Shows
Trumanitarian109. Decolini…what?In this special crossover episode, Lars Peter Nissen (Trumanitarian) and Carla Vitantonio (Living Decoloniality) sit down in Doha to explore the deep fault lines in humanitarian work — and why they’ve both turned to podcasting as a space for honest conversation.Carla unpacks the concept of decoloniality — the lingering structures, mindsets, and behaviors that survive long after formal colonialism ends. Together, they explore how power, bureaucracy, and hero narratives shape the humanitarian sector — and why we’re so often stuck tweaking language while avoiding the hard work of dismantling systems.They discuss the limits of reform, th...2025-05-0950 min
Diaspora in DevelopmentThe Role of Diaspora: Women, Power, and the Development Dilemma with Themrise KhanIn this episode we speak to Themrise Khan, an independent analyst, writer and researcher. Her insight challenges much of the conventional wisdom surrounding foreign aid. Does it have the impact that we’d like or is it perpetuating and supporting existing infrastructure issues?
From post-World War II reconstruction efforts to the significant financial aid given to Pakistan after 9/11, we
unravel the complex relationship between development aid and foreign policy.
Themrise looks at some of the critical differences between development and humanitarian aid, drawing forth her own and many other women’s experiences of working i n in...2025-02-0431 min
Global Health MattersDialogues: A conversation with Themrise KhanGHM Listener Reactions - Share your thoughts about this episode? [These text messages use your mobile phone and are private, and FREE.]In this episode of Dialogues, host Garry Aslanyan speaks with Themrise Khan, a Pakistani independent development professional and researcher with almost 30 years of experience in international development, aid effectiveness, gender and global migration. Themrise is also the co-editor of the book "White saviorism in international development: theories, practices and lived experiences." In this dialogue, she shares her views on the origins of this concept and how it continues to influence national autonomy, global power imbalances...2024-12-0341 min
The Global Health Politics PodcastEpisode 4: Themrise Khan on White Saviorism in International DevelopmentSend us a textIn this episode of the Global Health Politics Podcast, Joseph Harris sits down with Themrise Khan, a Pakistan-based development professional. They talk about Khan and her colleague's Kanakulya Dickson and Maike Sondarjee's groundbreaking new edited volume, White Saviorism in International Development: Theories, Practices, and Lived Experiences, and its impact on the field of global health and international development. 2024-08-2842 min
Radio InquilabEp 15 - Global Dev 4 Palestine - Aid Washing in the Context of Palestine In this episode, Rupande speaks with members of Global Development for Palestine about their tireless work to raise awareness about the ongoing conflict. Bringing in their extensive experience, the group talks about Palestine in context with decolonization, how global assistance organizations need to show up vs. their total lack of concern, the double standard & sense of white saviorism in the US - aid world and how aid washing is happening in Palestine. The group talks about how the general public can help and how those who work in this sector can collectively organize through...2024-06-271h 13Radio InquilabEp 13 - Decolonizing Communication - Farah Mahesri Farah Mahesri sits down with Rupande to talk about the very important nuance of decolonizing communication - what does it mean, why is it so important and what place it holds in our world as we move to a more awakened society that seeks to place diversity, equality and decolonization. Farah explains how aid organizations can decolonize communication and shift the balance of power, furthering development and internationalization. She talks about what decolonization means in the context of the current conflict in Palestine as well as the universal importance of stories and narratives. 2024-05-091h 06
Counter accountsConversation with Themrise Khan from Pakistan on foreign aid and developmentIn this episode, I explore the myths and realities of the flow of foreign aid from developed to developing countries. Is foreign aid a benevolent gesture or a strategic geopolitical tool? How does it affect the foreign policy and sovereignty of recipient countries? Who benefits from foreign aid? And how is foreign aid related to the debt trap that many developing countries find themselves in?
To explore these questions, along with discussing her personal journey and experience, I had a fascinating discussion with Themrise Khan, a renowned development expert and practitioner who has extensive experience and knowledge...2023-07-3145 min
Living decolonialityS01 Ep 04: ThemriseIn this episode of Living Decoloniality, Carla interviews Themrise Khan.Themrise is an independent professional in international development, based in Pakistan, who is working to develop what she calls “a new ecosystem for international aid”.Themrise is not interested in using the framework of coloniality, although what she says echoes very much concepts and theories discussed in this podcast so far. She aims at creating a new roadmap that each country -and she stresses the national dimension of her plan – changes the way they live, provide, and ask for international aid. Resources:Themrise’s websiteKey...2023-07-2615 min
The Deep DiveEpisode 156: Talking White Saviorism w/ Themrise KhanPhilip spends time with scholar and author Themrise Khan discussing her work as editor of the book White Saviorism in International Development. Together they breakdown the roots of the white savior complex and what it means to development work globally in the present and the future. The
Drop – The segment of the show where Philip and his guest share tasty morsels of intellectual goodness and creative musings.
