Podcast: The IDEMS Podcast

  • 120 – Reflections on Past and Future New Years

    In this New Year special of the IDEMS podcast, David and Santiago reflect on their journey with IDEMS, starting from Santiago’s official employment in early 2020. They discuss their initial projects and the disruptions caused by COVID-19, which led to shifts in their work approach. They share insights on the growth of the IDEMS team,…

  • 119 – The New Year’s Special

    In this special New Year’s edition of the IDEMS podcast, David, Lucie, Lily, and Santiago reflect on a year of episodes. They discuss the challenges and rewards of recording, their focus on complex and transparent discussions, and the podcast’s role within IDEMS’ broader work. Looking ahead, they explore ideas for involving more team members and…

  • 118 – Festive Special: Another Perspective on Giving

    In this episode, David and James discuss the intricacies of charitable giving within the Kenyan educational system. They share experiences about university scholarships, their impact, and challenges like ‘tarmacking’, graduates struggling to find their first employment opportunities. Emphasizing the need for strategic and collaborative funding, they explore how diverse initiatives, while beneficial, can create new…

  • 117 – Festive Special: Giving

    In this festive episode of the IDEMS podcast, Lily and David discuss the theme of giving during the holiday season. They explore the impact of charitable initiatives like the Band Aid song and emphasize a balanced approach to giving, encouraging contributions both locally and globally while recognizing Africa’s potential on the global stage.

  • 116 – Collective Intelligence

    IDEMS co-directors David Stern and Kate Fleming consider the concept of collective intelligence and its implications for society and technology. The discussion covers the relationship to artificial intelligence, misinformation, and how collective intelligence can be utilised to help address global issues like climate change and systemic problems by democratising and elevating diverse forms of expertise.…

  • 114 – International Impact Award 2024

    In this episode, Lily and David celebrate and reflect on IDEMS International’s recent International Impact Award 2024 win at the Social Enterprise UK Awards. They highlight the organisation’s significant achievements, including the digitalisation of a parenting program trialled in Tanzania, demonstrating the potential for high impact at scale. The conversation underscores IDEMS’ innovative approach to…

  • 113 – Research Methods Workshops and Trainings

    Lucie and David discuss their upcoming research methods workshops in West Africa under McKnight Foundation’s Collaboration for Resilient Food Systems. Covering a decade of workshops, they consider the history and evolution of these training sessions, including the birth of R-Instat. They consider challenges during COVID-19, and emphasise the value of community building.

  • 112 – Why don’t we just give money?

    In this episode, Lily and David discuss the pros and cons of giving money directly to individuals versus using systemic approaches to address poverty. They highlight real-life examples where well-intentioned cash donations led to unintended negative consequences and explore the potential benefits and challenges of universal basic income. The conversation underscores the importance of context…

  • 111 – Sustainability, Scalability, and Systemic Change: IDEMS’ Approach to Impacting Grand Challenges

    In this episode, co-founding directors David Stern and Danny Parsons discuss the organization’s approach to tackling grand challenges. They consider three core principles guiding their decision-making: sustainability through capacity building, scalability via community development, and systemic change by collaborating with institutions. Would it be a failure if IDEMS was no longer valuable?

  • 110 – Further reflections on the FRN Convening

    Lucie and David continue their reflections on the recent Farmer Research Network convening held by the McKnight Foundation. They focus on the sharing of experiences between farmer research network representatives in West and East Africa, and their role as Research Methods Support to support those interactions and learnings.