EQUALS: Reimagining Our Economy
EQUALS 105 episodes Nov 10, 2026
EQUALS: Reimagining Our Economy is a podcast that explores how economies can be redesigned through conversations with activists, thinkers and politicians around the world. It is co-hosted by Max Lawson, Maaza Seyoum, Annie Theriault and Nafkote Dabi. The show is produced by Simon Maina, with project management by Harry Bignell and Ayesha Arif. Each episode examines ideas and proposals for a fairer economic system.
Episodes
Low emissions vs high stakes in Nepal: the injustice of climate inequality
Nepal, like many countries in the Global South, contributes very little to global emissions, yet its people suffer a disproportion share of the consequences when climate disasters strike. The catastrophic floods that struck Nepal in August this year and the subsequent global failure to deliver anything close to a just response in the aftermath is a clear reminder of what this inequality looks like
Who Really Controls the News? The Hidden Power Behind the Headlines
In this episode of EQUALS, Crismar Lujano, reflects on how media ownership and global powers shapes which stories are told about Latin America and global south at large. She explains how the framing of economic and political crises is often determined by whose interests – financial, political or otherwise – are at stake. She explains how economic hardships and insecurity is contributing to the ris
“Austerity Is Not an Option!” — Isabel Ortiz on fighting back against IMF imposed spending cuts and price rises for food.
This week Finance Ministers from across the world will attend the IMF–World Bank meetings in Bangkok, Thailand, and Kristalina Georgieva, the IMF’s boss has called on governments to implement swingeing cuts to their spending and increase costs of basic goods- known as austerity measures. As governments face an increasing debt crisis and rising global tensions these cuts are presented as unavoidabl
Fighting Fascism, The Rise of Far Right, and the Battle of Cable Street
The rise of the far right, and of fascism is all around us, all over the world. It is vitally important now more than ever to learn from history, from the rise of the far right in the 1930’s, what attracted people to fascism, and how people organised to fight back. 90 years ago, in East London, fascists mobilised to march through a very poor Jewish area. At Cable Street, tens of thousands of peopl
Is Neoliberalism Dead? with Branko Milanović
We are back! EQUALS Season 9 is officially here.And we’re starting with a massive question: Is neoliberalism dead?To answer it, we are thrilled to welcome back one of the world’s greatest economists on inequality and globalization, Branko Milanović, to discuss his groundbreaking latest book, The Great Global Transformation.In this season premiere, we pull back the curtain on:The Changing Global Ec
The Global Justice Blueprint: A Roadmap to Equality, Shared Prosperity and Climate Justice
Following our conversation with Olivier De Schutter on A Roadmap to End Poverty Beyond Growth, this episode concludes our two-part series exploring bold roadmaps for a just and sustainable future.Too often, climate breakdown and economic inequality are treated as separate crises. But what if they're two sides of the same problem, and one cannot be solved without confronting the other?In this episo
Beyond Growth: Can We End Poverty Without GDP?
For decades, governments have measured success with GDP growth. But even with years of economic expansion, poverty persists, inequality is growing and climate crisis is worsening. In this episode, we speak with Olivier De Schutter, the UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, about his groundbreaking roadmap to end poverty without relying on endless GDP growth. Drawing on years o
The Fight for First Nations Justice in Australia: how inequality and indigenous rights are intertwined
For many Indigenous communities, inequality is not simply about income or opportunity. It is about power, representation and land.In this episode, Nafkote Dabi and Max Lawson speak with Larissa Baldwin-Roberts, a Widjabul Wia-bal woman, climate justice advocate, and one of Australia's leading campaigners for First Nations rights.Drawing on her experience working across Indigenous justice, refugee
The Privatization of Education and Plunder of Common Goods
What happens when basic public goods become a private, paid for service, education becomes a profit-turning treadmill and meanwhile millions live in chronic insecurity?In this episode Max and Grazielle interview renowned economist Guy Standing, exploring his argument that the privatization of public goods or what he calls the “plunder of the commons” has produced a new global class, the Precariat,
Muskism: How Big Tech Is Reshaping Power, Politics, and Democracy
This week on EQUALS, we explore “Muskism” — the growing power of tech billionaires and what it means for democracy, inequality, and the future of society.Authors Quinn Slobodian and Ben Tarnoff argue that Elon Musk is not just a billionaire entrepreneur, but a sign of a deeper transformation in capitalism, technology, and political power.From AI and social media to electric vehicles, digital infra
War, Oil, and Inequality: Who Wins and Who Loses
In this episode, Adam Hanieh explains why crises like war, financial shocks, and pandemics don’t stay where they start. They move through the structures of the global economy. He explains how the effect of the Middle East war is going to move beyond borders through energy prices, food prices and security and consequently high cost of living, hitting the poorest of the population the hardest. Drawi
