TAI Weekly

TAI Weekly | The Connective Power of Civil Society in a Fragmented World

By TAI (Role at TAI)
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TAI Weekly

April 21, 2026

Dear readers,

The mood in Washington, DC for last week’s IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings was subdued despite beautiful weather. Economic uncertainty loomed over proceedings. No surprise we saw a lot of interest in sessions relating to debt management as more countries face fiscal pressures. 

But our roundup this week veers toward topics barely on the agenda last week - civic space and corporate accountability, where there are some intriguing legal developments. Happy reading!

TAI team

What's New

A review in The Economist explores how emigration from authoritarian-leaning countries can reinforce those regimes. The piece raises questions about how population movements interact with political systems and long-term democratic trajectories. It also reflects on the potential unintended consequences of brain drain and reduced internal pressure for reform.

A recent court decision in Canada has implications for corporate accountability. The Ontario Court of Appeal ruled that claims related to alleged abuses at Barrick’s North Mara gold mine should be heard in Tanzania, without examining the substance of the allegations. The decision raises broader questions about access to justice and jurisdiction in cross-border cases.

A new report from Freedom House looks at transnational repression. It documents how authoritarian governments coordinate across borders to target activists, while noting that some host countries are increasing efforts to respond to these threats. The report highlights both the scale of the issue and the uneven nature of current protections.

Civic Strength Partners reflects on its first year of work supporting organizations through crisis and transition, sharing lessons on trust, transparency, and the importance of relationships when navigating uncertainty across the sector. 

A new article on Open Global Rights calls for a broader understanding of resilience within the human rights movement. It presents resilience as a collective and political strategy, rather than only a response to crisis. The piece reflects on how movements can sustain momentum over time. Stay tuned for a TAI podcast episode on Rethinking Resilience. 

Reporting in the Financial Times points to a new phase in corporate accountability. The jailing of a former executive from a major cement company signals growing pressure for consequences in cases of misconduct. The case may set a precedent for how similar issues are handled in the future.

This weekly digest looks at climate and development trends in Africa. It explores ongoing tensions around fossil fuel agreements, financial flows, and governance gaps across the region. The digest connects these issues to broader questions of equity and long-term sustainability.

Analysis from the Kettering Foundation argues that emerging democracies still have room to act in a shifting international order. Countries with stronger institutions and governance systems are better placed to retain autonomy. The study considers how internal capacity shapes external positioning.

In time for those IMF Spring Meetings, the International Budget Partnership released findings from its debt accountability pilot. The report shows where transparency and oversight mechanisms are working and where they fall short in holding governments accountable for borrowing. It also identifies areas where reforms could strengthen public financial management.

A report from CIVICUS warns that technological power is expanding faster than accountability. It calls for stronger global standards that place human rights at the centre of technology governance. The report examines how current gaps can affect civic space and democratic participation.

An interview in Spanish with Elisenda Balleste Buxo, published by Global Democracy Coalition partner Alma Cívica, reflects on democratic challenges in the Americas. The conversation points to growing civic engagement and the importance of participation in strengthening democratic systems. It touches on the role of local actors in shaping change.

A new explainer from the Center for Economic and Social Rights examines the responsibilities of international financial institutions. It argues that these actors cannot be treated as neutral, given their influence on national policies and public spending. The piece outlines implications for accountability and rights-based approaches.

A new resource developed by Both Ends and SOMO, the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations, outlines how investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms can obstruct climate action. It presents legal pathways for governments to address these barriers in the context of fossil fuel phase-out. The resource considers practical steps that can be taken at the policy level.

In a recent column, Paul Krugman reflects on the relationship between autocracy and corruption. Drawing on Hungary’s example, he considers what lessons can be applied in other contexts. Krugman explores how economic structures can reinforce political power.

From Our Members

FORD FOUNDATION: Has committed $60 million to support election integrity in the United States. The initiative focuses on strengthening voting rights, the rule of law, and civic participation through nonpartisan collaboration. It aims to reinforce trust in democratic processes.

PACKARD FOUNDATION: Shares new analysis by the foundation's Senior Financial Analyst, Kendall Pettygrove, examining the hidden costs of undervaluing social return. It calls for a reconsideration of how payout strategies align with impact goals.

MACARTHUR FOUNDATION: Has launched its Nigeria Next program. The initiative works toward supporting digital inclusion, economic opportunity, and civic participation among young people. It also seeks to build partnerships that can sustain these efforts over time.

