‘Power
relations in international development: the case of cash transfers in Africa’
Roeland Hemsteede, University of Dundee
The Sustainable Development
Goals call for the implementation of nationally appropriate social protection
systems. However, who decides what is 'nationally appropriate' and to what
extent can governments of developing countries control this process when
relying on development partners for financing and expertise? During this talk Roeland Hemsteede
explores how power relations between national and international stakeholders
shaped cash transfer programmes in Lesotho and Malawi. Cash transfers are
small, regular payments to poor and vulnerable households. The presentation
draws on interviews Roeland conducted
with approximately 100 key policymakers in both countries. These have been
analysed using a new framework for the analysis of social protection which
combines insights around political settlements, organisational theory and
decision-making, and processes of domination and resistance. The analysis
explores how different stakeholders use different sources of power in attempts
to influence the design and implementation of cash transfers… The paper offers
insights into how power relations can shape development interventions. Roeland
Hemsteede is Doctoral researcher focusing on the power dynamics around cash
transfers in Southern Africa. He has spent considerable time doing qualitative
research in Lesotho and Malawi for his PhD. He has presented his work at
multiple conference and a journal article based on his work is currently under
review. Previously, he has worked on economic growth policies in Africa and
Asia as well as on WaSH in Mozambique as a research assistant. For his Master’s
degree he explored the Black Economic Empowerment of farm workers in South
Africa on which he published a book chapter last year. He has also worked as a
project coordinator organising projects to promote the inclusion of youth with
African roots in the Netherlands.
‘Citizen Investment in Renewable Energy: The Role of Financial Literacy’
By
Bridget Menyeh, University of Dundee
Overview
Financing
the energy transition in Sub-Saharan Africa is a pressing challenge as current
investment volumes are woefully inadequate. In the last decade, the role of
citizen investors as important financiers of the energy transition is being
realised. Through crowdfunding, citizens can invest in renewable energy however
this is not without risks as they often have to make their own financial investment
decisions often without expert advice. This talk will discuss findings from a
financial literacy assessment of middle-class investors in Ghana and what this
could for design of policy and financial education programmes. Bridget Menyeh
is Doctoral researcher focusing on household investor preferences for renewable
energy investments. She has worked as a development consultant in Ghana with
the SNV Netherlands Development Organisation on projects such as the World Bank
InfoDev Ghana Climate Innovation Centre and the Improved Fish Smoking and
Livelihoods Project. She has also worked as a research associate at the
University of Cambridge Judge Business School Centre for Alternative Finance,
the EU Horizon 2020 CrowdFundRes project and at the Climate Bonds Initiative in
London, United Kingdom. She has a master’s degree in Energy and the Environment
from Lancaster University, United Kingdom, and an undergraduate degree in
Biochemistry from the University of Ghana, Legon.
The Schedule:
DATE: THURSDAY 26TH SEPTEMBER 2019
VENUE:
DALHOUSIE 1S03
TIME: 4.30 PM
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