The Inequality Emergency: The Case for an International Panel on Inequality
In this episode, we move beyond measuring inequality to examine how it is lived and experienced by people who are affected by it and why that distinction matters for policy.Dr. Wanga Zembe-Mkabile, social policy expert and one of the Founding Committee members of the International Panel on Inequality (IPI), brings a critical perspective often missing from economic debates: the human and embodied e
The Making of the International Panel on Inequality
From rising billionaire wealth to dying public services, the gap between who has and who doesn’t is widening almost everywhere. Costs are climbing, and for millions, economic security is slipping further out of reach. And for once, there’s broad agreement, from the G20 to the UN to leading economists. The diagnosis is in. Inequality is no longer a side issue—it’s the issue.In this episode, we expl
Is Norway Really Equal? The Truth About Wealth Inequality
Norway is often seen as one of the most equal countries in the world. But is it really?In this episode Trine Østereng unpacks the reality behind the reputation, and the answer is uncomfortable. While some aspects of Norwegian society, like incomes, remain spectacularly equal, wealth at the top is becoming increasingly concentrated, giving a small elite outsized economic and political power. For ex
Capitalism vs Socialism: What’s Better for Women’s Rights?
Why do women’s rights advance in some societies — and decline in others?In this episode, historian and gender scholar Kristen Ghodsee explains why economic inequality is one of the most powerful drivers of gender inequality.Drawing on decades of research comparing socialist and capitalist societies, Ghodsee shows how policies such as universal childcare, public services, and guaranteed employment
Beyond the Political Noise: How Migrants Are Used as Scapegoats for the Real Crisis
Is the immigration debate really about borders — or is it a political smokescreen?In this episode, we unpack how migrants are often turned into political scapegoats to redirect public anger away from the real causes of public frustration —rising inequality, underfunded public services, unemployment, and the soaring cost of living. Migration policy expert Zoe Gardner brings a UK lens, showing how m
Who Pays When Countries Fall into Debt?
When countries fall into debt, who actually pays the price?In this episode, we talk to Matthew Martin, a passionate advocate for debt relief and inequality, who shares his personal journey from experiencing apartheid in South Africa to becoming a leading voice in the fight against global debt crises. Matthew discusses the intricate relationship between debt and inequality, highlighting how high de
Resisting the Rule of Repression
Most activists don’t wilfully choose a life of protest. But sometimes, we are left with no other option.In this episode we speak with three activists from Kenya, Nepal, and France who explain what drove them to the streets to fight for their cause and the brutal violence they met from the state. We explore the profound cost to citizens when their governments choose force over justice.From informal
Gary Stevenson on Wealth Inequality and Falling Living Standards
“What you have here is a long-term systemic transfer of wealth away from middle classes, away from rich governments and towards a small super rich elite.”- Gary Stevenson”To coincide speak with the release of Oxfam’s Davos report, we speak with Gary Stevenson, who became a millionaire by betting that ordinary people’s living standards would keep falling while wealth piled up at the top.Gary explai
The Great Global Wealth Transfer — Thomas Piketty on Inequality
Did you know that governments in Europe are able to spend 40 times more per child on education than governments in Sub-Saharan Africa?In this episode, world renowned economist Thomas Piketty breaks down the World Inequality Report 2026 and explains why today’s inequality is no longer a slow-moving crisis but an emergency.He shows how the global financial system is designed to extract wealth from t
Health Apartheid | Private Profit vs Public Health — How South Africa Is Fighting Back
What happens when healthcare becomes a financial asset? In this episode, Anna Marriott and Dr. Aquina Thulare break down the dangers of health privatization and financialization. They explain how private equity and hedge funds are transforming hospitals into profit machines, putting patient care and public health at risk.Dr. Aquina Thulare describes how South Africa is fighting back with national
From Typhoon Haiyan to COP30: Marinel Ubaldo on Climate Justice and What COP30 Must Deliver
When Super Typhoon Haiyan tore through the Philippines, 16-year-old Marinel Ubaldo watched her world wash away and learned a truth million on the frontlines already know: climate change is not a distant threat, but a lived injustice. Since then she’s become a fearless voice for accountability, loss and damage, and community-powered resilience.In this EQUALS episode, Marinel takes us inside the nig
A Hopeful Tipping Point: The Legal Win That Could Stop New Fossil Fuels
When an oil site was approved near her home, Sarah Finch didn’t just protest, she took her fight to the UK Supreme Court. And won.In this powerful episode, Sarah joins Nafkote Dabi and Max Lawson to share the story behind her five-year legal battle that changed everything: a ruling that now forces every new fossil fuel project in Britain to confront its true climate impact.It’s a landmark victory
Do We Need Billionaires? Can Private Money Serve the Public Good?
