Sarajuddin Isar

looking forward to the invaluable insights and commentary from distinguished scholars Zachariah Mampilly, Thomas Barfield, Noah Coburn, Dinissa Duvanova, Kevin Narizny, and Norrin Ripsman. We hope to see many of you there for an engaging and thought-provoking discussion.

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If you are in town, please join us for the Fall 2025 Textor Book Manuscript Workshop at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. We will be discussing my forthcoming book, Fiscal Failure in Afghanistan: The Political Economy of Taxation and State-Building. I am very much

lnkd.in/eR6BSxE9

Picture of a small child holding a bouquet of balloons in a field. Over the image, a text that reads "WIDERAngle Blog: Moving away from traditional aid-or are we moving back?"

Are we moving away from traditional aid or circling back to it? 🤔 Patterns of tied aid and inflated figures are resurfacing.

This blog unpacks what 'traditional aid' means, why it changed, and why current trends might feel more like backtracking.

👉 go.unu.edu/Q09zl

and future societal challenges. For more information about the conference, please visit the link below:

www.gu.se/en/event/ret...

an Authoritarian Regime: A Review of Fiscal and Monetary Policies. The conference brought together academics, scholars, and practitioners to explore the intersections between fiscal and monetary policies and how tax law reforms and the evolving role of taxation can help address both contemporary...

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending a three-day conference — Rethinking the Tax Paradigm — organised by the Critical Approaches to Taxation and Society (CATS) Network at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, from 27–29 August 2025. I presented my new paper, Institutional Resilience under...

📢 New Policy Brief: How to make aid work in fragile states
Aid in fragile contexts needs more than technical fixes. The brief calls for long-term, flexible support rooted in local legitimacy.

📄: go.unu.edu/pTvBB

#FragileAid @apvjustino.bsky.social @rgisselquist.bsky.social @anvaccaro.bsky.social‬

‘Come meet us in Dubai’: the new offshoring of grand corruption Sensitive business is moving towards more permissive jurisdictions in response to tighter regulations and greater media attention.

Interesting read.
theconversation.com/come-meet-us...

Art card featuring the text: "Research Paper: Tax Harmonisation Policy within the West African Economic and Monetary Union: Analysis and Prospects by Raissatou Joelle Traore".

The West African Economic and Monetary Union has been engaged in an ambitious project to harmonise its members’ domestic tax systems.

30 years later, what have been the challenges and successes of this policy? Find out here: www.ictd.ac/publication/...

#Taxation #WestAfrica #WAEMU

From Insight to Impact: Research Collaboration to Build Better Tax Systems Join us as we explore how research collaboration can lead to tangible improvements in tax systems at our event, From Insight to Impact!

Joining #FfD4? Don’t miss our side event: “From Insight to Impact: Harnessing Research Collaboration to Build Better Tax Systems” co-hosted by @iisd.org, @ictdtax.bsky.social, @odi.global & @theifs.bsky.social

📍July 3, 8:30 a.m. | Room 12 | In person only
🔗Register eventbrite.co.uk/e/from-insig...

3. independent working group within the conference programme. Further information, including the conference agenda, is available at the link below:

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2. academic papers were presented, covering a broad spectrum of topics in international studies. I presented my new paper on the politicisation of aid and its intersection with local politics. It was also great to meet and engage in discussions with the International Political Economy Group, an

1. I had the pleasure of attending the @British International Studies Association (BISA 2025) conference, held in Belfast, Northern Ireland. This year’s event marked the 50th anniversary of BISA’s founding and brought together hundreds of scholars and academics from around the world. More than 1,000

new @aanafgh.bsky.social

In case you missed it! The latest #WIID release is here! 📊 Data up to 2022 for 202 countries is now available for free download. Explore the WIID Explorer for charts, tables, and inequality factsheets. We are very proud of it!

See it here: go.unu.edu/DI5xt...

www.wider.unu.edu/publication/...

New book: Fragile Aid

Why does aid fail in fragile states? Our book looks into this—it's not just about how much we give, but how.

• Delivery methods matter.
• Top-down aid often fails without local understanding.
• We need adaptable, context-aware approaches.

👉 go.unu.edu/vnGwD

Losing His Immunity: Former Afghan MP Haji Zaher extradited to US on drug charges Kenya is extraditing the Afghan commander and politician, Haji Abdul Zaher Qadir, to the United States, after arresting him at a hotel in Nairobi. The US has charged Haji Zaher with drug and weapons t...

Many will be glad to see Haji Zaher fall from grace. He abused his positions of power to enrich himself, strike at rivals and grab land, keeping millions of Afghans trapped in poverty and the Republic mired in corruption. #Afghanistan bit.ly/44dc8pk

Why tax matters in fragile states and how donors can support it In fragile and conflict-affected states, taxation is often treated as a secondary concern. But this misses a central point: taxation is not just about raising revenue, it is also foundational to the s...

