Colour of Innovation

A Digital Revival for the Palestinian Economy Jun 18, 2020

The Colour of Innovation is a podcast brought to you by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). In this show we cover stories of innovation from across the Arab States. In each episode we examine some of the most pressing development challenges in the region, through stories from people on the ground, social innovators, experts, and our colleagues exploring new solutions.

In this last episode of Season 2, we look at how a new generation of Palestinian professionals are making the most of opportunities in the digital economy. Recorded prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the topic of how remote, online work can alleviate the massive youth unemployment challenge facing the Arab region is more pertinent than ever. As the technical lead for the socio-economic response to Covid-19 in the UN system, UNDP and its country offices worldwide are mobilising to address the impacts of the pandemic on economies and communities. In Palestine, the UNDP Accelerator Lab has been busy supporting micro- and small- and medium-sized enterprises while exploring transformative pathways to inclusive economic development.

We talk to Musheera Jais, who is freelancing as a voice-over artist from the Gaza Strip, about her experiences and what new opportunities e-work has provided. We then discuss the digital landscape in Palestine with one of its pioneers, Laith Kassis, who tells us about some of the emerging technologies that hold most promise of dignified employment. Finally, we speak with the UNDP Deputy Special Representative in Palestine, Geoffrey Prewitt, about how UNDP can best support the tech sector and provide a way for regional economies to link to the Palestinian talent pool.

For more information follow the links below:

Gaza Sky Geeks: https://gazaskygeeks.com/

EnterVentures: http://www.enterventures.ps/

UNDP PAPP: https://www.ps.undp.org/

UNDP Arab States: http://www.arabstates.undp.org/

UNDP Accelerator Labs: https://acceleratorlabs.undp.org/

UNDP Innovation in the Arab States: http://inno4arabstates.com/

SAWTI: https://www.facebook.com/SAWTIpalestine/

Credits:

Host: Ben Thompson Coon

Producers: Jennifer Colville and Ben Thompson Coon

Sound Engineer: Benjamin Lehti

Guests: Musheera Jaish, Laith Kassis, Geoffrey Prewitt

Fake News and Artificial Intelligence in Sudan Apr 05, 2020

The Colour of Innovation is a podcast brought to you by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

In this show we cover stories of innovation from across the Arab States. In each episode we examine some of the most pressing development challenges in the region, through stories from people on the ground, social innovators, experts and our colleagues exploring new solutions.

In this episode we discuss how new technologies including Artificial Intelligence tools can be harnessed to counter false or mis-information and how they can be applied in a development context.

We begin with the voice of a Sudanese activist about how young people in Sudan depend on social media for their daily news and how this combination allows for the spread of misinformation.

We speak with Dr. Preslav Nakov from the Qatar Computing Research Institute about how fake news spreads and how this can be countered with artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Finally we return to Sudan where we talk with Ali Muntasir from UNDP Sudan about how false narratives help extremist organizations recruit and how these narratives might be reversed in order to prevent violent extremism.

For more information follow the links below:

Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI): https://www.hbku.edu.qa/en/qcri

UNDP Sudan: http://www.sd.undp.org/

UNDP Arab States: http://www.arabstates.undp.org/

UNDP Innovation in the Arab States: http://inno4arabstates.com/

Credits:

Host: Ben Thompson Coon

Producers: Jennifer Colville and Ben Thompson Coon

Sound Engineer: Benjamin Lehti

Guests: Preslav Nakov, Ali Muntasir

Sudan Correspondent: Ahmed Sandhori

Empowering Young Entrepreneurs in Iraq Mar 25, 2020

The Colour of Innovation is a podcast brought to you by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

In this show we cover stories of innovation from across the Arab States. In each episode we examine some of the most pressing development challenges in the region, through stories from people on the ground, social innovators, experts and our colleagues exploring new solutions.

Youth employment is a growing challenge in the Arab States, a region where over 60 percent of the population are currently under the age of 30 and of whom one third are currently without a job. In this episode we go to Iraq and take a look at UNDP’s work in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship among young people through the Innovation 4 Development programme (#Inno4Dev).

We begin with Ranya Bakr, a former participant of #Inno4Dev, who takes us through the Design Thinking process, one of the key methodologies used in the programme.

We then talk to Salih Mahmoud who, after participating in #Inno4Dev, decided to set up Mosul Space to share the lessons learned and support others in making their ideas a reality.

Finally together with Dhafer Hasan from UNDP Iraq, we take a closer look at the #Inno4Dev programme, how it works, and what the future of the programme holds.