Can finance be part of the solution to inequality?Following philosopher Dr. Ingrid Robeyns’ call to ask “How much wealth is too much?”, we meet someone trying to change the system from within.João Paulo Pacífico says he is ‘hacking’ the system using the tools of finance to fight inequality and support social movements like Brazil’s Landless Workers’ Movement (MST).He shares why he capped his own w
The War on Women: Gaza, Genocide, and the Fight for Peace
Around the world, peace talks too often exclude the very people holding communities together.In this powerful episode, Max and Grazielle sit down with Dr. Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini, and Dr. Sarah Ihmoud, to unpack what happens when women lead peace and the human cost for the war in Gaza.From Northern Ireland’s Women’s Coalition to Palestinian women’s resistance and survival in Gaza, they reveal why
How Much Wealth Is Too Much? Ingrid Robeyns on the Case for Limitarianism
Can a society survive when a few own everything? Philosopher Ingrid Robeyns joins EQUALS to make the case for limitarianism, the radical yet common sense idea that there should be a limit to how much wealth one person can have.From super rich billions to democracy’s decline, Ingrid explains how excessive wealth erodes freedom, fairness, and even the planet’s survival.🎧 Listen now and ask yourself:
A Force for Good: Trade Unions Fighting for Dignity and Democracy.
From the trenches of war in Ukraine, to strikes against austerity in the UK, and the struggle for migrant workers’ rights in South Korea, trade unions are demonstrating extraordinary resilience.In this EQUALS episode, three union leaders share how working people are standing strong against war, exploitation, and political repression:Ivanna Khrapko from Federations of Trade Unions of Ukraine (FPU)
Workers vs. the Billionaire Coup – Conversation with Luc Triangle
EQUALS is back with a brand-new season! We open our 8th season with Luc Triangle, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), to explore the fight against inequality, the erosion of democracy, and what he calls a ‘billionaire coup’ that is reshaping global politics. Luc shares why the fight against inequality is inseparable from the fight for democracy and how these ar
Money, Power, and Inequality: Season 7 Wrap-Up
In this special wrap-up episode, hosts Grazielle and Max reflect on their favorite and most powerful conversations from the season. From the transformative discussion with Kate Pickett and Richard Wilkinson on power of equality, to the role of monetary policy in driving inequality with Jordi Schroder, to the everlasting legacy of colonialism with Jason Hickel—this season has been packed with bold
From Competition to Concentration: How monopoly power shapes inequality.
In this eye-opening episode, we sit down with investigative journalist and author Nick Shaxson to unpack one of the hidden forces behind rising inequality: monopoly power.From food to healthcare to tech and finance, monopolies are tightening their grip on our economies—and our lives. He shares how corporate fuels billionaire wealth, undermines democracy, and worsens the climate cris
CENTRAL BANKS AND INEQUALITY: How inflation, interest rate and other monetary policies impact inequality
How do central bank policies like hiking interest rates affect inequality?Annie and Grazielle sit down with Jordi, an economist at Positive Money, to unravel the complexities of monetary policy. Jordi explains how central banks influence financial conditions to achieve economic targets and the impact of interest rate changes on inequality.The discussion covers how inflation affects different house
AI AND INEQUALITY: Will AI exacerbate inequality or help improve it?
