How do ordinary people respond to crises, support their communities, and practice everyday humanitarianism?
This podcast explores the realities of humanitarian action in Tanzania beyond traditional aid organizations. Hosted by Alexander Maxelon, this series brings together researchers, policymakers, and community members to discuss insights from Everyday Humanitarianism in Tanzania (EHTZ)—a Danida-funded research project led by Prof. Lisa Ann Richey in collaboration with scholars from Copenhagen Business School (CBS), the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Roskilde University (RUC), Lund University, and the London School of Economics (LSE).
Through expert interviews and fieldwork reflections, we dive into topics such as elite giving, refugee support, disaster response, and the future of humanitarian research. Join us as we unpack what it means to help—and be helped—in everyday life.
Stay updated and learn more by visiting our website and following us on social media!
How do ordinary people respond to crises, support their communities, and practice everyday humanitarianism?
This podcast explores the realities of humanitarian action in Tanzania beyond traditional aid organizations. Hosted by Alexander Maxelon, this series brings together researchers, policymakers, and community members to discuss insights from Everyday Humanitarianism in Tanzania (EHTZ)—a Danida-funded research project led by Prof. Lisa Ann Richey in collaboration with scholars from Copenhagen Business School (CBS), the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Roskilde University (RUC), Lund University, and the London School of Economics (LSE).
Through expert interviews and fieldwork reflections, we dive into topics such as elite giving, refugee support, disaster response, and the future of humanitarian research. Join us as we unpack what it means to help—and be helped—in everyday life.
Stay updated and learn more by visiting our website and following us on social media!
What happens when research leaves the classroom and enters the public conversation?
In this thirteenth episode, we bring you a special live recording from the EHTZ research dissemination event in Dar es Salaam. The discussion focuses on how findings from the Everyday Humanitarianism in Tanzania project resonate beyond academia—and what they mean for practice, policy, and public dialogue.
To guide this conversation, veteran broadcaster Hamza Kassongo, one of Tanzania’s most respected media personalities and a member of the EHTZ Advisory Board, moderates a panel featuring:
This podcast is part of the Everyday Humanitarianism in Tanzania (EHTZ) research project—a collaboration between universities in Denmark and Tanzania. Funded by Danida and led by Professor Lisa Ann Richey, the project explores how ordinary people engage in humanitarian action. Learn more at everydayhumanitarianismintanzania.org.
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How can academic research influence real-world decisions?
In this twelfth episode, we explore what it takes to move research beyond academic journals and into the hands of policymakers. What makes findings stick? What are the obstacles to engagement? And how can researchers work more effectively across the gap between knowledge and action?
To discuss this, our host Alex Maxelon is joined by Peter Kragelund, Director of the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) and Senior Researcher at EHTZ. With a background in political economy and international development, his work spans issues of South–South cooperation, private-sector development, and policy influence in Sub-Saharan Africa.
This podcast is part of the Everyday Humanitarianism in Tanzania (EHTZ) research project—a collaboration between universities in Denmark and Tanzania. Funded by Danida and led by Professor Lisa Ann Richey, the project explores how ordinary people engage in humanitarian action. Learn more at everydayhumanitarianismintanzania.org.
🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review!
How does gender shape humanitarian action?
In this eleventh episode, we explore what humanitarianism looks like when viewed through a feminist lens. From everyday acts of care to the politics of aid, we discuss how gender influences who gives, who receives, and whose voices are heard in times of crisis. We also reflect on the power of women-led grassroots efforts and their often-overlooked role in shaping humanitarian responses across Tanzania.
To discuss this, our host Janette Kotivirta is joined by Mary Rusimbi, a Tanzanian activist, educator, and gender and development expert. She is a founding member of the Tanzania Gender Networking Programme (TGNP), serves on the EHTZ Advisory Board, and has worked extensively with civil society organizations across the region to promote gender equality and good governance.
This podcast is part of the Everyday Humanitarianism in Tanzania (EHTZ) research project—a collaboration between universities in Denmark and Tanzania. Funded by Danida and led by Professor Lisa Ann Richey, the project explores how ordinary people engage in humanitarian action. Learn more at everydayhumanitarianismintanzania.org.
🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review!
Who deserves help—and who decides?
In this tenth episode, we explore how Tanzanians think about giving through the lens of deservingness. Drawing on a large-scale survey conducted across three regions, we examine how people assess need, respond to crisis, and make decisions about who is worth supporting.
