There is a growing resentment toward Western aid in recipient countries. There are many possible reasons why: a history of double agendas from donors, creating dependencies; a strong desire for self-determination; an increasingly multipolar wor

Uncomfortable Partnerships - Engagement in ‘Politically Estranged’ Settings Like Afghanistan

Jul 13th, 2023 27m 22s

A string of coups and regime changes in 2021 and 2022 triggered the question: How should the international community respond to such situations? Do you disengage your support and thereby leave people to their threatening fate, or stay engaged w

The Truth Is Out – Now What? Discussing the Colombian Truth Commission Report

Jun 13th, 2023 27m 16s

In 2022, the Colombian Truth Commission published its 10.000-page thick report ‘Hay Futuro Si Hay Verdad’. It describes the immense impact the conflict had – and still has – on the victims of the civil war and society as a whole. Together with

Why Indigenous Women’s Views on Climate Security Matter - A Colombian Case

Jun 12th, 2023 26m 31s

When we think of security, we usually think of weapons, patrols, war and crime. For many indigenous people in Colombia however, security is more linked to well-being of the collective community and its natural environment. Our guest, Cristina H

The ‘Mental Landscape’ When Living Amidst Violence

Apr 12th, 2023 30m 40s

Violence and poverty have a large impact on one’s “mental landscape”, as our guest Mareike Schomerus, Vice President of Busara, refers to it. A ‘mental landscape’ encompasses the many experiences, memories and emotions that influence your decis

A Peacebuilding Legacy By And For Youth

Mar 14th, 2023 23m 11s

Peacebuilding initiatives regularly only produce small scale, short-lived results. Our guest Dr. Sukanya Podder (researcher at King’s College London) says it’s time to think in terms of the Peacebuilding Legacy. That means: not-too-tightly plan

Women on the Frontlines: Stories of Climate Action Led By Women

Jul 6th, 2022 22m 15s

Climate change discussions are often about emissions, finance and sustainable alternatives. However, today’s guests bring in women’s stories; a perspective seldomly included in climate action. Climate change especially affects those who are dep

Demystifying 'Trust Building' - A Palestinian Case

Jun 7th, 2022 26m 11s

In our work, we talk about ‘trust’ a lot. Trust between groups, trust within partnerships, trust between people and their governments. However, especially in security contexts, trust can play various roles - in addition, what is considered trus

Inclusive Process vs. Inclusive Outcomes

May 3rd, 2022 25m 33s

‘Inclusive governance’ is the rising star of development lingo in a time of rising authoritarianism and shrinking civic space. But do the Global North and Global South share a common understanding of what it is, and are development actors aware

Lacking Evidence for Evidence-Based Policies

Apr 6th, 2022 28m 2s

There is not enough evidence to show that evidence leads to better development policies and programming. This ironic conclusion comes from the paper ‘What Have We Learned About Learning?’, by International Development Consultant, Dr. Pablo Yang

The Knowledge Economy: Somalia

Mar 1st, 2022 31m 6s

‘Knowledge is power’ is true on many levels for data collection and analyses within the development sector. Too often, the voices of western consultants that are shortly flown into the country are valued over local voices. In this episode, Soma

Strategic Confusion: Lebanese Refugee Governance

Feb 1st, 2022 26m 25s

Lebanon is going through a grave political crisis. Two important factors are unresponsive governance and a complex refugee situation - themes that come together in Dutch researcher Nora Stel’s recent book ‘Hybrid Political Order and the Politic

Returning to Stability? Refugee Returns in the Great Lakes Region

May 13th, 2021 29m 34s

Return is often seen as the preferred solution for refugees. However, this is not merely a logistical exercise; it has profound consequences for political dynamics in a given region. In this episode of the Fragile Truths, Frank Huisingh (Senior

Grounded Legitimacy: Strengthening Local Land Registration In Conflict-Affected Northern Uganda

Apr 29th, 2021 35m 57s

Although a key policy intervention for addressing conflict, land reform programs have complex implications for legitimacy of (inter)national and local actors. In this episode of Fragile Truths, Sudi Suleiman (Policy Officer at the Dutch MFA) ta

Legitimacy Of Traditional Authorities: Mali, Niger And Libya

Apr 14th, 2021 36m

Traditional or informal authorities play a significant role in governance – especially in fragile settings in which the formal state is absent, weak or contested. In this episode of Fragile Truths, Asma Hashi (Policy Officer Human Security at t

Trailer

Fragile Truths: Trailer

Apr 7th, 2021 3m 15s

Welcome, Fragile Truths listeners!Fragile Truths is a new podcast that dives into some of the key assumptions underpinning current Security & Rule of Law policies.What lies beneath key decisions? What evidence do we have that our policies and

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