I’m honoured to let you all know that this recently published book, White Saviorism in International Development, includes a chapter co-authored by my colleague Shama Dossa and myself. The chapter agues that the principles and practices of evaluation are tools for the White gaze, and perpetuate neo-colonial and racist aspects of global development. Here is … Continue reading
Tagged with international development …
Slow train coming: Taking time for community-driven systems change (Guest post at the Johnson Center)
“A new generation of funders is radically challenging how the sector defines and achieves its goals — arguing that shifting power to communities is both more ethical and effective for long-term impact.” I am pleased to share this piece I wrote for the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy describing how Firelight came to develop … Continue reading
How do CBO leaders in eastern and southern Africa define social change, effectiveness, and success – and how can funders better support them?
I am proud to share this peer-reviewed article I co-authored alongside Susan Wilkinson-Maposa, and my colleagues who are CBO leaders: Mary Kabati, Prosper Ndaiga, Saeed Wame and Moses Zulu. In this piece, we discussed the community-based organisation (CBO) leader and practitioner perspective on social change and partnering. Through surveys, interviews, and convenings involving CBOs from … Continue reading
Challenges of fundraising for community-driven action (Participatory Grantmaking Community discussion)
I was thrilled to join the Participatory Grantmaking Community for a conversation about the tensions of fundraising for participatory grantmaking (PGM) along with Paul-Gilbert Colletaz from the Red Umbrella Fund and Yodit Tesfamariam from Camden Giving. We started the conversation with some guiding tensions about whether it matters where the money for participatory grantmaking comes … Continue reading
Philanthropisms: Shifting Power & Supporting Communities
I had the opportunity to join Rhodri Davies for his podcast Philanthropisms to funding systems change, supporting grassroots communities and shifting power dynamics within philanthropy. We covered questions including the distinction between charity and justice, the impact of the “funder ego” or a “saviour mindset” on philanthropy, and how to design impact measures that are … Continue reading
Community-driven system change, a catalyst for sustainable development – a conversation with Philanthropy Circuit
I recently joined Philanthropy Circuit and Mr. Jones Mwalwanda, Executive Director of Foundation for Community, Livelihood and Development (FOCOLD), to discuss key insights highlighted in the Firelight Foundation Report – Community-Driven System Change. Continue reading
Community-driven systems change: A practical way to shift power in global development and philanthropy
“Traditional global development practices aren’t working. Despite substantial investments in development efforts over many years, many large projects initiated by traditional, top-down Global North philanthropic funders, international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) and others have not resulted in meaningful and lasting change in communities. In some cases, there has even been unintentional harm done because of the disruption of … Continue reading
Conceptualizing early schooling in Pakistan: Perspectives from teachers and parents
As I was completing my doctoral dissertation on ready schools in Pakistan a couple of years ago, I was intrigued by the in-depth conversations I had with so many parents and teachers about what education and knowledge meant to them, and how it fit within their values and worldviews. So, I was thrilled when I … Continue reading
Why I use the term ‘Majority world’ instead of ‘developing countries’ or ‘Third world’
Edit [August 2019] – I want clarify that I did not come up with the term ‘Majority World’. From what I understand, the term was coined and introduced by Shahidul Alam, and I would like to acknowledge and appreciate him for bringing this term into the discourse over a decade ago. You can read more … Continue reading
Learning about learning: What affects children’s learning in Sindh, Pakistan?
Recently, the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) released a publication summarizing and reflecting upon major research studies carried out alongside AKF’s education initiatives in ten countries (Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Mozambique, and Portugal). For each study, the publication provides a brief introduction to the programme, an overview of the study design, and a summary of … Continue reading
Sadaf Shallwani 