Do you think Artificial Intelligence (AI) will exacerbate inequality or will it help in tackling it?In this episode Nafkote and Grazielle hosts Nobel Prize winner and MIT professor Simon Johnson as they dive deep into the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its effect on inequality. From the promises of AI to its potential challenges, Simon discusses the risks of increasing inequality a
SHADOWS OF THE PAST: Germany's Wealthiest Families’ ties with the Nazi regime
Did you know that some of Germany's wealthiest families, who control major brands like BMW and Volkswagen, had deep ties to the Nazi regime?In this eye-opening episode, journalist David de Jong reveals how these powerful dynasties amassed their fortunes through close collaboration with the Nazi party (National Socialist German Workers' Party), forced labour, and expropriation.Join us as we uncover
VULTURE CAPITALISM UNVEILED: Grace Blakeley on the Oligarchs' Grip on Our Economy
In this episode, Max and Nafkote interview Grace Blakeley, an economist and author, about the rise of oligarchy and the relationship between billionaires, corporations, and the state.Grace discusses the close relationship between the American political establishment and the billionaire class, highlighting how modern capitalist economies are characterized by a fusion of public and private power ser
BILLIONAIRE COLONIALISM: Jason Hickel on how colonialism never ended and drives today’s extreme inequality.
To coincide with the launch of Oxfam’s Davos 2025 report, Takers, not Makers, Naf and Max interview acclaimed author, academic and activist Jason Hickel.Find out how our world is still organised primarily to benefit a small group of white men in rich countries and what we can do to stop this. If you enjoy the episode, please like, share, comment, and leave us a review. Follow us on X @EQ
FLOWERS OR BARS ON THE WINDOWS?: How more Equal Societies are the key to everything that is good, with Kate Pickett and Richard Wilkinson
Grazielle and Max interview the epidemiologists Kate Pickett and Richard Wilkinson, whose groundbreaking work has shown how more equal societies are much safer, happier, healthier, more democratic and greener places to live. How the American dream is actually a Danish dream - and that radically reducing inequality is the key to our future.If you enjoy the episode, please like, share, comment,
CAN SOUTH AFRICA TURN THE TIDE ON INEQUALITY?
As South Africa prepares to take on the G20 presidency next year, we were inspired to explore how it might seize this opportunity to tackle inequality. In our latest episode, we speak with lawyer and activist Isobel Frye, Executive Director at Social Policy Initiative (SPI).With the enduring legacy of apartheid, high unemployment, and deep-rooted economic inequality, South Africa’s inequality cris
CLIMATE FINANCE: Stop bombing and start saving our planet!
As we head to COP29 with climate finance taking centre stage, join Max and Nafkote for an insightful discussion. This episode features Meena Raman, a veteran activist and Head of Programs at Third World Network. Together, they explore the pressing $5 trillion climate debt, the call for reparations, and the main obstacles in climate finance negotiations.Discover how taxing the wealthy and redirecti
KENYA UPRISING: the power of the people
In the summer of 2024, Kenya ignited with protests against the controversial Finance Bill 2024. This legislation threatened to impose heavy taxes on essential goods, sparking widespread outrage.In this episode, Grazielle and Nafkote delve deep into the movement with Grace Wendo, a passionate youth activist and student leader from Kenya. We explore the underlying factors that fuelled the prote
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW TO FIGHT INEQUALITY- with Jayati Ghosh a world leading thinker and activist economist on debt, tax, colonialism, care and so much more.
Jayati Ghosh is an incredible activist, campaigner, academic and thinker. She is leading the fight on so many issues key to the fight against inequality. In this fascinating interview hear her sharp analysis of issues from colonialism to care, and from tax to climate, and what we need to do to win.As always, like, share and leave us a review. You can find us on X at @EQUALShope and
MEET OXFAM’S NEW BOSS
As we launch our new season focusing on fighting inequality, Max and Grazielle host Oxfam’s new Executive Director, Amitabh Behar.From growing up in Bhopal, India, a city infamous for the chemical leak by a US corporate that killed thousands, Amitabh talks us through his life experiences and how they have shaped his thinking and his passion to fight inequality and advocate for social justice and h
How are Big Pharma like hedge funds? – With Nick Dearden
As the World Health Organization (WHO) continue to negotiate the Pandemic Accord, Max and Grazielle interviews Nick Dearden on Pharma patents, monopolies and greed that makes them price medical tools out of reach by people who need them.They also discuss how the public funded research changes hand to be a patent for big pharmaceutical companies whose only concern is to make profit rather than save
Decolonizing to decarbonize - with Fadhel Kaboub.
