Busy work as predatory delay by Kristin Mumbi Muthui
My introduction into the world of conservation, development and climate change happened through the most innocent and propagandistic way – as a child, I remember my bedroom posters covered with ‘save the manatee’ posters, thanks to IUCN, and to my mother, who brought them home. I think I learnt about coral reefs and their importance […]
Athari Conversations
Athari conversations provide spaces for honest, reflective, and inspiring conversations among Africans – African Conversations about Africa for Africa. We discuss our aspirations and ambitions for a better future for our children and their children, and the Africa we live in. We are creating a space for intergenerational discussions, dialogue and reflection on Africa’s challenges […]
Athari Conversations: Leadership – An African Perspective
Our first conversation takes place on Wednesday 17th March (1300-1430 GMT; 1500 to 1630 SAST; 1600 to 1730 EAT). Our panelists are individuals with vast experience as leaders in government, international organisations, and civil society willing to share their individual journies with the next generation of leaders. Host Candice Morkel (South Africa) – Acting Director, Centre for Learning […]
Using Evidence in Policy and Practice: Lessons from Africa
Last year I was thrilled to be invited to work with Prof. Ian Goldman on a book on evidence use in Africa .. an incredible learning opportunity I will always be very grateful for ! I recently wrote a blog piece on my own reflections and learning – which Zenda Ofir very kindly posted on […]
Teams, context & circumstance
Much of the literature on teams that I have read is centred around the team itself, as has been my focus facilitating a team building events. A typical event in my experience involves, for example, developing shared aspirations and goals; building awareness of personality styles; developing constructive modalities of communication; strengthening shared understanding of roles […]
New Book – Our Future in Nature: Trees, Spirituality and Ecology by Edmund Barrow
Who has not felt a sense of awe, silence, stillness, and presence in an ancient woodland or forest or in front of a sacred tree? Humankind has held trees and woodlands in awe and reverence since the dawn of time. We depend on nature for the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the […]
Reflections on working with social movements
Over the course of last year and into this year Athari has been involved in evaluation and facilitation of social change movements – feminism/women’s right and environmental justice. These experiences have been an incredible learning opportunity for me personally and I’m writing to share some of my reflections. These are by no means exhaustive and […]
Was Malthus Right?
Thomas Malthus, whose most famous work “The Principle of Population” was published in 1798, did not believe that society’s improvement is inevitable. Indeed when things do improve, he thought, the resultant population increase becomes an obstacle to further progress. In short, as he put it, the power of population growth is greater than the power […]
Simple Things
What’s the simplest advice an evaluator can give a project team? In my experience, many project evaluations often fail to miss the point on a couple of key issues and end up sitting on a shelf consequently. We are all familiar with the perils of poorly designed projects. A project that has not thought through […]
The Road Forward
Thomas Dichter whose career in international development spans 50 years produced this documentary which challenges us all to rethink the way in which we engage in development. I was honored to have been given a slot to speak amongst some incredible individuals – knowledgeable, passionate and so very courageous! Please do take a moment to […]