Philip’s Drop:
Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am (documentary via Netflix)
Themrise’s Drop:
Abdul Satta Edhi Special Guest: Themrise Khan.2023-07-061h 07
Lighter Impact with Besan9. White Saviorism and Individual Responsibility with Themrise KhanThemrise Khan, an independent development professional and researcher with over 25 years of experience in international development, joins us to talk about the issues around how international aid is practiced and the responsibility we have as indviduals.
Themrise is currently based in Pakistan and her work focuses on social policy, aid effectiveness, gender, and global migration. Themrise actively speaks, writes and advises the global community on notions of decolonisation, North-South power imbalances in development, race relations, immigrant citizenship and integration and most recently co-edited the book White Saviorism in International Development. Theories, Practices and Lived Experiences.
...2023-06-2051 min
The Development DilemmaLet's unpack White SaviourismWe hear the term 'White Saviourism' and think it only applies to the egregious examples we see on Social Media but it applies much broader to include brown saviours, many development institutions, certain forms of Western knowledge and perhaps even you! Themrise Khan, Dickson Kanakulya and Maïka Sondarjee have put together a great book to address this, White Saviorism in International Development: Theories, Practices and Lived Experiences. If you enjoy this episode, you can get your copy here: https://darajapress.com/publication/the-white-savior-complex-in-international-development-theory-practice-and-lived-experiences2023-04-2542 min
Trumanitarian50. OutsideThemrise Khan and Mabala Nyaluwge both work in the aid industry Themrise for more than 30 years in South Asia and Mabala for seven years in East Africa. Together with Lars Peter Nissen they explore the state of aid, the change that is needed and whether it is possible to achieve this change from inside the system, or whether it has to be done from the outside2022-10-141h 23
Global Health UnfilteredClassifying countries and people with Themrise KhanSend us a textIn this episode, we discuss words. Not just any words but words we use in global health to classify countries and people. Words like global North, global South, HIC, LMIC, developing and developed countries, first and third world. If you work in global health on international development, chances are that you have used at least one or several of those terms. But these terms that we use to classify countries and people carry with them certain assumptions and implications. Our guest is Themrise Khan, an independent development professional, and researcher with over 25 years...2022-07-0637 min
Unequal Worlds; an inequality research podcast#6 Bonus episode: Will global health survive its decolonisation?The Centre for International Health (CIH) at the University of Bergen (UiB) hosted the 12th European Congress on Tropical Medicine and International Health in Bergen, Norway 2021. GRIP’s executive director, Bjørn Enge Bertelsen, led the plenary session “ Will global health survive its decolonisation? “ and we are happy to be able to share the recording of the session with all of you.
Keynote “Power, privilege and coloniality in Global Health” Dr Madhukar Pai
Participants:
Tammam Aloudat
Lioba A. Hirsch
Themrise Khan
Bjørn Enge Bertelsen (moderator)
2021-12-2650 min
The Good ProblemThemrise Khan: Challenging Development PractiseThis week alone, in the midst of a devastating global pandemic, we have seen a massive earthquake hit Haiti, and horrific images and stories streaming out of Afghanistan documenting the fall of government and takeover by the Taliban. It’s difficult to process these events when we are already suffering collectively, and difficult to know what to do next, if anything.These events, and others like them continually raise the question of the role aid and development work play in these crises, and the effectiveness of humanitarian responses. Aid and development effectiveness should be continually interrogated. Maintaining th...2021-08-1943 min
Policy TalksEpisode 51 - Should we brand Canada's international aid?Recently, Global Affairs Canada released a new logo to brand its international aid and overseas development programmes. They claim that it will “raise awareness about Canada’s efforts to reduce poverty and build a more peaceful and prosperous world.” This move has drawn criticism from some, saying it sends the wrong message about aid. This month, I spoke with Themrise Khan, an independent research professional with over 25 years of experience in international development, social policy, gender and global migration to learn more.
2021-04-0927 min