Imagine someone owing you money, but instead of paying you, they offer you a loan with conditions on how to use it. That is the how climate financing looks like according to Fadhel Kaboub.Fadhel, hosted by Max and Nafkote, breaks down bit by bit, the situation in climate financing and why it is impossible to have just transition within the structures of colonialism and extractivism.Fadhel is an as
Corporate Run Cities (really) - and the fightback! - with Ana Arendar from Progressive International
Imagine a private company creating its own jurisdiction in a sovereign country. It sets up its own laws, currency, and tax, labour and environmental regulations regardless of their compatibility with national laws. And when the democratically elected government steps in, the company sues it in little-known ‘corporate courts’ for billions of dollars citing its projected financial loss. Listen to ou
How water is ‘flowing up’ to the rich
In this episode of EQUALS, we talk about how wealth and power defy gravity by making water flow… upwards!Max and Nafkote interview Sushmita Mandal about water inequality and how climate breakdown is already affecting water access for people around the world.Sushmita shares amazing stories about a young boy in India (who observed water flowing upwards from his community to posh apartment buildings)
Is it Possible to be a Neoliberal Feminist?
On International Women’s Day, Max and Nafkote interviewed Bhumika Muchhala, a development and feminist economist, on the possibility of being a feminist in an economic system that thrives on the exploitation of people and nature. This episode explores the importance of the way our global economy is organized in understanding the fight for gender equality. How issues like labour rights, fair t
SOCIAL MOBILITY- is the capitalist dream just a myth?
Nafkote and Max interview Dr. Faiza Shaheen on how capitalism has failed on its main selling point – work hard and you will succeed. The idea that everyone has equal opportunity in life is just a myth. Your success in life is significantly influenced by where you are born, your social class, race, and education.This episode is a powerful critique of our system - one that perpetuates wealth concent
AUSTERITY: A WEAPON TO DISCIPLINE THE PUBLIC? - with Dr. Clara Mattei
Max and Nafkote interview the brilliant Dr. Clara Mattei on the history of austerity and how it was created to maintain “the capital order”. Austerity today the world over remains a favored tool of policymakers. And yet it is far more than just a policy. We examine the roots of austerity and its fundamental role in entrenching capital, and disciplining people to never dare to create alternative ec
"TO LIVE AS AFRICAN" - with Dr Ndongo Samba Sylla, on economic liberation
Nafkote and Nabil welcome the pioneering Senegalese development economist Ndongo Samba Sylla onto EQUALS.We talk about the untold vision of former Burkina Faso President Thomas Sankara for economic liberation.The role of the French colonial currency in today’s world.What Modern Monetary Theory can mean to the Global South.And what a Green Bandung Woods – picking up from where liberation leaders le
ECONOMICS FOR THE 99% - with Professor Ha-Joon Chang
Max and Nafkote interview the world-famous economist Professor Ha Joon Chang to ask what is causing the inequality crisis and what governments can do to stop it.How are traffic lights, neoliberalism, and the Catholic Church in medieval times linked? How can we create a new generation of developmental states that face down corporates and build equal societies? An EQUALS episode not to be
THE WALL STREET CONSENSUS - with Dr. Daniela Gabor
EQUALS is back. Max and Nabil speak to Dr. Daniela Gabor, who says we’ve entered a new era of the “Wall Street Consensus”. Her macro analysis is lighting up debates around the world about how much power we’re giving up to global private finance - and what exactly comes after neoliberalism.Daniela, Professor of Economics and Macro-Finance at UWE Bristol, breaks down what is driving this new paradig
CLIMATE INEQUALITY
Introducing a new EQUALS season and our new podcast co-host, Nafkote Dabi, Climate Policy Lead at Oxfam International.Joining Nafkote and Max in this episode are Astrid Nilsson Lewis and Ashfaq Khalfan. Together, they delve into the latest Oxfam report “Climate Equality: A planet for the 99%” How are the climate and inequality crises intertwined?In this episode, we expose the profound disparities
Season Five Closer. Farewell Nadia!
