Africa, tree, birds

The New Scramble for Africa: Shifting Global Dynamics in 2025

Written by: Elisa Garbil – 05.05.2025 The New Scramble for Africa is a term that has gained significant traction in recent years to describe the growing competition among global powers over Africa’s vast resources, strategic locations, and emerging markets. Unlike the colonial-era scramble that saw European powers carving up the continent for territorial domination in…

Ian Linden

Ian Linden

Professor Ian Linden formerly taught at the School of Oriental & African Studies in London and is a visiting Professor at St Mary’s University, Strawberry Hill, London. He worked for the Swedish Government in the 1980s liaising with the African National Congress in apartheid South Africa.  A past director of the Catholic Institute for International Relations where…

Episode 228: The Scramble for Africa with Ian Linden

Today we discuss the New Scramble for Africa! Dominic and Ian Linden dive into the differences between the ‘new’ scramble for Africa and the ‘old’ scramble of Africa, how strong the US influence is and whether it is currently weakening – or not, the economic opportunities offered by foreign investments, and much more! Professor Ian Linden formerly taught…

Ali Fowle

Ali Fowle

Ali Fowle is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and investigative journalist focused on international news and current affairs. She specialises in long form investigative journalism for broadcast, often working in remote and hostile environments. Ali focuses mostly on conflict, human rights and civil disobedience in the Asia Pacific region where she was based between 2008-2021 and…

Episode 222: Rethinking Foreign Aid: Policy, Advocacy and Impact with Michael Sheldrick

This week on The International Risk Podcast, Dominic Bowen is joined by Michael Sheldrick to unpack the far-reaching consequences of global aid cuts and the future of international development. Together, they explore the real-world impact of the proposed USAID reductions, including disruptions to programs like PEPFAR, and the ripple effects on health systems, livelihoods, and vulnerable…

Michael Sheldrick

Michael Sheldrick

Michael Sheldrick is a policy entrepreneur, author and a driving force behind the efforts of Global Citizen to end extreme poverty and build climate resilience. As a Co-Founder and Chief Policy, Impact, and Government Affairs Officer, he has mobilized over $43 billion in support for healthcare, education and climate from governments, businesses, and foundations. Michael is…

The International Risk Podcast- Global aid

When the Money Stops: Rethinking Development in a Shifting Global Landscape

Author: Camila Mateos Betancourt Foreign aid, long considered a cornerstone of international development and diplomacy, is now undergoing a seismic transformation. In recent months, the global aid landscape has been dramatically reshaped by sweeping budget cuts, the closure of USAID, and a reallocation of funds toward defense spending in major donor countries like the United…

Episode 202: The Ongoing Civil War in Myanmar with Ali Fowle

Welcome back!  Dominic has Ali Fowle on this week to discuss the ongoing civil war in Myanmar/Birma. Listen to the what happened in Myanmar on the 1st of February 2021, and why it happened. Moreover questions like ‘Who is fighting who?’ ‘Where are the ethnic armed groups getting their support, money, and weapons from?’ ‘What…

Myanmar

Civil War in Myanmar

Written by: Elisa Garbil – 27.01.2025 In 1948, Myanmar gained independence from the United Kingdom. It was then ruled by military regimes for five decades, where civilian dissent has been repeatedly met with violent crackdowns. In addition, the military has engaged in ongoing conflicts with ethnic minority groups fighting for self-determination. An example is the…