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By: Vani Nailumu, Research Coordinator, Balance of Power (a DFAT-funded multi-country initiative working to increase the legitimacy of women’s leadership in the Pacific). Engaging and reflecting on the ethics process early throughout the research process, helps us – as practitioners, and research learners to value critical reflexivity and understand the relational dimensions of producing and contributing to a body of knowledge. It is important to frame ethics as an emergent process, and as a critical part of learning that encourages a deeper understanding of a researcher’s role and accountability to the context and the people they are researching on and

By: Dr. Anggun Trisnanto Hari Susilo, Dept. of International Relations, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, University of Brawijaya, Indonesia. Email: a.trisnanto@ub.ac.id   Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is an alternative funding resource for community-based development (CBD). The side effects of a company’s operations, most notably those impacting the natural or social environment become a ‘justification’ and motivation for CSR. Despite its potential, CBD supported by CSR also faces challenges. These range from day-to-day CBD business as usual such as social mapping, planning, program implementation, and monitoring to more complex issues like infiltrated interests (see Nielsen & Thomsen, 2007). This post

By: Dr Valentina Baú (DSAA Creative Approaches & Practices in Development Studies working group), Professor Nichole Georgeou (DSAA Creative Approaches & Practices in Development Studies working group), Associate Professor Garry Stevens, and Dr Melissa Phillips This post discusses how social justice is positioned within Western Sydney University Humanitarian and Development Studies (HADS) undergraduate and postgraduate programs, both from a pedagogical perspective and in relation to their curriculum design. Our aim is to champion the idea that since social justice is embedded across sustainable development work, teaching programs in Development Studies must ensure that its notions are integrated effectively in both current and future curricula.  

By: Alex Bahamon, Master of International Development, LaTrobe University Recently, I watched one of the most popular movies in Australia, The Road to Patagonia. It was a fascinating film because it offers a unique perspective on the American continent, or 'Abya Yala' as the Indigenous communities of the continent call it. The way the director and protagonist, Matty Hannon, portrays this vast continent in a simple manner is compelling, and the journey he shares with his partner, Heather Hillier, leads to thought-provoking conclusions. Still, there are troubling aspects from a development studies pedagogy perspective. Below is the synopsis of the

Kevin Hans Waitkuweit, Department of Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois at Chicago.  Connections across disciplines fortify methodological applications in real-world settings. International development presents a prime space at the nexus of the academic and real world. Through various forms of applied research, international development practitioners engage with many topics, from macro-level systems, such as agriculture and economics, to micro-level phenomena, such as refugee experiences with post-traumatic stress disorder and gendered social interactions. Unsurprisingly, the resulting breadth of potential research areas creates space for multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary engagement among a contrasting group of scholars. As a former international development practitioner,

Jace Tor Bulger, University of Wollongong This blog provides a student perspective on volunteer tourism or global service learning (GSL) programs. These programs are ever increasingly catching the eye of white, privileged students. For many, they represent an appealing way for people to experience emotional growth through feeling like they have done something good for humanity. It is important to note that cross-cultural learning for young students is vitally important. Those experiences allow for the growth of understanding and cooperation between people globally, which is highly important in an increasingly globalised world. However, how these connections are formed is important