TAI Weekly

TAI Weekly | From Washington to Warsaw: The New Front Lines of Democracy

By TAI (Role at TAI)
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TAI Weekly

Dear readers,

Youth around the world continue to protest after enduring years of poor governance. Emmanuel Akinwotu and Greg Dixon report on the latest demands for government accountability from Morocco to Madagascar.

One oft-cited cause of Gen Z frustration is a failure of governments to deliver. TAI just helped host an international dialogue on strengthening fiscal ecosystems relevant to improving delivery. More details are coming soon, but in the meantime enjoy this blog from World Bank and Gates Foundation experts, and an update on UNDP-led work on accountability ecosystems.

Now, on to the rest of the news, research, jobs, and events. Happy reading!

TAI team

WHAT'S NEW?

Journalists in Peru face escalating threats as data from the country's press association reveals attacks against journalists, including death threats, have doubled since 2022. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists reports on how media professionals are seeking protection from the justice system amid rising harassment by officials.

The UNCAC Coalition celebrates International Day for Universal Access to Information by showcasing how its network advocates for transparency and accountability. Members share diverse examples of projects and initiatives advancing access to information across different contexts.

Understanding the UN tax convention gets easier with Florian Dierich's comprehensive reading list covering the UN process and institutional context. The hefty reading list helps stakeholders get up to speed on the historic negotiations. Read together with TAI's primer for funders on why philanthropy should engage now in the fight for global tax justice.

Independent media funding reveals "islands of hope," finds Shafi Musaddique reviews the funding landscape for independent media and, despite the looming funding cliff, finds “islands of hope and possibility” emerging.

Southeast Asia's clean energy dilemma: Debbra Goh examines the tension between clean energy infrastructure and environmental justice through a case study of geothermal development in Flores, Indonesia. The analysis reveals how decarbonization projects can be experienced by local communities as environmentally harmful and socially disruptive, calling for stronger reconciliation efforts.

Iswe Foundation calls for a Citizens’ Track in the global climate regime, anchored by a permanent Global Citizens’ Assembly. Citizens are already advancing climate justice and resilience, yet global governance continues to sideline them.

The World Bank recently hosted the Global Forum on Coalitions for Reform. Check out  sessions from the forum that explore pathways for governance reform and coalition-building, including remarks of Nobel Prize-winning economist James Robinson.

Namibia's mineral wealth raises equity questions in a new analysis. The report examines how the country's underground riches benefit indigenous Namibians, despite the sector's strong contribution to GDP and export earnings. Pair with Jeffrey Moyo’s reporting on community displacement due to lithium mining in Zimbabwe.

The first paper from the Histories and Futures of Global Governance initiative examines past reform efforts in global governance. The piece explores the technical, political, and intellectual forces that drove or blocked change, and what these cycles mean for today’s institutions.

Tax incentives could mobilize billions for sustainable development, as outlined by Chris Isaac and Samantha Attridge in a new analysis from the Center for Global Development. 

The Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) shows how ExxonMobil hijacked EU law-making. Using lobbying, think tanks, and media sponsorships, the company gained more influence than civil society or unions. David Ollivier de Leth and Lily Versteeg, argue that by giving in, EU institutions weakened democracy.

Lindsey Coates and Rachel Nadelman argue in a new Center for Global Development blog that the World Bank’s civic engagement faces a crucial test. Moving it from risk management to meaningful community participation will require strong leadership and matching financial resources.

ESSENTIAL WATCHING

AI and parliamentary engagement takes center stage in a global discussion hosted by Bússola Tech. Representatives from the U.S., South Africa, India, and Greece explore how artificial intelligence could reshape citizen interaction with parliaments.

FROM OUR MEMBERS

OPEN SOCIETY FOUNDATIONS: President Binaifer Nowrojee responds to OSF becoming a target in her first interview with NPR's Steve Inskeep, stating: "This is not about George Soros. This is about the United States slowly losing its democracy bit by bit in ways that we've seen elsewhere in the world."

FORD FOUNDATION: has supported FP Analytics to launch Global Governance Reimagined: Reforming Debt, Development, and Decision-Making in a Shifting World Order. This multicomponent project delves into some of the most critical issues at the forefront of transforming global governance and driving equitable development, including future of aid, debt and reform of international financial institutions.

ESSENTIAL READING

“Our global crisis needs a new deal between people and government,” argues Rakesh Rajani of Just Systems. Are aid cuts an opportunity to build something better? Is your legacy constraining your impact? Who drives change? What do citizens really want from the state? Read Rakesh’s reflections on what is needed in this moment.

TOOLS AND TRENDS FOR FUNDERS

From Transactional to Relational, a new report by Menjadi, with support from Planet Indonesia, examines the funding challenges of local civil society organizations and the shifting roles between international, national, and local actors in Indonesia’s environmental movement.

