Between the Lines

Disability is very much part of the human experience, with an estimated 16% of the world’s population experiencing significant disability. Despite this, people with disabilities often remain excluded or underrepresented in development programmes and research.

In this new episode of the IDS Between the Lines podcast, researchers - whose articles have been published in the recent IDS Bulletin ‘Building disability inclusive futures’ - shed fresh light on the urgent need for disability‑inclusive development.

The episode features journalist and broadcaster Paul Carter who interviews Amba Salelkar, Senior Manager, Programmes and Impact, International Disability Alliance, Dom Haslam, Deputy CEO, Sightsavers and Stephen Thompson, Research Fellow, IDS.

Contributors in this podcast hope the IDS Bulletin will serve as both a record of learning and a call to action.
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A just transition is the fair and inclusive process of moving to a low-carbon, sustainable economy while ensuring workers, communities, and industries in carbon-intensive sectors aren't left behind.

This Between the Lines podcast features a conversation between IDS Fellow Rosie McGee and authors John Gaventa and Gabe Schwartzman about their new book, Power and Just Transitions: Struggles for a Post‑Coal Future in an Appalachian Valley. The book examines how power is transformed during energy transitions, using the Clearfork Valley in Appalachia as an in‑depth case study.

The discussion demonstrates that energy transitions are fundamentally political, not merely technical shifts from coal to renewables. They raise deep questions about history, ownership, justice, and community agency. By centring the lived experiences of the Clearfork Valley, the podcast illuminates how power is contested, reshaped, and sometimes reclaimed during moments of profound change—offering lessons for communities, policymakers, and activists around the world.
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The term ‘development’ has been central to global conversations for decades, but the way it is understood, practised, and questioned has shifted dramatically. We’re launching our new podcast season by unpacking the evolution of development and tackling the question of what it means in today’s context.

In this episode of Between the Lines. IDS External Affairs Officer, Jigyasa Agarwal speaks with Roy Trivedy, former UN Resident Coordinator and UK civil servant; Camille Accolas, ecosystem builder in biodiversity and nature technology; and Emre Yuksek, Senior Advisor at the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency. Their careers span across diplomacy, humanitarian action, policy design, and emerging sustainability sectors.
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Creating equity in research collaboration sounds straightforward - but it often isn't. Whilst everyone can agree that splitting the power, resources and benefits between all partners is the right thing to do, there is often difficulty in translating aspirations for “equitable partnerships” into practical action. This can be due to complex factors such as colonial legacies and structural power imbalances in research ecosystems.

How can these challenges be overcome? To find out, IDS Director Peter Taylor speaks to Margarita Gómez from Southern Voice and Kaia Ambrose from IDRC.
In this Between the Lines podcast they discuss why equity in research collaboration matters and talk about the challenges in achieving it, and practical steps toward action and accountability.
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For the past five years Lebanon has faced crisis upon crisis including; economic collapse, the Beirut Port blast, and Israel’s war. But now the country is entering a new political chapter under a new government, marked by shifts in priorities and a renewed attention to social policy.

In this podcast IDS Research Fellow, Philip Proudfoot, interviews Haneen Sayed, Lebanon’s Minister of social affairs who talks about her country’s main issues.

Philip asks the Minister these key questions:

After five years of crisis upon crisis, what do you see as Lebanon’s need right now?
How is the new government approaching social protection differently from the government that came before?
Financing is always a challenge, especially with the increasing withdrawal of international support, is this an obstacle or an opportunity?
At the recent second world summit on social development in Doha, the high-level panel made a big push for social protection as a stabilisation mechanism. What might this mean for Lebanon, the social contract, and the building blocks needed to enhance and build it.

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