A season five wrap-up with just the co-hosts! Nadia is sadly leaving the podcast (and Oxfam). The co-hosts get together to look back on their time together and reflect on over fifty episodes of EQUALS. We’ll be back for season six folks. Inequality’s sky-high. The fight’s on this decade but there’s hope. You’ve asked us to cover issues from the global debt crisis facing developing countries t
JOSEPH STIGLITZ ON INEQUALITY, WAR PROFITEERS, AND A NEW COLD WAR
Nadia and Nabil interview Nobel Prize Laureate Professor Joseph Stiglitz to ask just how dire the state of inequality is - and what we’ve got to do about it. Is it realistic to tax the richest at rates above 70%? What’s the connection between Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and IMF-backed austerity in low income countries?An EQUALS episode not to be missed with a giant of economic thinking
A PLAN TO MAKE RICH COUNTRIES ADDRESS THEIR PAST WRONGS - PART 2 - With Professor Verene Shepherd and Dr. Grieve Chelwa
How exactly can rich countries address their past wrongs of slavery and colonialism? Well, there’s a plan. Jamaican scholar and UN leader Verene Shepherd outline what Caribbean nations have called for.This EQUALS episode is the second of a two-part special on reparations. In the first episode, we heard the case for reparations – and went back to the 15th century to the moment European men began an
SHOULD RICH COUNTRIES PAY FOR THEIR PAST CRIMES? – PART 1 – With Professor Verene Shepherd
We start on the shores of the Caribbean islands of the 15th century. As white European men landed on its shores, the story of centuries of colonialism and slavery, and today’s global inequality begins.This EQUALS is the first of a two-part special on the case for reparations. Nabil and Nadia speak with the Jamaican scholar Professor Verene Shepherd who with others across the world is demanding rep
ON BILLIONAIRES AND FOSSIL FUELS - With Nafkote Dabi, Harjeet Singh, and Teun Ott after COP
In this episode, Nafkote Dabi, Harjeet Singh, and extinction rebellion activist Teun Ott join Max and Nadia to talk about billionaires, inequality, and climate breakdown.Nafkote and Harjeet joined us directly from the COP last week. Nafkote, Climate Lead at Oxfam describes how billionaires contribute to carbon emissions not only through their lifestyles but also through their investments. Harjeet,
THE “CASINO” OF GLOBAL FINANCE – with Ann Pettifor
Ann Pettifor joins Max and Nabil on EQUALS. She famously predicted the global financial crash in 2007/8 and she’s worried again. She says it’s not just simply supply and demand that’s driving global food system shocks - and tells the story of how gambling-like practices in global financial markets are affecting all of us.She’s got some big ideas to on reining in capital, and why poorer countries b
COST OF LIVING STORIES ACROSS THE GLOBE – from Lumbadzi, London and Cape Town
We speak to three people reckoning with today’s massive cost of living crisis – with stories from Malawi, the United Kingdom and South Africa. Max speaks with Nellie Kumambala, a secondary school teacher in Lumbadzi, Malawi, and Walter, a security guard in London, United Kingdom. Nabil speaks with Wafaa Abdurahman, the National Coordinator, Fight Inequality Alliance South Africa.Different countrie
INFLATION: THE UNTOLD STORY – with Lindsay Owens and Irit Tamir
EQUALS is back! We're asking: What has *really* been happening in the board rooms of multinational companies? And what's that got to do with today's cost-of-living crisis being felt across the globe?This new season on EQUALS we’ll focus on the crisis, bringing stories and solutions from across the globe.Nabil and Nadia speak with Dr. Lindsay Owens and Irit Tamir. Lindsay is the Executive Director
“FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE, GET PREPARED!” – With Helen Clark, Former PM of New Zealand
Nadia and Nabil welcome former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark on the EQUALS podcast for a special episode.The IMF, World Bank and the G20 all are meeting this week. The world is facing multiple crises that are converging from the COVID-19 pandemic to the Ukraine crisis, to soaring food and fuel prices.Two years into the pandemic, we ask PM Clark what governments should have done to respond
IT’S A WRAP ON SEASON 4!
