The AIDN Beat

AIDN’s core ethos is ‘more’ and ‘better’ global giving and we seek to foster an environment for the discussion and exploration of how we define these terms in an ever-changing international development ecosystem. Alongside our events, webinars and resources, The AIDN Beat is a key way to achieve this goal. The AIDN Beat strives to keep up with the rhythm of the international development sector and cover a broad range of subjects: from innovative development financing, to leading case-studies of programs on-the-ground, to the need for a genuine commitment to localisation.

We are also deeply committed to amplifying diverse voices. Consequently, we accept submissions to The AIDN Beat – so that our dynamic network can shape the discussion too. If you would like to submit content for The AIDN Beat, then we would love to hear from you. Get in touch with us (via hannah@aidnetwork.org.au) and we will share our editorial guidelines.

Subscribers of The AIDN Beat will receive a bi-monthly email where we’ll share recent pieces from The AIDN Beat, alongside curated pieces from other international development platforms and provide a recommendation for a relevant text, film or podcast.

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NEWS & RESOURCES

Latest Stories and Developments

AIDN Beat Spotlight – Edward Ssempewo

Oct 1, 2025

Through The AIDN Beat Spotlight series we hope to highlight a diverse range of sector experts and learn more about their journey in the international development sector. Meet Ssempewo Edward: advocate of the High Court of Uganda, systems leader, early-career researcher and, Founder and Executive Director of Rescue Mission for Street Life (RMFSL).

Stop buying sunshine: The 10% stake every donor should take to ending stunting in Indonesia.

Sep 22, 2025

Too often in international development one-and-done interventions parachute in from afar. But for Zack Peterson, Founder and Chief Strategist of the 1000 Days Fund, donors need to start seeing themselves as a shareholder with a 10% stake in the organisations they are funding. If donors want impact, there are no shortcuts: professionalise the workforce, lock in policy, measure what actually matters, and give enough time for real change. Anything else is buying sunshine.

Crises are complex. But we can cut through the noise and act.

Sep 17, 2025

Attention is a fickle, finite resource. Once a crisis becomes too intractable – we no longer hear about it. However, for Tamar Kosky Lazarus (Chief Development and Communications Officer at IsraAID), these seemingly intractable crises are often made up of problems that aren’t complicated at all. They’re painfully, insultingly solvable. While we’re fatigued by the terrifying big picture, we miss what can be done.

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Financial inclusion in 2025 – time for a health check.

16 September 2025

Clay O'Brien, experienced financial inclusion, microfinance and international development advisor, analyses the World Bank's fifth edition of its Global Findex Database for our network. Clay highlights the need for ongoing work from national regulators and international organisations to promote inclusive financial and banking policies, to consider gender gaps in access to fintech, and to work to address the specific needs of low-income and disadvantaged communities in their access and use of financial products.

Rethinking localisation – Beyond the illusion.

9 September 2025

Co-Founder of Cambodian Children's Trust, Tara Winkler, highlights the Village Hive model in Cambodia as a radical example of localisation in international development. Moving forward, Tara invites our network to an honest and open discussion about the future of localisation. What constitutes the most effective path to localisation in our sector? And can localisation ever be too radical... or does that just mean it is working?

Cross-sector partnerships: 5 years of lessons from Bangladesh.

4 September 2025

Cross Sector Development Partnership Initiative (XSPI)'s Jessica Carter reflects on XSPI's ambition to foster social impact and forge partnerships between business, government, non-profits, philanthropy and research in Bangladesh over the past five years. Jessica shares three key lessons for practitioners: building relationships takes time, leveraging legislation can unlock progress, and impact investment deserves greater attention.

Reimagining rural healthcare in Timor-Leste: from the sky up.

1 September 2025

Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) operates Timor-Leste’s only air ambulance, flying critical medevacs to the national hospital in Dili. MAF's Eleanor Rivers explores how the program’s impact lies not only in rapid transport, but in ensuring equal access to healthcare, upholding dignity, and building community trust. Close alignment with government priorities is also essential to keeping the service effective and sustainable.

In the wake of 2025’s global aid cuts, is philanthropy the next panacea for the United Nations?

13 August 2025

AP4D’s Heather Wrathall and Melissa Conley Tyler share their reflections on the recent UN Finance for Development conference in Seville, where the “Seville Commitment” recognised philanthropy’s catalytic role in sustainable development. While not a substitute for government and development bank funding, they argue philanthropy can boost collective investment and grow pipelines of country-led, sustainable initiatives.

Access to modern contraception is under threat globally. Here’s what can be done.

8 August 2025

With World Contraception Day approaching on September 26, Sue Funnell (Women’s Plans Foundation) argues that the international development and philanthropy sector has an important opportunity to assess global progress on access to contraception. But it is also vital to examine emerging threats, and to consider the urgent role philanthropy must play in addressing these challenges.

AIDN Beat Spotlight: Michelle Gwatiringa

5 August 2025

Through The AIDN Beat Spotlight series we hope to highlight a diverse range of sector experts and learn more about their journey in the international development sector. Meet Michelle Gwatiringa, Country Director at Uncommon.org.

“What’s your Plan B?”: Cambodian civil society is fighting for sustainability amid a donor exodus.

20 June 2025

Kate Flower, Australian lawyer and international development practitioner, highlights how a small cohort of civil society organisations in Cambodia are quietly rewriting the playbook amidst 2025's donor exodus. Operating on threadbare budgets, these CSOs are leaning into the power of solidarity, reclaiming community-rooted strategies, and re-imagining a new network of support.

The overlooked link: Building climate resilience through reproductive healthcare.

12 May 2025

The flooding crisis in Pakistan in 2022 reaffirmed to the team at Marie Stopes International (MSI) that climate change is not only an environmental crisis, but is also a gendered health crisis. In this piece, Grishma Bista, Executive Officer of MSI Asia Pacific, highlights how the impacts of climate change on Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) are currently overlooked by policymakers and donors. SRHR must be embedded into climate adaptation strategies moving forward.