How are indigenous and territorial funds reshaping philanthropy? Kai Carter (Waverley Street Foundation), Erika Yamada (Ford Foundation), and Peter Kostishack (Tenure Facility and Climate and Land Use Alliance) help explain in this Alliance magazine discussion and point to what mainstream philanthropy still needs to learn.

Philanthropy Support Organizations in Asia are strengthening ecosystems and advancing climate action, according to a new WINGS report. This article spotlights how PSOs are working to strengthen philanthropy ecosystems and advance multi-stakeholder climate action and regulatory reforms at the country level, with case studies from the Philippines and Pakistan.

The Global South House launches as a platform to promote and strengthen the field of financing and philanthropy from and for the Global South, projecting itself to the world as a space of articulation, engagement, and influence. Born from collaboration between two sister networks: Alianza Socioambiental Fondos del Sur (Socio-environmental Funds of the Global South) and Rede Comuá, this initiative seeks to be a political home for Global South philanthropy.

Thousand Currents celebrates 40 years of collective power and collective change. What began in 1985 with a $2,000 grant has grown into an organization that has moved over $60 million to more than 650 grassroots and movement formations across 85 countries.

Essential Reading

The latest World Giving Report, spanning 27 countries, highlights how organizations worldwide are seeing more demand, especially in low income countries, but face shared funding, organizational and impact challenges.

Focused Topic of the Week: 

Defending Democracy in an Era of Transnational Threats

From Washington to Warsaw, the pressure on democratic institutions is mounting. A new Trump Action Tracker details the actions, statements, and plans of President Donald Trump and his administration since the start of his second term in January 2025. The record is sobering.

As Amrit Singh shows in Transnational Tyranny, leaders like Trump, Orbán, and Bolsonaro do not operate in isolation. They learn from one another, borrowing tactics to consolidate power while dismantling safeguards at home. Crucially, Singh also highlights how civil society across borders—from Brazil to Poland—has adapted with shared strategies to defend the rule of law. Authoritarian learning is real, but so too is democratic resistance.

This dynamic underscores the urgency of new tools and resources for democracy defenders. The Keseb Democracy Champions’ Pocket Guide provides research-based lessons for building global strategy, forming resilient coalitions, countering the closure of civic space, and fostering inclusive democratic innovation. Taking one more step back, the UK Government’s new Political Systems and Democratic Governance (PSDG) Diagnostic offers a structured framework for understanding what makes democratic systems work, and how to support them in practice.

Staying positive, Ibrahima Fall and Catherine Lena Kelly offer inspiration from recounting how Senegal’s democracy survived. However, for those expecting oppositions to embrace democracy once they gain power, new research suggests that electoral turnovers may not be a positive for democracy – oppositions often turn authoritarian in office.

Finally, a reminder that threats to democracy do not come solely from elected leaders. Investigations by Peter Geoghegan and May Bulman into the Tony Blair Institute’s links with billionaire Larry Ellison raise sharp questions about corporate capture. When the world’s richest men can shape public policy through back channels of influence, the lines between governance in the public interest and governance for private power become dangerously blurred.

So, what do we take away overall? First, democracy cannot be defended piecemeal. Authoritarian and corporate strategies cross borders; so too must resistance. Second, effective defense requires both vigilance, through investigations and trackers that expose threats, and vision, by building new frameworks and coalitions capable of renewing democratic practice for the future. Democracy today is less a static system than a field of struggle. How we resource, connect, and equip its defenders will determine whether it bends under pressure or adapts and grows stronger.

Essential Listening

Brazil’s Supreme Court convicted Jair Bolsonaro of attempting a coup. Is it a landmark moment for democratic accountability? On The World Unpacked, Oliver Stuenkel and Jon Bateman discuss its implications.

JOBS

CALLS

  • Philea invites participation in their survey on foundation governance: "Futures of Governance in Philanthropy".

  • MobLab is running a 15–20 minute survey to benchmark leadership and talent development in civil society, mapping current capacity-building approaches and identifying opportunities for strengthening. Participants will receive shared results and insights.

  • Democracy at Work Fund 2025/2026 Call for Proposals - Grants up to $80k to support worker organizing in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya, South Africa, Argentina, and Brazil. Focus areas: underrepresented workers, building alliances, and addressing major crises like climate change and gender-based violence. Apply by October 27.

  • Evidence in Governance and Politics Innovation Grants: Up to five grants (~$10,000 each) for projects that strengthen research quality and integrity in governance and politics. Open to all applicants (membership not required). Deadline: October 31, 2025.

  • Applications are open for the Democracy Masterclass 2026, a program for 30 frontline changemakers to sharpen strategies, connect globally, and gain tools from the Anti-Authoritarian Toolkit. Includes online sessions, a fully funded in-person gathering, and year-round peer support. Apply by 1 November 2025.

CALENDAR

We’d love to hear from you on how we can further improve TAI Weekly to better serve your needs in program management on the transparency, accountability, improved grantmaking and civic space. Please direct your feedback to [email protected] or

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