We see it again and again: Alcohol is in a number of different ways an obstacle to sustainable development. The link to ill health, poverty, rights restrictions and violence is clear. Now a new podcast has been launched where talks are going on about how to build something better with effective policy.
Movendi Internationals podcast"Alcohol IssuesHas come out with seven episodes so far. The pod complements everything else that Movendi does to communicate: News summaries on the website, newsletter, an app and social media presence.
- We want to contribute to making the development in alcohol policy as easily accessible and as easy to understand as possible, says Maik Dünnbier, head of strategy and influence at Movendi International. This applies to best practices by community organizations, the latest updates from politics and science and revelations of the alcohol industry's unethical practices.
Movendi also wants to help create an overview over what is happening in alcohol policy globally in order to increase both the understanding and interest in the issue, hopefully beyond the groups that are usually interested in alcohol policy.
- Our podcast fulfills an important function here, says Maik Dünnbier. Here we can have conversations about various issues that are more in-depth and that can raise interesting ideas and insights. Here we have the opportunity to create an opportunity for all people to be able to gain insight into important processes, understand who the leading players are and to learn from real experts. And if this helps us drive the global debate on alcohol policy, then we're grateful. But of course it depends on how many people actually want to listen.
For those who are interested in alcohol linked to development, and of international alcohol policy issues, it is a goldmine. Here are some examples:
Section three is interviewed Dudley Tarlton (Specialist in Health and Development at the United Nations Development Program, UNDP) on alcohol and development. From the section description:
It's an insightful conversation that provides unique perspectives on alcohol as an obstacle to development and some inspiring ideas how to tackle it.
UNDP stands out among UN programs and agencies for their strong support of WHO and for their commitment to work on alcohol, health and development. I talk to Dudley about why UNDP is so committed and why some other UN programs and agencies are not yet addressing alcohol harm in their specific fields of expertise.
Dudley and UNDP address alcohol as an obstacle to development not only from a health burden perspective but are also making other linkages - to poverty, economy and even environment. Dudley is also going into more detail regarding this unique approach. ”
In episode six we get to listen to Nina Renshaw, head of policy and influence at the NCD Alliance, on alcohol as a risk factor for the growing problem of non-communicable diseases. From the description:
In my conversation with Nina, we talk about alcohol's role as a risk factor in the global NCDs tsunami and what the NCD Alliance is doing about it. And Nina shares insights into the advocacy environment during and after the coronavirus crisis with regard to attention to non-communicable diseases and their risk factors. We discuss some of the most recent scientific findings about the preventable healthcare costs of NCDs risk factors and shed more light on the concept of commercial determinants of health.
With Nina, we enjoyed a far-reaching conversation and some really deep dives into the topics of NCDs, alcohol, industry interference and advocacy for high-impact policy solutions. And to top it all off, Nina shares her powerful and inspiring thoughts on the most important advocacy issues. ”
You will find the podcast and all the episodes including on Movendi's website, on Podbean and on Spotify. (It should also be on the Apple Podcast, but there the link seems to be broken right now.)
Photos: "My Podcast Set I" by brainblogger is under-licensed CC BY 2.0
