#1 - Scott Guggenheim: The Story of Community Driven Development & an Insider's View on Afghanistan

Scott Guggenheim, an anthropologist by training, is one of the originators of community driven development (CDD). He has worked for the World Bank for over 30 years and served as a senior advisor to the President of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani. In this episode, Scott shares how his interest in anthropology started during a 6-month trip to Mexico as a 12-year old, and how an honest but controversial answer about the Vietnam War got him his first job at the World Bank. We then talk about how CDD started in Indonesia facilitated by the 1998 East Asia financial crisis, and how it was possible to build a national program driven by local community insights. We also discuss the importance of interdisciplinary work for development and the role of crises in driving innovation. In the second half of the conversation, we turn to Afghanistan. Scott shares insights gained during his time inside the presidential palace in Kabul, and his views on the existential challenges the country faces. We also talk about what could shift the path Afghanistan has been on for nearly half a century. The episode was recorded on April 11, 2021.

Mihaela Carstei, Paul M. Bisca, and Johan Bjurman Bergman co-host F-World: The Fragility Podcast.
Music: "Tornado" by Wintergatan
. Many thanks to Wintergartan for allowing us to use their wonderful music!

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Community Development
Ben Bernanke (2013) Creating Resilient Communities (speech)

Indonesia
3. Scott Guggenheim et al. (2004). Indonesia's Kecamatan Development Program: A Large-Scale Use of Community Development to Reduce Poverty

On the Poverty Line

On Albert Hirshman

Afghanistan
4. Barnett Rubin (2020) Afghanistan: What Everyone Needs to Know®