ESSENTIAL READING:

A new UNESCO discussion paper examines how information integrity and media literacy can strengthen the right to access information. It outlines how oversight bodies can respond to changes in the information ecosystem, including the growing role of artificial intelligence. The paper considers how institutions can adapt to maintain trust and credibility.

TOOLS AND TRENDS FOR FUNDERS

Philea has published “Proven Practices in Gender Mainstreaming: Foundations in Conversation”. The report brings together examples from foundations and offers practical guidance for integrating gender equality into funding strategies (useful reading for the TAI-hosted Collaborative for a Gender Just Economy learning community). 

Joy Anderson of Criterion Institute and Medina Haeri of Helia Collaborative explore how to finance social movements more effectively. They stress the need for long-term, flexible funding and approaches that centre the experience and leadership of frontline actors. 

CIVITATES has released its forum report, capturing discussions among civil society and funders. It points to the need for stronger collaboration, flexible support, and readiness for more uncertain conditions. 

New analysis from Matthew Forti and Claire McGuinnesson on post-big bet funding models looks at how organizations can sustain impact after large-scale philanthropic investments. It outlines different approaches that aim to balance resources, independence, and long-term goals. 

ESSENTIAL LISTENING:

The Future Hindsight podcast features Yelena V. Litvinov and Tatyana Margolin discussing authoritarian strategies and the role of community-level solidarity. The conversation explores how local action can counter broader systemic pressures.

Focused Topic of the Week

Civil society bridging global and local governance

The pressures bearing down on civic space are converging from multiple directions at once, and the latest research, resources, and regional developments paint a picture of a civic sector under significant stress, yet also one actively fighting back.

At the level of global governance, Blair Glencorse of the Accountability Lab argues that civil society organizations do far more than deliver services or advocate for change, they act as sense-makers and connectors in a world where what he calls the "proximity gap," the distance between those making decisions and those closest to the problems, is widening. His piece in the Diplomatic Courier makes the case that civil society is uniquely positioned to bridge that gap precisely because of its rootedness in local realities, an argument that feels urgent at a moment when both aid budgets and multilateral trust are eroding.

That erosion is nowhere more visible than in the collapse of U.S. international media assistance. A new Carnegie Endowment paper documents what this withdrawal has meant in practice: of the 54 country-level and regional USAID programs with the primary objective of strengthening independent media, all but one were cancelled, and the U.S. government has largely ceased to support independent media. The consequences are concrete and widespread. Beyond the financial shortfall, researchers found that for many grantees, the loss of political support was more damaging than the loss of funds.

For the human rights defenders navigating this more hostile information environment, a new digital safety toolkit has been released specifically to address threats in online spaces. The Protection Guide for HRDs in Digital Space offers practical guidance for those facing surveillance, harassment, and digital attacks, a timely resource as civic actors increasingly operate in contexts where their digital presence is both their lifeline and their vulnerability.

At the EU level, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights is seeking direct input from civil society on the state of civic space in 2025. The survey is open to all organisations working in an EU Member State, at EU level, and in Albania, North Macedonia, and Serbia, and the FRA is asking respondents to share the concrete challenges they faced and their suggestions for moving forward. The survey remains open until 10 May 2026.

Meanwhile, a troubling regional pattern is consolidating in Latin America. On August 28, 2025, Ecuador enacted the Organic Law of Social Transparency, which severely limits the fundraising capacity of nonprofits; in the months that followed, officials froze the bank accounts of at least ten indigenous civil rights leaders and filed lawsuits against at least 60 social leaders and nonprofit representatives for alleged unjustified private enrichment. A new analysis in SSIR traces the law's authoritarian logic and notes that similar legislation has been adopted across the region (in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela) almost always under the premise that civil society has become a vehicle for money laundering or foreign political influence, despite the absence of empirical evidence to support that claim.

The piece also points to an important counter-dynamic: civil society coalitions have mounted constitutional challenges, and by February 2026, Ecuador's Constitutional Court had admitted at least four of the seven lawsuits filed by nonprofits challenging the law's constitutionality. The outcome remains uncertain, but the response illustrates the kind of organized collective agency that Glencorse's governance piece argues is essential, local, proximate, and determined.

ESSENTIAL LISTENING:

The podcast Reveal examines how the United States is becoming a destination for hidden wealth. It raises questions about tax systems and the global implications of financial secrecy. The episode considers how regulatory gaps are being used.

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