As part of the broader “SDG Interactions and Policy Interventions” programme, our SDG Interactions in East Africa team joined a policy dialogue organised by NWO and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs programme on 4 February 2026. The dialogue was part of the Debunking Notions, Reshaping Mindsets series of conversations that Vice Versa has convened since 2024 to challenge African-European stereotypes, clichés and framings of each other. The main audience was policymakers and researchers, but industry and civil society was also represented.
Nowella Anyango-van Zwieten, representing Prof. Art Dewulf, joined Karlijn Morsink from Utrecht University in an interview where the Principle Investigators gave a helicopter view and answered critical reflective questions about the SDG Interactions programme. Rachel Gitundu joined PhD candidates from the universities of Groningen and Utrecht to share research findings ‘from the ground.’ She gave a presentation on the topic, “Is ‘Leaving No One Behind’ Possible?” and in the panel discussion, “Collaborations for development (?)- The question being whose development under whose costs.”
Aytenew Tatek then gave a spirited pitch that saw our breakout session so full additional chairs had to be brought in. Starting with a brief discussion “From Multilateralism to a Multisphere World,” Aytenew asked the audience how we would prevent our hard-won SDG gains from slipping away, shifting from self-interest mutual-interest, and missing enablers that were overlooked in governing SDG trade-offs and synergies. The take-home reflections question was, ‘Is the debunking notion the right approach in a changing world order?”
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