From refugee camps to Oxfam's helm, Danny Sriskandarajah has witnessed firsthand how real change can happen—not in boardrooms, but on streets and in communities. Drawing from his book "Power to the People," he challenges the development sector's top-down mindset by showcasing how citizen action, from anti-corruption movements to neighborhood repair cafes, creates lasting social transformation. In an era where just 3% of humanity lives in truly open societies, Sriskandarajah presents a compelling case for what he calls "the undergrowth": the vital networks of civic engagement that bypass traditional institutions to build solutions from the ground up. His message is both urgent and optimistic: in a world of climate crisis and democratic decline, our most powerful lever for change isn't waiting for permission—it's citizens reclaiming their power.

Devex Book Club: Danny Sriskandarajah

The Caribbean island of Jamaica is just one of many small island developing states under threat due to the impacts of climate change.

Devex sat down with Suzanne Stanley, CEO of the Jamaica Environment Trust, to find out more about the work of JET and why they see education as being key to combating climate impacts.

Episode 1: A local approach to climate change in Jamaica with Suzanne Stanley

Kiribati has one of the lowest carbon-emission footprints in the world. But, with the highest points of these 33 low-lying atolls rising to just a few meters above sea level, the country is also one of the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

In the second episode of the Turning the Tide: Climate Champions podcast, Devex speaks to Kiribati's former president, Anote Tong, about the sensitivities surrounding climate-change induced migration and the need for the global community to cooperate on solutions to the challenges posed by climate change.

Episode 2: The complexity of climate-change induced migration with Anote Tong

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Devex Book Club: Danny Sriskandarajah

Devex | Global Development

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