It’s a wrap on Season 4 of EQUALS! Liz, Max, Nabil and Nadia reflect on the season, and on 2 years since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. We talk race, inequality, political power, access to justice, and we discuss campaigning for a People’s Vaccine.14 episodes in, which ones stand out for us and why? Make sure you share the podcast on social media and leave a review! We’re at @EQUALShope on Tw
WILL CHILE'S NEW 36-YEAR-OLD PRESIDENT BURY NEOLIBERALISM? - with Noam Titelman (and Ana Arendar)
In a few days, a 36-year-old former student leader who wants to fight inequality will become the President of Chile. He says, “If Chile was the cradle of neoliberalism, it will also be its grave”.We find out about what President-elect Gabriel Boric wants to do, and about the movement of young people whose protests have swung the pendulum of power in Chile.We take a trip to 1973 to the birth of neo
FORMER UK PM GORDON BROWN ON THE EXTRAORDINARY COVID RESPONSE WE NEED
Max and Nabil welcome former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown on the Oxfam EQUALS podcast for an incisive interview.The pandemic is far from over. Vaccine inequality rages on. We ask Gordon what he would do if he was leading the G20 today – and how to rally the world’s leaders to act, as he did in response to the global financial crash.Gordon Brown is the World Health Organization’s Ambassador for G
“AN INCREDIBLE EXPLOSION OF INEQUALITY” – with Renowned Economist, Branko Milanovic
We are witnessing a COVID-19 driven explosion in inequality. This week, Oxfam released its annual report, Inequality Kills, showing that the pandemic is killing at least 1 person every 4 seconds, while the ten richest men have doubled their fortunes during this same pandemic. This is the biggest single increase in billionaire wealth in recorded history. Max and Nadia talk to Branko Milanovic, worl
IS SANTA CLAUS A CAPITALIST ICON? – A lively Holiday Special with Asad Rehman
Alas! Santa Claus is coming to town!! And we’re having a Christmas debate on a hot button topic that is dividing people. Is Santa a socialist or a merciless capitalist?Liz and Nadia talk to Asad Rehman, the Executive Director of War on Want. He’s a lifelong campaigner against racialised capitalism, economic, climate and social injustice – and he’s got some beef with Santa! This is one fo
WILL THE PANDEMIC CHANGE HEALTHCARE FOREVER? – With Rob Yates of Chatham House and Rebecca Riddell of New York University
We finally talk healthcare on EQUALS. Could the pandemic trigger the creation of universal healthcare systems around the world? What can we learn from Thailand and Costa Rica? What is privatization doing to healthcare in Kenya? And who is undermining healthcare for all?Liz, Nabil and Max chat to Rob Yates (Director, Global Health Program, Chatham House) and Rebecca Riddell (Co-Director, Human Righ
POST-COP26: WHAT’S NEXT? CLIMATE JUSTICE V CLIMATE COLONIALISM – With Asad Rehman and Nafkote Dabi
Here’s your post-COP26 deep dive. What do the outcomes mean for us all? Why were developing countries insisting on reparations? What’s the fuss about billionaire emissions?We welcome two amazing guests from the climate justice movement who were influencing the Glasgow climate talks.Asad Rehman is the Executive Director of War on Want, a lifelong campaigner against racial and economic injustice, an
BUSES AND THE INEQUALITY CRISIS – With Bassam Khawaja and Matteo Rizzo
We need to talk about buses. Yes, buses. And inequality. The issue that nobody’s talking about.Since the 80s, transport across the world has been privatized – fueling an inequality crisis that undermines our human rights.Liz, Max and Nabil chat to Bassam Khawaja (Co-Director, Human Rights and Privatization Project, NYU Law School Center for Human Rights and Global Justice) and Matteo Rizzo (Senior
IS GREEN GROWTH A CONVENIENT LIE? – With Jason Hickel, Economic Anthropologist
How fighting inequality and beating climate change means we must end our addiction to economic growth and fast.We’re asking: How are inequality, climate breakdown and growth linked? Why is green growth an impossibility? If rich nations must stop growing, what does this mean for developing countries? Nadia and Max have an amazing conversation with Dr. Jason Hickel – economic anthropologist, activis
CAN FOREIGN AID BE DECOLONIZED? – With Power Shifter Degan Ali
Foreign aid has helped save millions of lives. But the whole system is facing a huge reckoning.As the New York Times’ Editorial Board wrote recently, “A growing group of intellectuals, aid workers and civic leaders from Africa say the “white savior” mentality of the world’s foreign aid system can end up doing more harm than good.We’re asking: Does aid work? Is aid really so colonial that it needs
