seeing it as a key initiative in the U.S.' efforts to counter China's growing influence, we discuss the chances of it continuing under the Trump administration.

To dig into these stories, Devex’s Michael Igoe sits down with Aly Rahim, program manager of the Global Partnership for Social Accountability at the World Bank, and Senior Reporter Adva Saldinger for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series.

Sign up to the Devex Newswire and our other newsletters.
...more
42min
December 06, 2024 What do Trump's cabinet picks mean for U.S. foreign aid?
As key appointments in the Trump administration come into focus, what will they mean for U.S. foreign aid? With high-profile picks such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for health secretary and Marco Rubio for secretary of state in the spotlight, all eyes in the development community are on Trump’s yet-to-be-announced choice to lead the U.S. Agency for International Development — a decision poised to shape the future of U.S. global engagement.

In this episode of our weekly podcast series, Devex President and Editor-in-Chief Raj Kumar is joined by Devex Senior Reporter Adva Saldinger and Nasra Ismail, founder and CEO of Generative Connections, to discuss the wide range of possibilities under a Trump presidency.

Sign up to the Devex Newswire and our other newsletters.
...more
35min

FAQs about This Week in Global Development:

How many episodes does This Week in Global Development have?

The podcast currently has 157 episodes available.

More shows like This Week in Global Development

The Political Scene | The New Yorker by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The Political Scene | The New Yorker

3,900 Listeners

Global Dispatches -- World News That Matters by Global Dispatches

Global Dispatches -- World News That Matters

311 Listeners

Explain It to Me by Vox

Explain It to Me

7,838 Listeners

The Gray Area with Sean Illing by Vox

The Gray Area with Sean Illing

10,664 Listeners

Sidebar by The Washington Post

Sidebar

4,447 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

110,567 Listeners

Up First from NPR by NPR

Up First from NPR

55,899 Listeners

Capitalisn't by University of Chicago Podcast Network

Capitalisn't

543 Listeners

Today, Explained by Vox

Today, Explained

10,124 Listeners

Devex Podcasts by Devex

Devex Podcasts

13 Listeners

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat by New York Times Opinion

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

6,945 Listeners

Post Reports by The Washington Post

Post Reports

5,424 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

15,397 Listeners

The Foreign Affairs Interview by Foreign Affairs Magazine

The Foreign Affairs Interview

424 Listeners

The Interview by The New York Times

The Interview

1,487 Listeners