Talk : Small Acts of Kindness - the value and impact of humanitarian aid

2025 marks the 40th anniversary of Live Aid, which was a resounding success in raising money for famine relief in Africa, with millions of pounds collected. Live Aid brought the issue of global poverty into the living rooms of millions, sparking important conversations and inspiring action. Despite many pressing humanitarian issues today, the G7 countries, including the UK, are cutting overseas aid budgets to fund increased military spending.  Charity donations for humanitarian aid have also seen a noticeable decline recently, with some charities reporting significant drops in income compared to previous years.

Our town has shown generosity towards and offered sanctuary for many escaping conflict and personal hardship. In this public debate, we invite you to join Malmesbury residents, past and present, who have been on the frontline of overseas humanitarian work, and to hear about how the money is spent and the difference it makes to people’s lives.

Shane Stevenson, has over 15 years’ experience as an international development and humanitarian specialist working predominantly in the Central Asia, Caucuses and the Middle East. He started his career with Voluntary Services Overseas as an environmental adviser to a local organisation in Tajikistan. Subsequently, he managed rural economic development and drinking water programmes before becoming a Country Director in Yemen and then the Occupied Palestinian Territory. He is the Chair of the Supervisory Board of a Micro Finance Institution in Azerbaijan. 

Dr Zoë Jordan, a former Malmesbury School student, is a researcher and Senior Lecturer  at the Centre for Development and Emergency Practice, Oxford Brookes University. Her research interests are in forced migration and humanitarianism, with a focus on how displaced populations respond to and manage their displacement in protracted and urban contexts. Her field experience includes extended working in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti and Jordan.