To discuss this, our host Alex Maxelon is joined by:
For a deeper dive into the themes of this episode, we recommend:
This podcast is part of the Everyday Humanitarianism in Tanzania (EHTZ) research project—a collaboration between universities in Denmark and Tanzania. Funded by Danida and led by Professor Lisa Ann Richey, the project explores how ordinary people engage in humanitarian action. Learn more at everydayhumanitarianismintanzania.org.
🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review!
How do local acts of help reshape refugee support beyond the confines of the camps?
In this ninth episode, we explore how humanitarian responses unfold in and around Tanzania’s refugee camps—not just from NGOs and international actors, but from Tanzanian citizens and refugees themselves.
To discuss this, our host Alex Maxelon is joined by:
For a deeper dive into the themes of this episode, we recommend:
This podcast is part of the Everyday Humanitarianism in Tanzania (EHTZ) research project—a collaboration between universities in Denmark and Tanzania. Funded by Danida and led by Professor Lisa Ann Richey, the project explores how ordinary people engage in humanitarian action. Learn more at everydayhumanitarianismintanzania.org.
🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review!
How do religious ties shape the way people help each other in times of crisis?
In this eight episode, we explore the role of faith in everyday humanitarianism. Drawing on research from Kilosa, Tanzania, we examine how individual religious actors—rather than large organizations—mobilize aid in the face of floods and other disasters.
To discuss this, our host Alex Maxelon is joined by Dr. Lucas Kitula, Assistant Lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam and researcher at EHTZ. His recent PhD research focused on religious giving in disaster-affected communities, exploring how faith-based values influence everyday acts of care and solidarity.
For a deeper dive into the themes of this episode, we recommend:
This podcast is part of the Everyday Humanitarianism in Tanzania (EHTZ) research project—a collaboration between universities in Denmark and Tanzania. Funded by Danida and led by Professor Lisa Ann Richey, the project explores how ordinary people engage in humanitarian action. Learn more at everydayhumanitarianismintanzania.org.
🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review!
How do Tanzania’s elites and middle classes contribute to humanitarian efforts?
In this seventh episode, we examine how wealthier Tanzanians respond to crises—not as foreign donors or aid workers, but as neighbors, employers, and community leaders. From financial contributions to in-kind support and social networking, we explore how giving is shaped by proximity, obligation, and moral expectation.
To discuss this, our host Alex Maxelon is joined by:
For a deeper dive into the themes of this episode, we recommend:
This podcast is part of the Everyday Humanitarianism in Tanzania (EHTZ) research project—a collaboration between universities in Denmark and Tanzania. Funded by Danida and led by Professor Lisa Ann Richey, the project explores how ordinary people engage in humanitarian action. Learn more at everydayhumanitarianismintanzania.org.
🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review!
Who helps when disasters strike—and what are their main challenges?
In this sixth episode, we explore how Tanzanian communities respond to natural disasters such as floods, droughts, and earthquakes. While formal systems are often slow to act, ordinary people step in with immediate support. We examine how everyday giving operates alongside—and sometimes in spite of—formal institutions, and what this means for disaster preparedness, equity, and recognition.
To discuss this, our host Alex Maxelon is joined by:
For a deeper dive into the themes of this episode, we recommend:
This podcast is part of the Everyday Humanitarianism in Tanzania (EHTZ) research project—a collaboration between universities in Denmark and Tanzania. Funded by Danida and led by Professor Lisa Ann Richey, the project explores how ordinary people engage in humanitarian action. Learn more at everydayhumanitarianismintanzania.org.
🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review!
How does humanitarianism reproduce or resist the legacies of colonialism?
In this fifth episode, we take a closer look at what it means to decolonize humanitarianism—not just in theory, but through the lived realities of people navigating aid and governance in spaces shaped by inequality and control. We explore how these dynamics play out in Palestine and reflect on what comparisons with Tanzania reveal about legitimacy, power, and everyday practices of care.
To discuss this, our host Alex Maxelon is joined by Prof. Somdeep Sen, Associate Professor in International Development Studies at Roskilde University (RUC) and author of Decolonizing Palestine: Hamas between the Anticolonial and the Postcolonial. His work explores race, liberation movements, settler colonialism, and spatial politics, and his writing has appeared in both academic and global media outlets.
