258. Els Hertogen, Directeur 11.11.11, Over De Staat Van Onze Internationale Solidariteit

Today we speak with Els Hertogen, General Director of 11.11.11, about international solidarity and the role of development cooperation today. We start with the question of who or what 11.11.11 actually is and how such an organization is funded. From there, we move on to the tension between government support and bottom-up citizen initiatives, the 0.7% norm, and the question of how to weigh local and international solidarity against each other now that budgets are under pressure. We arrive at the geopolitics of aid – the colonial legacy, China in Africa, the partnership model with local movements such as an independent radio station in Congo, and the question of whether or not that constitutes a form of political interference. We conclude with the migration debate and broader geopolitical shifts: the phasing out of US development aid, the position of the UN, and the question of how international law relates to power politics today. Enjoy! PS. Buy our book, *The Dialogue Paradox*; https://www.bol.com/be/nl/p/de-dialoo... DISCOURS vzw https://www.discours.be Recorded at Melkerij - the brasserie in the Peerdsbos of Brasschaat. PODCAST Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/be/podcast... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1hC2t2Y... Youtube:    / @discours   SOCIALS Twitter/X: https://x.com/DiscoursDialoog Instagram:   / discoursdialoog   Facebook:   / discoursdialoog