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:

📖 Sen, S. (2020). Decolonizing Palestine: Hamas between the Anticolonial and the Postcolonial. Cornell University Press.

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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