For more information follow the links below:

Mosul Space: http://mosulspace.org/

UNDP Iraq: https://www.iq.undp.org/

UNDP Arab States: http://www.arabstates.undp.org/

UNDP Innovation in the Arab States: http://inno4arabstates.com/

Inno4Dev: https://web.facebook.com/IraqiYouthCafe/

Credits:

Host: Ben Thompson Coon

Producers: Jennifer Colville and Ben Thompson Coon

Sound Engineer: Benjamin Lehti

Guests: Rania Bakr, Salih Mahmoud, Dhafer Hasan

New Forms of Civic Engagement in Tunisia Feb 26, 2020

The Colour of Innovation is a podcast brought to you by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

In this show we cover stories of innovation from across the Arab States. In each episode we examine some of the most pressing development challenges in the region, through stories from people on the ground, social innovators, experts and our colleagues exploring new solutions.

In this episode we take a look at how the civil society landscape in Tunisia has transformed since the 2011 Revolution and how participatory democracy is taking root on both the local and national levels as part of the transitional process and democratization of the country.

We begin with voices of the Tunisian youth who are increasingly taking a larger role in their communities and demanding for new avenues of participation for their fellow citizens.

We then speak with Kouraich Jauahdou, founder of Associative Action, about introducing participatory mechanisms to increase citizen participation in municipalities across the country.

Finally, Eduardo Lopez-Mancizidor from UNDP Tunisia talks about how UNDP has been supporting civil society to strengthen its foothold within the political landscape and their recent work to consolidate the new democracy.

For more information follow the links below:

Associative Action: https://www.actionassociative.org/en/

UNDP Tunisia: http://www.tn.undp.org/

UNDP Arab States: http://www.arabstates.undp.org/

UNDP Accelerator Labs: https://acceleratorlabs.undp.org/

UNDP Innovation in the Arab States: http://inno4arabstates.com/

Credits:

Host: Ben Thompson Coon

Producers: Jennifer Colville and Ben Thompson Coon

Sound Engineer: Benjamin Lehti

Guests: Kouraich Jauahdou, Eduardo Lopez-Mancisidor

Tunisia Correspondent: Youssef Habboul

Innovation for Accessibility in Egypt Feb 14, 2020

The Colour of Innovation is a podcast brought to you by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

In this show we cover stories of innovation from across the Arab States. In each episode we examine some of the most pressing development challenges in the region, through stories from people on the ground, social innovators, experts and our colleagues exploring new solutions.

This episode looks at challenges that persons with disabilities in Egypt face on a day-to-day basis and talks with some young entrepreneurs working with people with disabilities to create innovative solutions to these challenges.

We begin with a story by our Country Correspondent Wasim Abuzaid who interviews Mohammed Nasser about his experiences of being a blind student in Cairo.

We talk to two social entrepreneurs, Khaled Eyada and Anwar Aly, about how they have worked with people with disabilities to understand their needs and to design solutions that begin to address them.

And finally we talk with UNDP Egypt’s Innovation Lab Coordinator Farida Matta about how UNDP is creating a space for innovation and co-creation among entrepreneurs and end users.

For more information follow the links below:

Helpee: https://web.facebook.com/HelpeeOfficial/?ref=py_c&_rdc=1&_rdr

UNDP Egypt Innovation Lab: https://bit.ly/2lP18eA

UNDP Innovation in the Arab States: http://inno4arabstates.com/

UNDP Arab States: http://www.arabstates.undp.org/

Credits:

Host: Ben Thompson Coon

Producers: Jennifer Colville and Ben Thompson Coon

Sound Engineer: Benjamin Lehti

Guests: Farida Matta, Khaled Eyada, Anwar Aly, Mohamed Nasser

Egypt Correspondent: Wasim Abuzaid

Guest Episode: The Other Bar - Tackling Inequality for the SDGs Jan 20, 2020

This is a guest episode from Ecuador, in South America, where UNDP Ecuador, in their search for innovative solutions for economic inclusion problems, launched The Other Bar, a chocolate bar made with cocoa from the Amazon, that comes with a ‘digital passport’ (tracks cocoa from bean to a bar), and an impact token that acts as a supercharged brand marketing campaign and allows consumers to reinvest in farmers and communities who brought them the bar. This experiment tests the hypothesis that consumers will reward sustainable business practices and brands (over non-sustainable ones) and are likely to pay a premium price on a product.

The Other Bar was designed to have a blockchain-powered token that gives consumers a choice of reinvesting its value in a discount on their next purchase of the chocolate bar, or a cocoa tree to be planted in the community where the resource for the chocolate bar came from (with the ability to track when and where the tree actually gets planted).

This initial experiment built a solution targeting a supply chain around a single product, but its principles and platform apply to other sectors- it is ready to be deployed to empower consumers and investors to rethink various business practices and sectors, from water efficiency and energy conservation to fair labor practices and reduction of carbon emissions.

This episode, produced by UNDP Ecuador, the Fairchain Foundation and John Weich, tells the story of the inception of the project in the voices of their agents in the Zamora province, in the southern Amazonia of Ecuador.

Unlocking Urban Mobility in Lebanon Dec 18, 2019

The Colour of Innovation is a podcast brought to you by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

In this show we cover stories of innovation from across the Arab States. In each episode we examine some of the most pressing development challenges in the region, through stories from people on the ground, social innovators, experts and our colleagues exploring new solutions.

In this episode we look at the state of the transport sector in Lebanon and speak with the people looking to introduce sustainable means of transportation and transform the sector.

We begin with a journey through the streets of Beirut with our Country Correspondent Hussein Ghandour and learn about the everyday urban mobility challenges facing people.

We then talk with Prof. Marc Haddad from the Lebanese American University about the root causes of the problems within the sector and the role of civil society in pushing for more sustainable modes of transport.

And finally with Jihan Seoud from UNDP Lebanon we discuss how UNDP can take a stronger role in supporting a more sustainable culture of transport in Lebanon and what their new Accelerator Lab can do to facilitate new and innovative solutions.

For more information follow the links below:

BusMap: http://busmap.me/

The Chain Effect: http://thechaineffect.me/

TRACS – Transportation Coactives: https://www.facebook.com/tracsofficial/

UNDP Lebanon: http://www.lb.undp.org/

UNDP Arab States: http://www.arabstates.undp.org/

UNDP Accelerator Labs: https://acceleratorlabs.undp.org/

UNDP Innovation in the Arab States: http://inno4arabstates.com/

Credits:

Host: Ben Thompson Coon

Producers: Jennifer Colville, Ben Thompson Coon

Sound Engineer: Benjamin Lehti

Guests: Marc Haddad, Jihan Seoud

Beirut Correspondent: Hussein Ghandour

Gender Justice and the Law in the Arab States Dec 09, 2019

The Colour of Innovation is a podcast brought to you by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

In this show we cover stories of innovation from across the Arab States. In each episode we examine some of the most pressing development challenges in the region, through stories from people on the ground, social innovators, experts and our colleagues exploring new solutions.

A significant development challenge in the region is that of Gender Equality. Women in the Arab States region are, on average, disadvantaged socially, economically, politically and legally, relative to women globally and certainly relative to those in nations of similar economic standing.

In this episode we talk to women who are behind this rise and hear stories from women who have been affected by such injustices.

We speak with Asma Khader, one of the first female lawyers in Jordan and founder of Sisterhood Is Global Institute (SIGI), who has had a long career in promoting women’s rights in Jordan and across the region.

Finally we talk with Marta Vallejo, Rule of Law, Justice and Human Rights Specialist at UNDP’s Regional Hub in Amman, about UNDP’s recent Gender Justice and the Law study and an innovation workshop exploring how to best translate the study's findings into change.

For more information follow the links below:

Sisterhood is Global Institute (SIGI): http://sigi-jordan.org/en/

UNDP Yemen: http://www.ye.undp.org/

UNDP Arab States: http://www.arabstates.undp.org/

UNDP’s Gender Justice and the Law study: https://bit.ly/2EKY8W7

UNDP Innovation in the Arab States: http://inno4arabstates.com/

Credits

Host: Ben Thompson Coon

Producers: Jennifer Colville and Ben Thompson Coon

Sound Engineer: Benjamin Lehti

Guests: Asma Khader, Marta Vallejo

Yemen Correspondent: Khulood Sheikh, Lena

Voice Over: Maha Mahmoud, Afnan Fadel

A Nudge in the Right Direction Mar 13, 2019

In this episode, we cover behavioral insights and how UNDP Yemen is implementing this methodology in the context of their programming to Prevent Violent Extremism. We dive into stories of how UNDP Yemen, together with Nudge Lebanon, employed “nudges” to increase participation in workshops designed to overcome trauma and manage conflict.