Fragile contexts are home to 24% of the world’s population (1.9 billion people) and 73% of the world’s extreme poor.

Here are three reasons why donors should prioritise investment in strengthening tax systems and how to do so: ow.ly/GiMc50VJu4H

#FFD4 #PublicFinance #FragileStates

The Politics of Survival in the Face of Exclusion (2): The Emirate’s accommodation and suppression of local Hazara commanders This report examines the Taliban’s incorporation of six Hazara commanders into its ranks and how they have fared since the re-establishment of the Islamic Emirate. Three of the commanders joined the T...

Ali Yawar Adili, Non-Resident Fellow at @nyucic.bsky.social looks at the Islamic Emirate of #Afghanistan’s relations with six local #Hazara commanders, who were initially showcased, as proving the inclusiveness of the movement, but how well have they fared since the Taliban takeover? bit.ly/3G1JKwc

Today I got my copy of Authoritarian Consolidation in Times of Crisis, edited by @jpolga.bsky.social and Raúl Sánchez Urribarrí.

A nice present in troubled times.

Thanks to the editors for their amazing work and to @benedictebull.bsky.social and Manuel Sutherland for awesome team effort.

Time for a broader, bolder approach to tax justice for women - ICTD As policymakers gather to discuss gender and tax at the UN today, this blog draws on research to call for moving beyond a narrow focus on gender bias in tax policy toward a broader, more effective fem...

It’s time for a broader, bolder feminist fiscal agenda, argue
Caren Grown, @giuliamascagni.bsky.social & @rhiannoncm.bsky.social.

🚺 Today's @un-ecosoc.bsky.social meeting on #gender and #tax is a key opportunity to move in this direction.

READ 👉 ow.ly/CejT50Vqixp

#IWD2025 @brookings.edu

Making Peace Great Again? The Challenges and Potentials of Trump’s Approach to Peace Diplomacy - IPI Global Observatory How should we assess Trump’s peace diplomacy? And what can Europe and Ukraine do to position themselves strategically in the diplomatic battle over Ukraine’s and Europe’s future?

🔔 New on the Global Observatory: “Making Peace Great Again? The Challenges and Potentials of Trump’s Approach to Peace Diplomacy” By Isabel Bramsen, Isak Svensson, and Peter Wallensteen
Read the full article here 👇 theglobalobservatory.org/2025/03/maki...

Wealthy Africans often don’t pay tax: the answer lies in smarter collection - expert African countries need to implement effective approaches to ensure wealthy citizens make a bigger tax contribution.

Faced with some of the worse #debt levels in over a decade, #African countries will likely need to increase their revenue sources to balance the books. What about starting by looking at #tax contributions from #wealthycitizens?

theconversation.com/wealthy-afri...

The Economic Consequences of Climate Change for Afghanistan: Losses, projections … and pathways to mitigation Despite contributing minimally to global emissions, Afghanistan faces escalating economic and social crises from climate change. Climate shocks, such as from floods, droughts, landslides, avalanches a...

Afghanistan contributes little to global emissions, but faces dire climate crises with losses up to $3B! Yet, it's not getting any funds promised to poorest countries. @assemmayar1 looks into the economic toll of climate change putting figures to the harm being done. #ClimateChange bit.ly/4iSWNOB

Assistant Professor: Peace Studies, Conflict Resolution, and International Relations Assistant Professor in Peace Studies, Conflict Resolution, and International Relations (0.8 - 1.0fte)The Institute of Security and Global Affairs (ISGA) is looking for an assistant professor with rese...

2 AP positions at Leiden: peace studies / IR and security & rule of law:
www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/vacancies...

www.universiteitleiden.nl/vacatures/20...

Funded PhD opportunity!

Are you a PhD student working on economics or global development challenges? Do you want to advance your work with UNU-WIDER’s experts as your mentor? This is your chance!

Apply for our Visiting PhD fellowship by 31 March 👉 go.unu.edu/vJkcD

How does research on inequalities, conflicts, and fiscal space for development have the potential to change the world?

Read about it in this feature by Timothy Shipp in the 2024 WIDER Annual Report out now!
🔗go.unu.edu/xrUbb

Taliban Narratives (1) Books: “Who we are and why we fought” Until recently, the Taliban was a movement that wrote little about itself, in contrast to others – especially foreigners, but also Afghans – who have written so much about them. This was rooted partly...

The Emirate is writing its own history, trying to shape the narrative about why it came to power, with books by and about Taliban being published with state support. We review and analyse some of those books, uncovering themes of heroism and endurance - but are they selling? bit.ly/4ivzMkO

APeCS Conference 2025: Future-Making in Times of Conflict, Violence and Insecurity | School of Social and Political Science APeCS_CallForPapers.pdf

📢 Call for Papers!

How do societies and individuals envision and shape their futures in conflict, violence, and insecurity? The APeCS Conference 2025 invites proposals from researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to explore this.

🔗 Learn more: