In this extended interview, Nate and Albion discuss:

• The hopes of AusAID favourably hearing this suggestion, especially considering the recently published ‘Framework for working in fragile and conflict-affected states: Guidance for staff’ report.
• The efficacy and previous successes of peaceful conflict resolution.

Dr. Meredith Burgmann

At the recent Pacific Islands forum the Gillard government annoucned a number of new aid initiatives. Amongst them was the announcement of a 10 year, $320 million Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development initiative, aimed at empowering women in the Pacific politically, economically and socially. Ambitious in its hopes, it has been widely praised and lauded by the aid community in Australia.

The Australian Council for International Development’s (ACFID) President Dr. Meredith Burgmann talks with Albion Harrison-Naish about the initiative, the situation for women in the Pacific and what we might hope to see achieved by this announcement.

Duration: 17 minutes

Liz Barrett

Sydney-based AID/WATCH celebrates their 20th anniversary this year. Albion Harrison-Naish caught up with their Campaigner, Liz Barrett to discuss the highs and lows of the last 20 years as well as what still needs to be done. This extended interview includes 11 minutes of new material, in which Liz talks about mining for development, the Cambodian Railways Project and the need for civil society to keep government aid programs accountable, transparent and ethical.

Duration: 23 minutes

Duration: 16mins

CUFA’s Executive Officer, Peter Mason in Laos visiting representatives of the Bank of Lao P.D.R. Image credit: CUFA

This year, 2012, is the UN International Year of the Cooperatives. It is aimed at increasing awareness of alternative business models that are often highly successful. The Australian Credit Union movement’s development arm is CUFA. AidWorks speaks with CUFA’s Executive Officer, Peter Mason, about how poor people can still save and benefit from financial literacy and services. CUFA work in partnerships with communities and credit unions primarily in the Pacific region, to help build financial literacy and understanding as well as provide micro finance services, but not micro loans. They instead work towards savings and other credit union co-operative based directions.

Duration: 17 minutes

Brendan with some of the staff of the Tamale office.

In this extended and exclusive interview with WhyDev’s Brendan Rigby, he and Albion discuss working for UNICEF Ghana, participation in education and the growth of the development blogosphere. In particular, Brendan reflects on his experience with UNICEF Ghana supporting a complementary basic education program targeting out of school children, explaining how it is successful and highlighting the challenges that lie ahead. Brendan also discusses AusAID’s Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development (AYAD) program and the growth of the aid and development blogosphere.

Duration: 33 minutes

Image courtesy of ActionAid

Executive Director of ActionAid Australia, Archie Law, in discussion with AidWorks’ Albion Harrison-Naish. In the conversation Archie talks about a host of subjects while considering the recent Australian aid budget with its concomitant aid effectiveness measures, the current situation in the Sahel region of West Africa as well as food security issues and the G8 meeting at Camp David.

Touching on the need for theoretical discussions to be constantly grounded in the daily experience of the people that aid is trying to help, and the problems of growth led development models, Archie shares his views and insights in this wide ranging interview.

Duration: 25 mins 29 secs

Image courtesy of Business 21C

In this exclusive extended interview for WhyDev, Opportunity International Australia’s Philanthropy Director, Stephen Robertson speaks with AidWorks’ Albion Harrison-Naish about the growth of the “4th sector”. They discuss Opportunity’s findings that social enterprises in Australia have grown in number by about 37% over the last five years, what has driven this growth, how this might influence the future of aid and giving as well as social entrepreneurialism more generally.

Duration: 19 minutes 15 secs

Listen to the interview and let us know what you think – is Allison off-base? Do non-profits need to do better at clearly communicating with donors, particularly in the context of disaster relief?