More Insights – Busara

When evidence travels: What can transfer, and what must be redesigned

A solution can be evidence-based and perfectly translated without producing the same result elsewhere. From its Latin America team, Busara argues that contextualization is a strategic capability, not a final…

It’s not what you say, it’s who says it: mapping trust, networks, and prosocial behavior in Uganda

Across the world, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and policymakers are often frustrated when their activities, including communication strategies, underperform. They then question why their strategies fail to translate into strong…

Active citizens: Reimagining participation, citizen agency and governance through behavioral science

This blog was first published in the July 2026 issue of the Busara Behavioral Lens. You can subscribe to the newsletter here. A decade ago, a research team from Busara…

When good intentions hurt: Rethinking cultural norms interventions in African societies

Across Africa, cultural traditions play an important role in community life and hold significant relevance. These include rites of passage that celebrate the transition from childhood to adulthood and a…

A turning point in foreign aid: How communities are adapting to shifting development funding.

For a long time, foreign aid steadily flowed to aid-receiving countries in a predictable rhythm, one shaped by donor cycles, bilateral and multilateral partnerships. This aid has been particularly crucial…

Verifying love in the lab: lessons from a financial privacy study

If someone asked you to prove that the person sitting next to you is your spouse, what would you show? A marriage certificate? A shared last name? In many parts…

Thumbs up or down: Regulating social media is a double-edged sword

Governments across the world are grappling with a difficult dilemma: how to regulate social media without undermining freedom of expression. Social media companies are also struggling with the same dilemma…

A new operating system for philanthropy. Reflections from the Global Philanthropy Forum 2026

This year’s Global Philanthropy Forum concluded on the 20th of March, but the conversations I’ve had there have made space, lived in my head, and will continue to spark new…

When germs start adapting: Reflections from the 2026 Antimicrobial Resistance Summit in Sydney, Australia

If you are not familiar with the term Antimicrobial Resistance (or AMR, for short), you should be – but that is not on you as I demonstrate below. You should…

Finding the answers with each other. Discovering solutions at the innovation marketplace at IMNHC 2026

There’s a joke that keeps showing on my feed. It centers around this idea that if an average person actually went back in time, they would be very incapable of…