In this episode of the Conflict Tipping podcast, host Laura May welcomes Dr Rachel Adams, founder and CEO of the Global Center on AI Governance and author of The New Empire of AI: The Future of Global Inequality. Rachel’s book explores how AI is reshaping global inequalities and examines its historical ties to colonialism. Together, Laura and Rachel explore the complexities of AI governance, the AI divide, and the ethical challenges facing emerging technologies.

Key Highlights:

• [00:00:00] Rachel’s journey into AI and governance: From her PhD on transparency and surveillance to becoming a global thought leader on AI governance, Rachel shares her professional journey.

• [00:05:10] Why isn't AI transparent?: What makes AI systems so complex and why transparency in AI remains a critical and elusive goal.

• [00:08:16] AI, inequality, and colonialism: How AI’s development and supply chains echo historical patterns of extraction and exploitation, and its disproportionate impact on the Global South.

• [00:18:21] The AI divide: Examining the stark disparities in access to AI technologies and their benefits, and the resulting social and economic inequalities.

• [00:23:26] Who does the work, and where?: Exploring the human cost of AI production, from data labelling to e-waste, and the economic challenges for workers in the Global South.

• [00:28:36] AI governance and policy-makers: The need for international regulation, capacity-building in the Global South/Global Majority Countries, and empowering oversight institutions to create fairer systems.

• [00:36:35] What can we do to help?: Concrete steps for individuals to support more equitable AI development and the importance of raising awareness about AI’s impact on global inequality.

• [00:40:53] Where to learn more?: Connect with Rachel--and buy her book!

Links:

• The New Empire of AI: The Future of Global Inequality by Rachel Adams (Polity Press): Available Here (Polity Press), Amazon US (hardback releasing January 2025, Kindle already available), Amazon UK (hardback releasing November 22), Waterstones
• Global Center on AI Governance: globalcenter.ai
• African Observatory on Responsible AI: africanobservatory.ai
• Follow Rachel on LinkedIn and Twitter/X

Key Takeaway: Dr Rachel Adams argues that AI’s inequalities cannot be fully understood without recognising their roots in colonialism. Her book challenges us to rethink AI’s role in society and invites us to join the conversation about building a more equitable future.

"Making Friends Among the Taliban" with Ankur Delight

In this episode of the Conflict Tipping podcast, host Laura May is joined by returning guest Ankur Delight, mediator and founder of a funk collective, to discuss Making Friends Among the Taliban by Jonathan Larson. The book tells the story of Dan Terry, a Methodist missionary who dedicated his life to development work, building relationships and trust in Afghanistan.

Highlights:

• Learn how Dan's lack of judgment and dedication to finding common ground allowed him to build bridges with communities that held vastly different beliefs, all in pursuit of shared goals like clean water access.

• Ankur reflects on the deep lessons of perseverance, optimism, and non-judgment that come from Terry’s life and work, and how these lessons have inspired him in his own journey.

Links:

• Ankur's podcast, 10k heroes: http://10kh.show/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ankurdelight/
• His website: https://tenthousandheroes.club/

Rwanda’s Gacaca Courts and Gender-Based Violence with Dr Judith Rafferty

In this episode of the Conflict Tipping podcast, host Laura May speaks with Dr Judith Rafferty, an expert mediator and researcher, about the complex role of Rwanda’s Gacaca courts in addressing sexual violence in the aftermath of the Rwandan Genocide. Dr Rafferty draws on her extensive experience and research to explore how these community-based justice mechanisms handled gender-based violence cases and whether they met the justice needs of survivors.

Key Highlights:

• Dr Rafferty’s Journey into Sexual Violence Research: Discover what led Dr Rafferty to focus on conflict-related sexual violence, beginning with her work in the Central African Republic and her exposure to informal justice systems.

• Understanding the Gacaca Courts: Learn about the history and purpose of Rwanda’s Gacaca courts, traditional community-based justice processes that were reimagined to address the aftermath of the genocide.

• Sexual Violence in the Gacaca Courts: Dr Rafferty explains how sexual violence cases were eventually incorporated into the Gacaca system, and the challenges this brought for victim-survivors.

• Justice Needs of Survivors: Explore the justice needs identified in Dr Rafferty’s research, including safety, validation, and perpetrator accountability, and how the Gacaca courts succeeded or fell short in meeting these needs.

• Social Cohesion and Healing: A discussion on whether the Gacaca courts were able to foster societal healing and reintegration for survivors of sexual violence, and the ongoing challenges faced by survivors today.

This episode provides valuable insights into the intersection of traditional justice systems, gender-based violence, and post-conflict recovery in Rwanda.

Links:

• TEDx Talk: When Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word. But I Don’t Care | Judith Herrmann
• 3-Minute Thesis: Judith Rafferty for Conflict Management and Resolution
• Policy Brief: Sexual Violence After Genocide
• Journal Article: Justice Interests of Female Victim-Survivors of Sexual Violence in Gacaca
• Article: Interviewing Rwandan Survivors of Sexual Violence
• Critical Analysis: Transitional Justice Measures in Gacaca

Full Citations:

• Herrmann, J. (2017). When sorry seems to be the hardest word, but I don’t care. TEDxJCUCairns. Link to TEDx Talk
• Rafferty, J., & Fox, N. (2023). Sexual violence after genocide. Policy Brief. International Association of Genocide Scholars. Link to Policy Brief
• Rafferty, J. (2018). "I wanted them to be punished or at least ask us for forgiveness”: Justice interests of female victim-survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and their experiences with Gacaca. Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal, 12(3), 95–118. Link to Article
• Herrmann, J. (2017). Experiences, challenges, and lessons learned; interviewing Rwandan survivors of sexual violence. Griffith Journal of Law & Human Dignity, 5(1), 165–188. Link to Article
• Herrmann, J. (2012). A critical analysis of the transitional justice measures incorporated by Rwandan Gacaca and their effectiveness. James Cook University Law Review, 19, 90–112. Link to Article

Timestamps:

• [00:00:00] Introduction
• [00:01:08] What drew Judith to study sexual violence?
• [00:08:35] What were the Gacaca Courts?
• [00:14:31] Rape and the Gacaca trials
• [00:19:28] Protecting victims in Gacaca
• [00:23:50] Outcomes for victims?
• [00:29:19] Justice and outcome needs of victim-survivors
• [00:34:55] Did Gacaca repair victims (enough)?
• [00:41:42] Coping with the research
• [00:44:22] Where to learn more about Judith's work