ECONOMIC HUNGER GAMES IN AFRICA –With Pan-African feminist Crystal Simeoni
What doesn’t mainstream economics “get” about Africa? What is the future of the state itself in Africa? And how much should we really be focusing on corruption within Africa? Max and Nabil have a riveting conversation with Pan-African feminist Crystal Simeoni – who is Director at Nawi: Afrifem Macroeconomics Collective (which is well worth checking out here!). Previously, she was head of the
WHEN NEOLIBERALISM TOOK ON AFRICA’S ECONOMIC IMAGINATION – With Zambian economist Grieve Chelwa
Former Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda (“KK”) – who led his country in the wake of independence from colonial rule – recently died. A pan-African giant, he pursued efforts to boldly pursue equality at home and fight for liberation across the African continent. Max Lawson and Nabil Ahmed have an amazing chat with Dr. Grieve Chelwa on what President Kaunda really set out to do with the state t
TAX THE RICH! SAY THE RICH – Meet Patriotic Millionaires Morris Pearl and Erica Payne
How does it feel to have more money than you could ever spend? What is it that makes someone who is a millionaire fight for higher taxes on the rich? How does playing a rigged game of monopoly reveal how rich people’s minds work? What chance that President Joe Biden can reverse the relentless lowering of taxes on the richest people?Nadia and Max are joined by Erica Payne and Morris Pearl – fo
IS RACISM SHAPING THE GLOBAL VACCINE RESPONSE? – With Priti Krishtel, Tahir Amin and Asia Russell
We’re asking: is racism silently shaping the global vaccine response? And what could President Biden’s recent huge decision to take on vaccine monopolies mean for people around the world? We also do a special round of “big pharma bingo”, examining the key arguments that pharmaceutical corporations have been making that is stifling the mass production of Covid-19 vaccines. Max and Nabil are jo
MUSIC AS POLITICAL POWER - With PilAto, Zambian Music Artist Sensation
[This episode contains great music!] His beautiful music reaches millions. He’s topped the charts in the African continent. He’s winning change. He’s even been arrested for his music. He is PilAto – real name Fumba Chama – the Zambian music artist and activist sensation. On this truly inspiring episode of the EQUALS podcast Max and Nabil speak to PilAto about his backstory, what’s behind his music
WHY WE NEED TO DREAM – Award-Winning Author Gary Younge on MLK, Inequality and Race
A remarkable conversation with a great thinker and giant of journalism who has covered the great stories of our time. We ask what can be learnt from MLK about the fight against inequality? What holds back change and what is the role of journalism? How can America heal under Biden? We talk about the place of idealism in politics and how we can bring together struggles – and win. Nadia and
SO WHEN DO I GET A VACCINE? – Vaccines Experts on What It’ll Take To Get A People’s Vaccine To The World
A vaccine. Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna. You know the names by now. A vaccine is the light at the end of this painful pandemic. It’s been amazing to see some people in some countries starting to get a vaccine. But just 1 in 10 people in poor countries stand to get one this year. On this EQUALS podcast special we speak to brilliant vaccines experts to answer: when will most of the world get a vacci
2021: YEAR OF HOPE? – With Climate Leader Christiana Figueres (& Nafkote Dabi!)
2020 ends. 2021 begins. How can we make sure this will be a defining year in the fight against climate breakdown? What has COVID taught us? And is it possible to be optimistic?We talk to Christiana Figueres – the global climate leader who led the 2015 Paris accord talks and author of “The Future We Choose” – about all of this. And we also get reflections from Oxfam’s Nafkote Dabi about what succes
SCHOOLS OUT FOR COVID! – Fighting The New Education Inequality Crisis, with Dr. Prachi Srivastava and Linda Oduor-Noah
COVID-19 has pushed over a billion kids out of school. What must we do right now to ensure this isn’t a “lost generation”? How does inequality affect access to education? And why do private schools present such a challenge to quality education in developing countries? To show us what needs to be done, we’re joined in this episode by the inimitable Dr. Prachi Srivastava – Associate Professor at the
