Épisodes

  • Jack Wertheimer, "Jewish Giving: Philanthropy and the Shaping of American Jewish Life" (NYU Press, 2025)

    Jack Wertheimer, "Jewish Giving: Philanthropy and the Shaping of American Jewish Life" (NYU Press, 2025)
    Dec 10 2025
    The American Jewish philanthropic enterprise is unparalleled in scope, dynamism, and the diversity of funders and the causes they support. Yet even as Jewish giving has been largely successful in responding with alacrity to emergencies, it has been subjected to severe criticism. What once was regarded as a point of pride has become the object of scorn and dismissal, with skepticism--if not harsh criticism--about its work rife both within and outside Jewish communal circles. Based on 320 interviews with professionals at Jewish not-for-profits across the United States, principals of foundations and their top staff personnel, and also tax filings of major foundations, Jewish Giving: Philanthropy and the Shaping of American Jewish Life (NYU Press, 2025) provides readers with fresh perspectives to evaluate the efforts of Jewish donors, large and small. The book traces the evolution of Jewish giving from the colonial era to the present, charting the changing profile of those who give to Jewish causes and what funders have aimed to achieve through their largesse. It makes the case that philanthropy serves as a prism through which broader themes in communal life are illuminated. As society or politics change, the priorities of charitable giving adjust in response. These changes in targeted funding can help to sharpen our understanding of demographic and social patterns. Devoting much attention to twenty-first century developments in contemporary Jewish giving, the book pays special attention to the changing landscape of donors who are remaking Jewish philanthropy, including women, Orthodox Jews, Sephardi givers, and young funders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 h et 1 min
  • What is Happening in the Mediterranean Right Now – And Why You Should Care

    What is Happening in the Mediterranean Right Now – And Why You Should Care
    Nov 26 2025
    Since 2014 more than 32,000 people have died trying to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe. As the EU and its member states have been increasingly prioritising migration deterrence over human life, civic organisations have stepped in and are carrying out search and rescue operations. SOS Humanity is one of these organisations. Janna Sauerteig joins us to talk about the work SOS Humanity and other civilian search and rescue organisations do, the obstacles they face from member states and the EU, the role of the so-called “Libyan Coast Guard”, the ways in which deadly policies are part of the European global and democratic crisis, and possible solutions. The data about deaths in the Mediterranean mentioned in the podcast are from the Missing Migrants Project. We also mentioned the evidence that migrants and even Black residents are rounded up from North African cities and dumped in the desert; this is from a 2024 investigation by El Pais (in Spanish) and Lighthouse Reports (in English). Transcript of episode here. Guest: Janna Sauerteig is Mobilization and Advocacy Manager at SOS Humanity. Their latest report “Borders of (In)humanity”, published this May, demonstrates the connection between the EU’s migration externalisation policies and human rights violations in the Central Mediterranean, namely through EU and bilateral cooperation with Libya and Tunisia in the field of search and rescue. The report is based on survivors’ testimonies which collected by SOS Humanity. Presenter: Licia Cianetti is Associate Professor at the University of Birmingham and Founding Deputy Director of CEDAR. The People, Power, Politics podcast brings you the latest insights into the factors that are shaping and re-shaping our political world. It is brought to you by the Centre for Elections, Democracy, Accountability and Representation (CEDAR) based at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    32 min
  • Democracy and Freedom: The Role of Philanthropy and Education

    Democracy and Freedom: The Role of Philanthropy and Education
    Nov 23 2025
    This week, we feature an episode with Dr. Alvaro Salas-Castro, President and CEO of the Reynolds Foundation, and Founder and Chairman of the Democracy Lab Foundation, which fosters civic innovation. We discuss the current state of the freedom and democracy movement, how philanthropic partnerships and democracy defenders are responding to authoritarianism, and how we create new transnational narratives and collaborative practices to support the movement for freedom and rights. We also dive into innovative projects in civic education and their potential to foster democratic renewal and commitments from the ground up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    45 min
  • Kathleen Smithers, "Tourism, Philanthropy and School Tours in Zimbabwe: Problematising "Win-Win" Discourses" (Routledge, 2024)

    Kathleen Smithers, "Tourism, Philanthropy and School Tours in Zimbabwe: Problematising "Win-Win" Discourses" (Routledge, 2024)
    Sep 21 2025
    In Tourism, Philanthropy and School Tours in Zimbabwe: Problematising "Win-Win" Discourses (Routledge, 2024), Kathleen Smithers investigates the tensions between a school's role as a communal learning space and its function as a spectacle for tourists. Using a school in Matabeleland North as a case study, Smithers analyzes how school tours, often motivated by the need for funding, navigate the complexities of authenticity. Adopting a unique interdisciplinary approach, the book reveals the challenges inherent in tourism partnerships that include philanthropic elements and unpacks the use of stereotypical cultural images. The book provides a multi-faceted view by exploring these dynamics through the eyes of students, teachers, school leaders, and tourism professionals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    58 min
  • The end of aid? US, China, and the future of development

