The Humanitarian Development Nexus, Urban revitalization and Life in Academia: A Conversation with Lama Tawakkol

In season 4’s debut episode Can You Hear Us?, sits down with Dr. Lama Tawakkol, Lecturer in International Relations in the Department of Politics  at the University of Manchester to talk about everything from her research on the Humanitarian Development Nexus in Jordan and Lebanon to her appreciation for definitions and Cairo’s urban revitalization! Tune in to listen to her discuss how power dynamics operate within a capitalist and global economy, including within the politics of development policy and aid. As well as expand on her conceptual framework on how international development and humanitarian aid projects have extended and reproduced Western imperialism. 

Quotes from the interview:

“ Like with any terms, these definitions, these terms, imperialism and colonialism the definitions for them are never uniform, they are always debated always contested between different scholars, and sometimes they are even used synonymously” - Lama on the Imperialism and Colonialism

“And that’s the key thing; what is being prioritised? Yes things aren’t black and white but we need to be looking at who is benefitting and which interests are taking prominence in these project and in these policies etc” - Lama on the privatisation of public goods via the HDN

“Put the people and the inhabitants first [...] have that be the compass” - Lama on Urban Revitalisation and revitalization initiatives

“One of the key things is to not be afraid to bring one's perspective and ones experiences  into their research and their academic journey [...] in my experience this is how you find what you enjoy and what you are most passionate about, and they give you unique insights and contributions if we are thinking from an intellectual or academic perspective” - Lama on advice to future BIWOC in academia

What is Can You Hear Us??

Can You Hear Us? is a podcast by Monica Abad Yang and Madiera Dennison in partnership with the Department of International Development at LSE.

The podcast is the first initiative of its kind in the Department and has the overall aim to prioritise BIPOC women and femmes' specific experiences and narratives by creating a space where we can discuss a multitude of topics that affect us as women, women of colour (WOC) and women in professional spaces such as: Colourism or Work Life Balance.

The name Can You Hear Us? originates from the COVID-19 pandemic as it is commonly repeated on Zoom but also symbolically reflects the work left to do to empower WOC.