It is now clear that David Isaksson, editor-in-chief and founder of Global Bar Magazine, will receive the FUF Award 2025. The development magazine managed to exchange a few words with the winner, who is currently in the city of Ahmedabad in India.
Hi David! How does it feel to have won the FUF award?
– We are a small editorial team struggling with very limited resources, which is why it feels fantastic to receive the FUF award! Our reviews have received a strong response and I also hope that through our work we will get more journalists in other media to also cover aid issues.
How great to hear! Can you give an example of when one of your reviews received a response from outside the aid industry?
– At this point, there are a lot of them. Most recently, our intern Ida Thunborg a comprehensive review where she was able to show how 500 million kronor was de facto tied aid to a multinational producer of nuclear fuel.
– We could also report on the government's decision about the reduction of aid to five countries the day before their announcement. We were right on four of five countries as well as regarding the major cuts that were coming to UNDP. Another example is when we reported that Sida stopped the distribution of humanitarian aid to all Swedish organizations.
What made you start Global Bar Magazine?
– The name comes from our conversation arena Global Bar, which has existed for over 30 years. During the pandemic, we couldn't arrange conversations, and then we thought - why don't we make a magazine instead - a magazine that is completely independent from Sida and that really dares to examine, but also highlight things that are unexpected and unknown. Our basic idea is to give a different picture of the world.
What is the key to a really good aid review?
– It may sound a bit boring, but a lot of it involves requesting and reading large amounts of documents. The difficult part is often knowing what to request. That is why it is so incredibly important that people have confidence in our work and give us tips. Then it is now the case that both Sida and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are increasingly trying to avoid documenting in writing what happens up until a decision is made. Then it is important to be objective and fact-based. Opinions belong in debate or analysis. A good review often lets the facts speak for themselves.
– I want to emphasize that in all of this we have great help from people who tip us off and therefore I want to remind you of the protection that is in the constitution. Freedom of information means that all government employees have the right to speak to the media. It is a crime for the authority to investigate who speaks to the media. We as journalists also have an obligation to protect our sources so that people can always feel safe in contact with us.
The board's motivation
The FUF Prize is awarded to individuals and organizations in Sweden that the board believes have made particularly good contributions that promote sustainable global development. This is how the board justified the selection of the 2025 FUF award winner:
"David Isaacson is awarded the FUF Prize 2025 for his long-standing and committed journalistic work and for his role as founder and editor-in-chief of Global Bar Magazine. Through knowledge-based and independent coverage, he has contributed to increased information, debate and political conversations about aid and global development issues. A work that is particularly important at a time when international solidarity and aid are under attack both as an idea and practice."
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