Welcome to The DSAA monthly webinar series!
Development is a dynamic space, bringing together research and practice across a range of disciplines. Our webinar series explores this diversity, bringing a new speaker who shares their expertise on a critical theme of interest every month. Each session will explore diverse topics, from building a CV for the international development sector to conducting community-based research and decolonising research practices. Through these interactive webinars, we aim to support HDR and ECR students in expanding their networks, gaining real-world insights, and advancing their academic and professional journeys.
You can replay previous webinars from our YouTube Channel @DSA_Australia
UPCOMING WEBINAR
Reimagining Development Through Community-Led Innovation: Lessons from the Social Innovation Eco-Village-Enduata (SIEVE) in Kenya
Join our next DSAA webinar exploring community-led approaches to development, featuring Martin W. Irungu (Empower & Serve Kenya) and Professor Lucy Kathuri-Ogola (Kenyatta University) in conversation with Kuol Garang (James Cook University).
Taking place on Thursday 25th June 2026 at 4pm AEST (9am EAT), this webinar will explore the Social Innovation Eco-Village-Enduata (SIEVE) in Kenya as an emerging example of a community-led approach to development grounded in local knowledge, participation, innovation, and sustainability.
As global development conversations increasingly call for localisation and decolonial approaches, SIEVE offers an example of development rooted in co-creation, shared ownership, and locally grounded responses to social and ecological realities. Located in Kajiado County, Kenya, the initiative brings together communities, grassroots actors, and public institutions to create a living ecosystem focused on social innovation, environmental stewardship, youth empowerment, digital inclusion, and regenerative livelihoods.
The session will also explore alternative and sustainable financing approaches, including community contributions, crowdfunding, private sector engagement, philanthropy, and social enterprise models, as pathways toward strengthening local ownership and reducing dependence on traditional donor systems. Through lessons from Kenya, the discussion will contribute to broader discussions around localisation, equitable partnerships, sustainability, and community-led innovation, while creating space for dialogue among researchers, practitioners, and development actors interested in transformative approaches to development.
Speakers:
Martin W. Irungu is Founder and Executive Director of Empower and Serve Kenya (EmpServe) and the visionary behind the Social Innovation Eco-Village (SIEVE), Kenya’s first Smart Village in Kajiado County. He also serves as Chair of Charter4Change Kenya, championing localisation and strengthening grassroots development ecosystems. Martin is an MIT Innovation Ecosystem Builder Fellow, a PhD candidate in Community Resource Management at Kenyatta University, and a sustainability specialist with extensive experience in innovation, community development, and sustainable livelihoods.
Professor Lucy Kathuri-Ogola is Director of the Center for International Programs and Collaborations (CIPC) and a Lecturer at Kenyatta University. With expertise spanning Community Resource Management, Development Sciences, and Education, she has led projects focused on youth empowerment, community engagement, and research, contributing significantly to development practice and scholarship in Kenya and beyond.
Moderator:
Kuol Garang is a PhD Candidate at the Cairns Institute, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia. His research is on building peace in South Sudan, with particular focus on the effectiveness of local and traditional peacebuilding mechanisms.
Date: Thursday 25th June 2026
Time: 4-5pm AEST / 9-10am EAT
Zoom details:
Join Zoom Meeting: https://deakin.zoom.us/j/88397262394?pwd=HgeTPnYf2uzlEo0GkxVLqK1o27pSKM.1
Meeting ID: 883 9726 2394
Password: 39307814
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This initiative aligns with the DSAA’s core objectives of engagement, research, and teaching, strongly emphasizing decolonizing research and connecting with Majority-World scholars.