Shows / Think Change
Think Change
ODI Global's podcast that discusses some of the world’s most pressing global issues with a variety of experts and commentators. Find out more at odi.org.
Episodes
- Think Change
What can the Think20 bring to the UK's G20 presidency?
As the UK prepares to take on the G20 presidency, it has an opportunity to help shape how the world responds to some of its biggest challenges – from economic…
- Think Change
Is Europe preparing for the wrong kind of war?
What does security mean in a world where the nature of conflict is changing – and traditional alliances can no longer be taken for granted? As Europe faces…
- Think Change
How do you tax the super rich? The practical challenges of a wealth tax
As governments globally face growing pressure to raise revenue, amid concerns about inequality and who will have to contribute more, taxing the wealthiest is…
- Think Change
UNGA 81: what would a fairer humanitarian system led by displaced people look like?
As world leaders gather in New York for the 81st Session of the High level UN General Assembly, questions about power, leadership and the future of…
- Think Change
When the state disappears, who governs?
What happens when communities are forced to govern themselves? Across conflict-affected contexts, communities are often doing far more than surviving the…
- Think Change
Learning from liberation – insights for a better humanitarianism?
Humanitarian crises are often understood through the lens of immediate need: more aid, more access and more funding. But ODI Global’s new report Oppression…
- Think Change
AI in a burning world: who pays the climate cost?
This episode of Think Change explores the growing environmental footprint of artificial intelligence – from rising energy demand and emissions to the vast…
- Think Change
Manchesterism goes global – can Andy Burnham change Britain's place in the world?
Following Andy Burnham’s appointment as Britain's Prime Minister, there is renewed interest in what some have described as ‘Manchesterism’ – a political…
- Think Change
Why isn't evidence enough to win the political argument?
Across the world, a familiar story is being retold with striking success: that stagnant wages, housing crises and crumbling public services are the fault of…
- Think Change
What happened to truth since episode one?
Our first episode of Think Change, recorded in March 2022 just after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, explored how disinformation was shaping narratives around a…
- Think Change
Will the first International Peacebuilding Week make a difference?
The first-ever International Peacebuilding Week, which will run from 22-26 June, comes at a critical moment. Violent conflict is becoming more protracted…
- Think Change
What do clients really think about multilateral development banks?
Multilateral development banks (MDBs) are under growing pressure to prove their relevance in a world where development finance is becoming increasingly…
- Think Change
From donor to partner – what to expect from the Global Partnerships Conference
At a moment of fiscal constraint and growing geopolitical fragmentation, international development is being reshaped in real time. This episode of Think Change…
- Think Change
The UN's glass ceiling – can a woman finally win the race for Secretary-General?
Recorded at the Women Deliver conference, this episode of Think Change – produced in partnership with GWL Voices – sets out the stakes for gender equality and…
- Think Change
Food systems in a fractured world – who sets the rules?
For years, food systems transformation has been guided by shared global visions, grounded in the idea that sustainable food production and consumption are…
- Think Change
What’s really “in it” for private investors in emerging markets?
Mobilising private capital has become central to development finance and to the future of the International Finance Corporation (World Bank Group) itself. In…
- Think Change
How do wars end?
How do wars actually end, and what does it take to make peace lasting and just? What lessons has the world still not learned about how wars end? In…
- Think Change
Who’s afraid of gender equality? Inside the latest political battleground
Across many countries, legislative strategies are increasingly being used to roll back hard-won rights related to gender and bodily autonomy. This…
- Think Change
Can the G20 fix the global investment disconnect?
Why is abundant global capital is not translating into stronger productive investment, and what role the G20 can play in shaping a more resilient and…
- Think Change
Beyond rearmament: what does security mean for Europe now?
Europe is again confronting war on its continent at a moment when old assumptions and rules about security are breaking down. Alliances feel less certain…
- Think Change
Trump 2.0, one year on – how are big powers and smaller states responding? Inside the Indo-Pacific power shift
A year into Trump’s second term, guests examine how India, China, Russia and other big powers are recalibrating strategies in a shifting global order. 2026 has…
- Think Change
Davos 2026 – Is impact investing living up to its promise?
As global leaders gather in Davos later this month amid shrinking aid budgets and hardening geopolitical priorities, development finance is being recast…
- Think Change
What trends will shape 2026?
After a year of extraordinary upheaval, this special episode looks ahead to the forces set to shape 2026. From deep aid cuts and accelerating AI to renewed…
- Think Change
How are Sudan’s Emergency Response Rooms rewriting the humanitarian playbook?
After one of the most challenging years for the humanitarian system, Sudan offers both a stark warning and a source of new thinking. This episode of Think…
- Think Change
Algorithms and online misogyny – how do we fix a system built to harm women?
Online misogyny is becoming a defining feature of digital life, amplified by algorithms and enabled by platforms that fail to protect users. As violence…
- Think Change
From Baku to Belém – what does success at COP30 look like?
World leaders are heading to the Amazonian city of Belém this month for COP30, as Brazil aims to deliver the most consequential climate summit in years. This…
- Think Change
How do we go from recognition to meaningful statehood and justice for Palestine?
This episode examines the shifting landscape of Palestenian statehood as recognition spreads and new peace initiatives test the future of governance and…
- Think Change
From aid to alliances – how should development cooperation evolve?
This episode examines the evolving role of philanthropy in shaping global development cooperation at a time when official aid is under strain. According to the…
- Think Change
From Suffragettes to Palestine Action – who defines legitimate protest?
From the suffragette movement and the fight against apartheid to today’s campaigns for climate justice and Palestine, what defines legitimate protest? And who…
- Think Change
UNGA 80 – what kind of UN does the world need today?
