GDI Webinar: Engaging with complexity, ambiguity & identity: a leadership challenge for leaders in development
Watch an extract of Natalie Cunningham’s webinar on ‘Engaging with complexity, ambiguity and identity – a leadership challenge for leaders in the world of development’. read more…
Covid-19 and the Hrishipara Diarists: May 2020: climbing for a fall?
The story so far
The first blog in this series was written just after an anti-corona lockdown was enforced in Bangladesh on 26th March 2020. We showed how the shock was dealt with by the 60 low-income households in central Bangladesh who volunteer as ‘diarists’ in our daily financial diary project. In the second blog we saw just how bad things got during April 2020, the first full month under lockdown. In this, the third blog in the series, we look at the partial recovery that took place in May. read more…
In conversation: Alicya Mamo and Shamima Khonat founders of Electric Bazaar
In the latest episode of our ‘In Conversation’ podcast we caught up with Shamima and Alicya; two Manchester Alumni whose fashion business was recently highly commended for social innovation at the Manchester Making A Difference Awards 2020. read more…
How Greater Manchester Savers were Inspired by African Activists
For many years, as part of our master’s in Global Urban Development and Planning, we’ve welcomed members of Shack/Slum Dwellers International (SDI) to teach students in Manchester. More recently, we’ve introduced SDI members to Manchester based community groups and have helped facilitate a series of exchanges between them. With support from the Realising Just Cities programme at Sheffield’s Urban Institute, this has helped to catalyse the Greater Manchester Savers, who have just published a new report documenting their story so far. This is a short extract. read more…
GDI Webinar: Women’s empowerment and healthy digital dividends with Dr Gindo Tampubolon
Watch Gindo Tampubolon, Lecturer in Poverty at The Global Development Institute discusses ‘Women’s empowerment and healthy digital dividends: Depression in Dhaka slums 2018’ read more…
Understanding the Impacts of Covid-19 on Livelihoods in Bangladesh: Findings from the PPRC-BIGD Rapid Response Survey
Dr Nicola Banks, Senior Lecturer in Urban Development and Professor David Hulme, Professor of Development Studies
On 21 May we had the pleasure of attending a webinar and report launch hosted by our long-standing research partners in Bangladesh, the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) at BRAC University and the Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC). As the scale of the Covid-19 challenge became apparent earlier this year, these two distinguished research centres came together to plan a longitudinal Rapid Response Survey into Livelihoods, Coping and Support Systems During Covid-19. While admirably rapid in response to the crisis – thereby feeding into Government and NGO practical responses on the ground – the speed in execution did not sacrifice anything in the way of research rigour and Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman of PPRC and Dr Imran Matin of BIGD presented findings from a survey conducted in early April, just after the Government launched a ‘holiday’ lock-down period. A follow-up survey will be conducted in June to see how things have changed. read more…
New September entry for distance learning course on Management and Information Systems
Our two years master’s programme in Management and Information Systems: Change and Development is now accepting students for September 2020 entry. So if you’re in a job you love or have family commitments – but still want to immerse yourself in postgraduate study, then this distance learning programme might be course for you.
read more…
Md Saiful Islam – An obituary and an appreciation
It is with deep sadness that I report the death of Md Saiful Islam (“Saiful bhai”) earlier this week in Bogra from a heart attack. Many Manchester colleagues have worked with Saiful over the last 20 years from when he was a Research Assistant on the Portfolios of the Poor project based in Madhupur to more recent times when he worked in Brac Institute of Governance & Development (BIGD) headquarters office in Dhaka. read more…
Migration and development: What now with Covid-19?
Dr Tanja Bastia, Reader, Global Development Institute and Professor Ronald Skeldon, Emeritus Professor, University of Sussex
Since our Handbook of Migration and Development was published last month, the world has changed in an unimaginable way. Migration, or the movement from one place to another, has basically stopped as most of the world’s population has been put in lockdown, of one form or another. What are the implications of this dramatic stop of migration for development? read more…
Surviving a pandemic without a toilet
Isis Barei-Guyot, PhD researcher, Global Development Institute
Across the globe, we are collectively living a traumatic experience in the form of the coronavirus pandemic. In the global North there have been drastic changes to everyday life, rendering it almost unrecognisable. Some of the major changes have been social distancing and isolation, which whether experienced alone or in the company of others can be very challenging. Isolating ultimately keeps us and those we love safe, but for those living in informal settlements in the global South, it could even be seen as a privilege. read more…