Social movements are important actors for change around the world, yet often they don’t neatly fit into our strategies and theories of change. Thomas Dunmore Rodriguez reflects on how INGOs like Oxfam should engage with social movements. Social movements are important actors for change around the world. Whether it´s a struggle against violence and impunity, for a more democratic regime, …
Gender & Development turns 25
[buzzsprout episode=’2559214′ player=’true’] This year, Oxfam’s international journal Gender & Development turns 25. The UK Development Studies Association and Oxfam marked the occasion by convening a one-day seminar for feminist activists from academia and development practice to discuss bringing feminist values to development research, policy and practice. In this podcast five of these activists introduce themselves and their research, and …
Accommodating uncertainty in advocacy and campaign evaluation
Jim Coe and Rhonda Schlangen, experienced advocacy evaluators, discuss the evolving challenge of monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning in the context of influencing work. Over the last couple of decades, there has been a seismic shift in thinking about evaluating influencing work. As we argue here, we need to think critically about where we’ve got to and how to manage …
The power of purple: changing attitudes in Malawi
Nikki van der Gaag, Oxfam GB’s Director of Women’s Rights, reports from rural Malawi, where Oxfam is working with the First Lady to end gender-based violence and promote gender equality. The excitement is palpable. The sun is already hot, but people are gathering in groups to sing and dance. All are in bright colours, but the two that dominate are …
Using tech for feedback and complaints in Gaza and the West Bank
Oxfam in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel is trialling the use of a mobile tool to collect, manage and respond to feedback. Nahed Natsheh outlines the benefits of using this technology. Using information communication technology (ICT) for data collection is not new to Oxfam in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel (OPTI), but we have never before used it …
10 tips for working with communities on Ebola response
Following the news of an Ebola outbreak in the DRC, here’s a summary of lessons learned from Oxfam’s community engagement during the 2014–15 Ebola response in Sierra Leone and Liberia. The Ebola response in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea demonstrated that community engagement is critical in responding to epidemics. This was not always a guiding principle in an outbreak, which …
Gaza is dying in front of everybody
Tim Holmes reports back on his recent visit to Gaza and reflects on the challenges people living there face in their daily lives. A powerful smell hit me as I entered Gaza a fortnight ago. Not the smell of burning tyres from the ongoing protests, or the tear gas that has been used in response, but the smell of raw …