Ben Carpenter

Ben Carpenter

Ben is the Founder & CEO of Grassroot Communities, a Youth and Community worker, Educator, Environmentalist, and City Fellow. He’s passionate about supporting individuals, communities and organisations to be the changes they want to see. Grassroot Communities is an organisation that tailors and delivers school, youth and community work projects based on the wants and…

Episode 235: Grassroot Communities and Their Importance with Ben Carpenter

Coordinated and Produced by Elisa Garbil This week we hope to gain an insight on Grassroot Communities and the challenges faced by underserved communities and the wider voluntary sector. In an era of rising inequality, political polarisation, and climate instability, grassroots organisations are becoming critical pillars of resilience, not just locally, but globally.  Today we explore…

Grassroot Communities

The Power and Challenge of Grassroots Organisations in Community Development

Written by Elisa Garbil – 29.05.2025 Grassroots organisations have emerged as vital engines of change in communities around the world. These entities, often volunteer-led and deeply embedded in local contexts, deliver a broad array of services that formal institutions struggle to reach, from youth empowerment and mental health to housing, public health, and civic participation….

military, men, masculine, militarised masculinity

Militarised Masculinities

Written by Elisa Garbil – 28.04.2025 The global arms trade doesn’t just fuel warzones, it fuels inequality, exploitation, and violence against the most vulnerable and these risks can be observed internationally. While men and boys are often portrayed as the primary actors in conflict, it is women and girls who disproportionately bear the brunt of…

Anna Provan, CFFP

Anna Provan

Anna Provan is the Peace and Security Programme Manager at the Centre for Feminist Foreign Policy (CFFP). She has a proven track record of research, writing, public engagement, and capacity-building on the gendered and humanitarian impacts of weapons use and transfer, as well as the wider implications of conflict and militarisation for the pursuit of…

Episode 226: Arms Trade from a Feminist Security Perspective with Anna Provan

Coordinated and Produced by Elisa Garbil Today we’ll dive into the often-overlooked realities of how women and girls experience armed conflict! Whether women are the victims, combatants, or leaders in peace-building. From the risks of gender-based violence and the underrepresentation of women in disarmament efforts to the long-term socio-economic impacts of the global arms trade, this…