Refugees are not a burden. Broken systems are.

Why small businesses matter? The migrant business myth.

We are often told that the backbone of the British economy is its small businesses, yet we systematically ignore the one-fifth of those firms owned by migrants. We label them as "unconventional" or treat them as economic "peccadillos," failing to see the sophisticated networks of care and innovation that keep our neighborhoods alive. In this episode of Builders of the Broken Bazaar, Dr. Tabish Zaman is joined by Prof. Monder Ram, Founder-Director of CREME at Aston University. Drawing on over 30 years of research and his own lived experience in a family business in Wolverhampton, Monder dismantles the "migrant business myth." Together, they discuss the power of "mixed embeddedness," the strategic value of informal management, and why the "everyday economy" of our high streets is often far more resilient than the polished models of Silicon Valley. This is a conversation about respecting the lived reality of builders who don't just build for profit, but for dignity, identity, and the communities they serve. 🎙 “Entrepreneurship isn't just about high-growth startups; it’s about people building stability for their families and a foothold in an economy that didn’t always make space for them.” 👉 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@buildersofthebrokenbazaar [https://www.youtube.com/@buildersofthebrokenbazaar] Host: Dr. Tabish Zaman Guest: Prof. Monder Ram, (Founder-Director of CREME at Aston University). Editor: Liam Gadsby. Research and Impact Officer: Mohammad Alauthman.

Why People Have Stopped Trusting Politics? The Story that Broke Britain

Episode 27: Why people have stopped trusting politics? The story that broke Britain. We treat politics as a rational exercise, a matter of choosing between competing policy lists and economic models. But while the "leadership elite" reads from autoprompters, millions of people are living in a "fog of despair," feeling the weight of a system that has fundamentally abandoned them. In this episode of Builders of the Broken Bazaar, Dr. Tabish Zaman is joined by Jeremy Clancy, a filmmaker and narrative strategist whose work has been at the center of Britain's most viral political movements. Jeremy shares his journey from the deindustrialized ruins of Bolsover to the inner circles of political campaigning, offering a raw look at why the standard "startup fairy tales" of progress have left a bitter taste in the mouths of the majority. Together, they discuss the importance of "emotional resonance," the systematic erasure of working-class identity, and why the most radical act for a storyteller today is to stop manipulating and start listening. This is a conversation about making hope normal again—not through empty slogans, but by providing a mirror for people to see themselves and their power once more. Because before a system collapses, the story we tell about how the world works usually fractures first. It’s time to tell a better story. 🎙 “We are the clay and the world is the kiln. It takes a long time to recognize how you've been baked by your experiences.” 👉 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@buildersofthebrokenbazaar [https://www.youtube.com/@buildersofthebrokenbazaar] Host: Dr. Tabish Zaman Guest: Jeremy Clancy, (Narrative Strategist, Writer & Filmmaker). Editor: Liam Gadsby. Research and Impact Officer: Mohammad Alauthman.

Refugees are not a burden. Broken systems are.

We treat integration as a policy problem to be solved with checklists and funding lines. But for the 82,000 people currently waiting for asylum decisions in the UK, integration isn't a government program, it’s a daily struggle for survival and dignity. In this episode of Builders of the Broken Bazaar, Dr. Tabish Zaman is joined by Severine Kipili, the founder of Bora Shabaa. Severine shares her profound journey from fleeing war and spending seven years in a Zambian refugee camp to becoming a pillar of support in her UK community. She challenges the narrative that refugees are a "burden," reframing them instead as highly skilled individuals, teachers, doctors, and innovators, who are often silenced by the systems meant to protect them. Together, they discuss the power of informal community spaces, the "healing" found in sewing circles and ESOL classes, and why the most vital part of rebuilding a life isn't just finding a house, it's finding a place to belong. This is a conversation about the bravery required to start over and the collective strength found when we choose solidarity over statistics. Because in a broken system, the most radical act is refusing to let a neighbor rebuild their life alone 🎙 “Dignity means beyond charity. We don’t just provide services; we empower people to lead, volunteer, and contribute.” 👉 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@buildersofthebrokenbazaar [https://www.youtube.com/@buildersofthebrokenbazaar] Host: Dr. Tabish Zaman Guest: Severine Kipili, (Founder of Bora Shabaa). Editor: Liam Gadsby. Research and Impact Officer: Mohammad Alauthman.

Some People Measured. Others Are Filtered

Episode 25: Some people are measured, others are filtered! Description: We treat the global digital economy as a level playing field, yet geography still dictates who is allowed to participate. What happens when world-class talent is trapped behind concrete walls and arbitrary blockades? In this episode of Builders of the Broken Bazaar, Dr. Tabish Zaman is joined by Kathrine Tinggaard Nicolaisen, the founder of Olives & Heather, a Palestinian marketing agency connecting local talent to global impact businesses. Kathrine challenges the standard "charity" narrative, arguing that Palestinians don't need more pity-based training—they need the same access to clients and trust as any other founder in the West. Together, they discuss the reality of leading a team where personal lives are defined by war and checkpoints, why professional rigor is a vital form of resistance, and how digital work has become the ultimate bridge into a world that often tries to filter Palestinians out. This is a conversation about work as dignity and building infrastructure that refuses to accept exclusion as inevitable. Because in a broken bazaar, some people are indeed measured, while others are simply filtered out—it’s time to change who gets to do the measuring. 🎙 “Solidarity opens doors, but it doesn't close deals. At the end of the day, work must be measured by excellence, not just sympathy.” 👉 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@buildersofthebrokenbazaar [https://www.youtube.com/@buildersofthebrokenbazaar]Host: Dr. Tabish Zaman Guest: Kathrine Tinggaard Nicolaisen (Founder, Olives & Heather) Editor: Liam Gadsby. Research and Impact Officers: Mohammad Alauthman & Sanskriti Sharma.

Gaza Bridge: The Logic of Survival!

What does it mean to be a "winner" in a situation where you have lost everything? For Mohammad Helles, it means turning systemic frustration into a roadmap for community survival. In this episode of Builders of the Broken Bazaar, Dr. Tabish Zaman is joined by Mohammad Helles, a software engineer in Gaza who transitioned from construction labor to global tech with nothing but a basic laptop and an iron will. Mohammad exposes the harsh reality of the digital economy in Gaza—a place where payment gateways like PayPal are blocked, and remote workers are forced to pay exorbitant fees just to access their own salaries. Together, they discuss Mohammad’s latest venture, Gaza Bridge, a platform designed to provide a dignified, direct link between global support and the families in Gaza who remain unreachable by traditional aid. This is not just a story about surviving a war; it is a conversation about the bravery required to build a new infrastructure of hope when the old one is in ruins. 🎙 “If I just drop my dreams, no one will come and achieve them for me. I have to keep trying until I make an impact.” 👉 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@buildersofthebrokenbazaar [https://www.youtube.com/@buildersofthebrokenbazaar] Host: Dr. Tabish Zaman. Guest: Mohammad Helles (Founder of Gaza Bridge & Software Engineer) Editor: Liam Gadsby. Research and Impact Officers: Mohammad Alauthman & Sanskriti Sharma.