The 80th UN General Assembly (UNGA 80) is under way at a time when the UN faces existential challenges. Established 80 years ago to safeguard peace, foster…
- Think Change
How can high capital costs in low- and middle-income countries be brought down?
The soaring cost of capital for many low- and middle-income countries, particularly in Africa, is one of the most urgent and overlooked development challenges…
- Think Change
Can PEPFAR and global health adapt to a changing world?
Despite fractured politics in the US (and elsewhere) around foreign aid, Congress recently reauthorised plans to fund PEPFAR – the US President’s Emergency…
- Think Change
Corporate humanitarianism? Gaza, Sudan and beyond
The humanitarian system and its principles are being destroyed. Over 1,000 people have been killed seeking aid in the past weeks in Gaza, caught between famine…
- Think Change
Are development finance institutions the new market makers?
This episode examines a challenge at the heart of development finance. Much energy is focused on mobilising more capital in low-income countries and emerging…
- Think Change
Can the debt, nature and climate crises be solved together? Insights from the Expert Review
Climate disasters are intensifying globally, with vulnerable nations facing disproportionate impacts despite minimal contributions to global emissions. From…
- Think Change
How are the aid cuts impacting climate action?
Climate impacts are continuing to intensify. More severe storms, droughts, floods and heatwaves are inflicting devastation on the most vulnerable communities –…
- Think Change
What's Europe's role in a divided world?
At a time of major geopolitical turbulence, Europe finds itself at a crossroads. Long regarded as a pillar of stability and multilateralism, the continent's…
- Think Change
Syria after Assad – will Syrians lead the transition?
Since 2011, Syria has been ravaged by conflict, foreign interventions and political fragmentation – leaving millions displaced and communities in crisis. But…
- Think Change
The critical minerals race – who will benefit?
Minerals like lithium, cobalt and rare earth are not just commodities. They are strategic assets which are shaping global power and the future of the energy…
- Think Change
How can development financing be reformed? The road to Seville
With economic uncertainty, rising debt burdens, and a growing share of the world’s poorest people living in fragile contexts, the stakes for the upcoming 4th…
- Think Change
Are Southern-led MDBs the future of development finance?
Development finance is no longer just about aid. It’s about power, priorities, and who gets to decide. For decades, institutions like the World Bank and IMF…
- Think Change
Can regional alliances save global trade?
Trade policies are more than economic levers. Today they are instruments of influence, competition and – at times – conflict. We have seen how Trump’s recent…
- Think Change
Can multilateralism be saved?
As the world shifts toward a more regionally driven order, where power and security are dictated by strength rather than law, multilateralism faces an…
- Think Change
How is Ukraine redefining global security?
Ukraine stands at a pivotal point as its war with Russia enters its third year. With high-stakes talks between the US and Russia taking place in Saudi Arabia…
- Think Change
What are the costs and impacts of shutting down USAID?
For decades, US foreign aid has played a vital role in humanitarian assistance, development and global security. But last month, the US government – the…
- Think Change
How can we fix a system that fuels rampant inequality?
Nearly a decade ago, nations worldwide committed to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with the first goal focused on ending poverty in all its forms by…
- Think Change
Investing in frontier economies – what can public-private collaboration achieve?
The term ‘fragility’ is used to describe various complex challenges including protracted conflicts, weak state capacity, and vulnerability to climate-related…
- Think Change
What's fast fashion's impact on local economies?
Fast fashion has transformed how we consume clothing. A staggering 11.3 million tonnes of textile waste ends up in US landfills alone every year. This global…
- Think Change
What trends will shape 2025?
2024 was a year of significant transitions – characterised by rapid technological progress, shifting geopolitical landscapes, and ongoing crises and conflicts…
- Think Change
Sudan war – what's the untold story?
Since April last year, Sudan has been engulfed in a brutal civil war which has claimed over 150,000 lives, displaced over 11 million people and created acute…
- Think Change
What role should donors play in a post-aid world?
Our new Donors in a Post-Aid World (DPAW) dialogue series provides an informal space for reimagining the functions of Northern bilateral donors in an evolving…
- Think Change
Trump 2.0 – geopolitical reboot or national reroute?
The world is experiencing significant shifts, and the recent US election stands as one of the most influential. This could introduce a new level of…
- Think Change
Is social media’s hate problem beyond repair?
In the wake of our decision at ODI to suspend all activity on X (formerly Twitter), this episode examines the polarisation and hate so prevalent in today’s…
- Think Change
Can taxation reduce inequality?
Income inequality is high or worsening within many countries globally. This not only raises serious moral concerns. It also contributes to political…
- Think Change
The Summit of the Future: How can we build peaceful societies in a fragmented world?
As conflicts continue to spiral in many parts of the world, from those who dominate the headlines daily to the ones that we barely hear about, global…
- Think Change
Riots, race and misinformation – has alarmist rhetoric on migration gone too far?
The fatal stabbing of three young girls in Southport by 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana back in July ignited riots which have swept across the UK and made global…
- Think Change
Navigating today’s crises – what makes a great leader?
This episode examines the challenges leaders at the forefront of tackling today’s multiple crises are facing, and the leadership skills and approaches…
- Think Change
The rules of war are changing – how can humanitarians be better protected?
To mark World Humanitarian Day, this episode examines how the rules of war have changed in our increasingly polarised world and asks how we can better protect…
- Think Change
Think Change Rewind – what does poverty really mean today?
We are taking a break from our regular schedule this month to look back on some of the most popular episodes released since Think Change first aired back in…
- Think Change
Think Change Rewind at 50: highlights from our favourite episodes
This episode revisits some of our favourite conversations since the first Think Change podcast aired back in March 2022. Since that time we have released over…