For a deeper dive into the themes of this episode, we recommend:
This podcast is part of the Everyday Humanitarianism in Tanzania (EHTZ) research project—a collaboration between universities in Denmark and Tanzania. Funded by Danida and led by Professor Lisa Ann Richey, the project explores how ordinary people engage in humanitarian action. Learn more at everydayhumanitarianismintanzania.org.
🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review!
How can research be decolonized—and what does that mean in practice?
In this fourth episode, we explore the structural inequalities embedded in international research collaborations and examine what it takes to build equitable partnerships between Global North and Global South institutions. From power imbalances in knowledge production to strategies for centering Southern perspectives, we reflect on how humanitarian research can move toward more ethical and inclusive practices.
To discuss this, our host Janette Kotivirta is joined by Dr. Consolata Raphael Sulley, Senior Lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) and Senior Researcher at EHTZ. Her work focuses on democracy, gender, and electoral politics in Africa and the Middle East. She brings extensive experience from both academic research and policy engagement across Tanzania and beyond.
For a deeper dive into the themes of this episode, we recommend:
This podcast is part of the Everyday Humanitarianism in Tanzania (EHTZ) research project—a collaboration between universities in Denmark and Tanzania. Funded by Danida and led by Professor Lisa Ann Richey, the project explores how ordinary people engage in humanitarian action. Learn more at everydayhumanitarianismintanzania.org.
🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review!
What does it really take to do humanitarian research on the ground?
In this third episode, we explore the challenges and rewards of conducting fieldwork in remote and crisis-affected areas across Tanzania. From securing access and navigating logistical hurdles to building trust with local communities, we take a behind-the-scenes look at what makes fieldwork both demanding and deeply meaningful.
To discuss this, our host Alex Maxelon is joined by:
This podcast is part of the Everyday Humanitarianism in Tanzania (EHTZ) research project—a collaboration between universities in Denmark and Tanzania. Funded by Danida and led by Professor Lisa Ann Richey, the project explores how ordinary people engage in humanitarian action. Learn more at everydayhumanitarianismintanzania.org.
🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review!
How do you turn a bold research idea into a large-scale international collaboration?
In this second episode, we go behind the scenes of the EHTZ project to learn how it all began—from early ideas and assembling the right team to building a North–South research partnership and securing international funding.
To discuss this, our host Alex Maxelon is joined by:
This podcast is part of the Everyday Humanitarianism in Tanzania (EHTZ) research project—a collaboration between universities in Denmark and Tanzania. Funded by Danida and led by Professor Lisa Ann Richey, the project explores how ordinary people engage in humanitarian action. Learn more at everydayhumanitarianismintanzania.org.
🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review!
What is everyday humanitarianism—and why do we study it in the Tanzanian context?
In this first episode, we introduce the concept at the heart of EHTZ. From defining what counts as a crisis to understanding who gives, we explore how everyday acts of help challenge dominant narratives about humanitarianism.
To discuss this, our host Alex Maxelon is joined by Prof. Lisa Ann Richey, Principal Investigator (PI) of the EHTZ project and Professor of Globalization at Copenhagen Business School (CBS). With an interdisciplinary background in political science, anthropology, and media studies, Lisa investigates the international politics of aid. She is the author of several books, including Batman Saves the Congo and Brand Aid: Shopping Well to Save the World.
For a deeper dive into the themes of this episode, we recommend:
📄 Richey, L. A. (2018). Conceptualizing “Everyday Humanitarianism”: Ethics, Affects, and Practices of Contemporary Global Helping. New Political Science, 40(4), 625–639.
This podcast is part of the Everyday Humanitarianism in Tanzania (EHTZ) research project—a collaboration between universities in Denmark and Tanzania. Funded by Danida and led by Professor Lisa Ann Richey, the project explores how ordinary people engage in humanitarian action. Learn more at everydayhumanitarianismintanzania.org.
🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review!
What is everyday humanitarianism—and what can you expect from this podcast?
In this short trailer, our host Alex Maxelon introduces the EHTZ podcast, a series that explores how ordinary people in Tanzania respond to crises and support their communities in ways that go beyond traditional aid.
From elite giving and refugee support to feminist and religious perspectives, this podcast shares insights from the Everyday Humanitarianism in Tanzania (EHTZ) research project—led by Professor Lisa Ann Richey and funded by Danida.
Hit follow and join us for real stories, bold ideas, and new ways of thinking about humanitarian action.
