Activism can often feel like a race against time; the gravity of injustice too urgent to look away from. But what does this constant sense of urgency mean for the well-being of those at the frontlines of responding to these crises? In this week’s episode of On the Contrary by IDR, we speak to two veteran activists from South Africa.

Kumi Naidoo is a human rights and environmental justice activist who has led major global organisations including Amnesty International and Greenpeace. He is joined by Louisa Zondo, the former head of the South African Human Rights Commission and founder of the Ricky Rick Foundation for Promotion of Artivism. Listen as Kumi and Louisa discuss the importance of care and well-being when confronting the most pressing issues of our time.

Host: Devanshi Vaid

Produced and edited by: Shreya Adhikari, Devanshi Vaid, and Halima Ansari

IDR is an online journal that publishes cutting-edge ideas, lessons, and insights written by and for the people working on some of India’s toughest problems. For more information about IDR, visit www.idronline.com. Also, follow IDR on Linkedin, Instagram,

Facebook, and Twitter.

Watch the full episode here, or read the transcript here.

This podcast is a Maed in India production.

Donate: https://idronline.org/donate/

When we talk about philanthropy, we usually focus on the tangible: what’s being funded, where the money goes, and what results it delivers. But behind every outcome is a relationship—between funders and grantees, between organisations and the people they serve. So what would it take to centre well-being, not just as a perk or an afterthought but as a guiding principle of how philanthropy works? Mahendra Pandey of Humanity United and Steven Harris of Fetzer Institute discuss on this week’s episode of On the Contrary by IDR.

Host: Devanshi Vaid

Produced and edited by: Shreya Adhikari, Devanshi Vaid, and Halima Ansari

IDR is an online journal that publishes cutting-edge ideas, lessons, and insights written by and for the people working on some of India’s toughest problems. For more information about IDR, visit www.idronline.com. Also, follow IDR on Linkedin, Instagram,

Facebook, and Twitter.

Watch the full episode here, or read the transcript here.

This podcast is a Maed in India production.

Watch the full episode here, or read the transcript here.

This podcast is a Maed in India production.

Donate: https://idronline.org/donate/

What does well-being mean when systems are built on conflict and violence, and who gets to define what healing looks like? This week’s episode of On the Contrary by IDR brings together two guests who have witnessed conflict up close. Paula Moreno, founder of Manos Visibles (Visible Hands), works on racial and territorial justice in Colombia and is the youngest person to hold a cabinet position in Colombia’s government. Dr Jean Bosco Niyonzima, raised during the ethnic conflict in Rwanda, is a doctor, a social entrepreneur, and an expert in trauma healing and community-based mental health. Listen as they discuss the complexities of building collective healing, the meaning of well-being in conflict-affected systems, and the lessons their experiences offer for communities around the world.

Host: Devanshi Vaid

Produced and edited by: Shreya Adhikari, Devanshi Vaid, and Halima Ansari

IDR is an online journal that publishes cutting-edge ideas, lessons, and insights written by and for the people working on some of India’s toughest problems. For more information about IDR, visit www.idronline.com. Also, follow IDR on Linkedin, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Watch the full episode here, or read the transcript here.

This podcast is a Maed in India production.

Donate: https://idronline.org/donate/

How does the media function in times of crisis? How do audiences respond to multiple stories of crisis one after another? Is it possible for journalists to cover conflict without causing harm to themselves or others? And what is the emotional cost of journalism in the 21st century? In this episode, Mar Cabra, a Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative journalist and the co-founder of The Self-Investigation, and Nat Kendall-Taylor, CEO of the FrameWorks Institute, a communications think tank, discuss how the stories we tell can balance truth and care.

Host: Devanshi Vaid

Produced and edited by: Shreya Adhikari, Devanshi Vaid, and Halima Ansari

IDR is an online journal that publishes cutting-edge ideas, lessons, and insights written by and for the people working on some of India’s toughest problems. For more information about IDR, visit www.idronline.com. Also, follow IDR on Linkedin, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Watch the full episode here, or read the transcript here.

This podcast is a Maed in India production.

Donate: https://idronline.org/donate/

In this episode, journalist Namita Bhandare, researcher Sharon Buteau, and author and economist Shrayana Bhattacharya, delve into the data on female labour force participation, revealing the truth about Indian women’s engagement in paid work.

Host: Saloni Meghani

Produced and edited by: Sneha Philip, Smarinita Shetty, Shreya Adhikari, and Halima Ansari

IDR is an online journal that publishes cutting-edge ideas, lessons and insights, written by, and for the people working on some of India’s toughest problems. For more information, visit www.idronline.org, or follow IDR on Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and Instagram.

This podcast is a Maed in India production.

Donate: https://idronline.org/donate/

In this episode, Gayathri Vasudevan (Chief Impact Officer, Sambhav Foundation and Chairperson, LabourNet Services India), and feminist and queer activist Manak Matiyani discuss how gender norms and masculinities shape women's access to the workforce.

Host: Smarinita Shetty

Produced and edited by: Rachita Vora, Smarinita Shetty, Shreya Adhikari, and Halima Ansari

IDR is an online journal that publishes cutting-edge ideas, lessons and insights, written by, and for the people working on some of India’s toughest problems. For more information, visit www.idronline.org, or follow IDR on Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and Instagram.

This podcast is a Maed in India production.

Donate: https://idronline.org/donate/

In this special episode, we speak with climate activist Disha Ravi, environmental lawyer Mridula Vijairaghavan, and nonprofit leader Stalin Dayanand. Together, they unpack the dynamics of environmental protests—what works, what doesn't, and whether these movements hold the key to shaping climate action in policy rooms.

Host: Shreya Adhikari

Produced and edited by: Rachita Vora, Smarinita Shetty, Shreya Adhikari, Derrek Xavier, and Halima Ansari

IDR is an online journal that publishes cutting-edge ideas, lessons and insights, written by, and for the people working on some of India’s toughest problems. For more information, visit www.idronline.org, or follow IDR on Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and Instagram.

This podcast is a Maed in India production.

Donate: https://idronline.org/donate/

Water conservation is the need of the hour, and it requires both community-led initiatives and increased corporate engagement. In this episode, Shraman Jha, CEO of Hindustan Unilever Foundation, and Padma Shri awardee Uma Shankar Pandey, a jal yoddha or water warrior from Bundelkhand, Uttar Pradesh, discuss how communities and businesses can step up their water conservation efforts.

Host: Saloni Meghani

Produced and edited by: Saloni Meghani, Smarinita Shetty, Sneha Philip, and Shreya Adhikari

IDR is an online journal that publishes cutting-edge ideas, lessons and insights, written by, and for the people working on some of India’s toughest problems. For more information, visit www.idronline.org, or follow IDR on Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and Instagram.

This podcast is a Maed in India production.

Donate: https://idronline.org/donate/