    The end of aid? US, China, and the future of development
    Aug 28 2025
    In early 2025, headlines announced that the Trump administration would move to dramatically slash USAID—the United States’ flagship development agency. For many, the move was surprising, even self-defeating: why would a president so focused on countering China weaken one of Washington’s most effective tools of soft power? At the same time, China’s development finance continues to expand, and geopolitical competition over infrastructure intensifies, raising alarm bells across Washington and beyond. To help us make sense of this moment—and the broader politics of foreign aid—we’re joined by Jack Taggart, an expert on global governance and development, who discusses what these cuts mean for U.S. strategy, China’s rise, and the contested terrain of development and aid in today’s world. BIO: Jack Taggart is a Senior Lecturer in International Political Economy at Queen’s University Belfast. His research spans international political economy, global governance, and global development, focusing on shifting dynamics in development cooperation, such as the rise of new state and private actors, aid financialization, and development finance transformations. He also examines global governance institutions and the growing role of “multistakeholderism” in areas ranging from economic policy to environmental treaties. Links: The Second Cold War and Demise of the Western Foreign Aid Regime by Jack Taggart, SCWO Dispatch How to DOGE USAID by Daniela Gabor in Phenomenal World Industrial Policy and Imperial Realignment by Ilias Alami, Tom Chodor, Jack Taggart in Phenomenal World Rethinking d/Development by Emma Mawdsley and Jack Taggart in Progress in Human Geography Fictions of Financialization by Nick Bernard Rendering development investible: the anti-politics machine and the financialisation of development by Jack Taggart and Marcus Power in Progress in Human Geography Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    52 min
  • Genocide Studies International Partners with New Books Network

    Genocide Studies International Partners with New Books Network
    Jul 8 2025
    Today I’m thrilled to announce a new partnership with Genocide Studies International. GSI is one of the preeminent journals in the field of Genocide Studies. Published by the University of Toronto Press and housed in the Zoryan Institute, GSI is dedicated to “to raising knowledge and awareness among scholars, policy makers, and civil society actors by providing a forum for the critical analysis of genocide, human rights, crimes against humanity, and related mass atrocities.” With this new partnership, I’ll be bringing you interviews with the editors and authors of cutting-edge articles and special editions on the journal. This isn’t new—we’ve done this with several other journals before. But by formalizing our partnership, we hope you’ll have more access to the best recent research and analysis on the causes, course and consequences of mass atrocity violence. It’s a partnership that enriches both organizations. In a few weeks, you’ll hear from Alex Alvarez, the editor of a new special issue on genocide education. But first I got a chance to talk with Henry Thierault, one of the editors of the journal, and Megan Reid, Deputy Executive Director of the Zoryan Institute. We discuss the editorial vision of the journal, the Zoryan Institute’s role in genocide education and prevention, and the reasons we’re so excited about the partnership. I hope you enjoy our discussion. Kelly McFall is Professor of History and Director of the Honors Program at Newman University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    37 min
  • Hali Lee, "The Big We" (Zando - Sweet July Books, 2025)

    Hali Lee, "The Big We" (Zando - Sweet July Books, 2025)
    May 24 2025
    Hali Lee's The Big We (Zando, 2025) offers a compelling counterpoint to traditional billionaire-driven philanthropy (which she dubs "Big Phil"). Instead of logic models and donor-centric metrics, Lee champions giving circles—groups of everyday people who pool resources to support causes they value while building genuine community connections. Drawing from her experiences founding the Asian Women Giving Circle and co-creating the Donors of Color Network, Lee showcases giving circles making tangible impact: Seiji's neighborhood-focused Radfund in Brooklyn, Lily's youth philanthropy group in Arizona, and Lisa's circle that's moved over $1 million to progressive state legislative candidates. These stories illustrate how small, collective actions can drive significant change while fostering belonging and joy. The book's "Me to We to Big We" framework guides readers from personal reflection on values toward collective action and ultimately toward strengthening democracy itself. Lee argues that giving circles aren't merely funding mechanisms—they're antidotes to loneliness, laboratories for civic engagement, and bridges reconnecting us to cultural traditions of generosity. By democratizing philanthropy, these circles transform not just how we give, but how we relate to each other and engage as citizens in an increasingly fragmented society. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    41 min
  • Mara Kardas-Nelson, "We Are Not Able to Live in the Sky: The Seductive Promise of Microfinance" (Metropolitan Books, 2024)

    Mara Kardas-Nelson, "We Are Not Able to Live in the Sky: The Seductive Promise of Microfinance" (Metropolitan Books, 2024)
    Nov 5 2024
    In this deeply researched and compelling narrative, journalist Mara Kardas-Nelson examines the complex history and impact of microfinance - the practice of giving small loans to poor people, particularly women, that was once hailed as a revolutionary solution to global poverty. Through intimate portraits of borrowers in Sierra Leone and extensive interviews with key figures in the microfinance movement, Kardas-Nelson reveals how an idea that began with noble intentions became a multi-billion dollar industry with sometimes devastating consequences for the very people it aimed to help. We Are Not Able to Live in the Sky: The Seductive Promise of Microfinance (Metropolitan Books, 2024) weaves together two parallel narratives: the stories of women in Sierra Leone struggling with high-interest microloans while trying to support their families, and the history of how microfinance evolved from a small experiment into a global phenomenon championed by the likes of Hillary Clinton and Muhammad Yunus. Through careful reporting and historical analysis, Kardas-Nelson explores how problematic ideologies about poverty, entrepreneurship, and individual responsibility shaped the development of microfinance programs, often overlooking local economic realities and existing informal lending practices. What makes this book particularly valuable is how it challenges conventional narratives about microfinance without dismissing the real needs that drive people to seek these loans. Through detailed portraits of women in Sierra Leone, Kardas-Nelson shows how borrowers navigate a complex web of debt, social obligations, and economic pressures. The author raises important questions about whether encouraging poor people to take on high-interest debt is truly the best way to address poverty, while also examining alternative approaches like direct cash transfers and comprehensive social services. This timely investigation offers crucial insights for anyone interested in international development, poverty alleviation, and the often unintended consequences of well-meaning interventions in the lives of the world's poor. Through meticulous reporting and thoughtful analysis, Kardas-Nelson challenges readers to think more critically about how we approach poverty alleviation and what truly constitutes meaningful economic development. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    44 min