TAI Weekly

TAI Weekly | Unmasking Power: A Transparency Reckoning

By TAI (Role at TAI)
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TAI Weekly

Dear readers,

We have a bit of an overload of democracy and authoritarianism stories this week including primers, tools and recaps of recent dialogues (of which there are many!). So, plenty to dig into, plus our deep dive on disconnects between popular demands for transparent, effective regulation and the reality of current systems.

Please note that we will be taking our annual break for a month, so this is the last Weekly until Tuesday, August 26, but you can still track developments via TAI social media accounts until then.

Happy reading!

TAI team

WHAT'S NEW?

The South Centre shares detailed inputs on the draft Issues Notes for the upcoming UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation negotiations. This resource provides important context on where discussions may head next month. 

Independent media outlets in Serbia unite to resist Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) suits that aim to silence them. International Journalists’ Network explains how solidarity and collaboration serve as an effective defense.

In the latest from Stroika, the PRECEDENTED video series features activists and journalists offering strategy and inspiration for living through authoritarian times.

 Only 5% of forest concessions in the Democratic Republic of Congo comply fully with legal requirements. The Forest Concession Compliance Portal, launched by Reseau EDH, offers public access to data on legality for over 14 million hectares of forest concessions. The portal opened in Kinshasa with participation from government, civil society, and international partners.

The second edition of the Digital Resilience Toolkit for Women in Politics provides practical guidance for digital safety, crisis response, narrative management, and leadership support amid deliberate online attacks to undermine women’s political participation.

South Africa hosted G20 talks addressing the global economy and debt challenges amid deteriorating growth prospects. Jubilee USA Network’s Eric LeCompte stressed risks of deeper cuts to social services as debt payments take priority.

People Powered launched the Democracy Narratives Campaign, bringing together more than 30 organizations globally (including TAI) to develop and promote narratives that build stronger public support for democracy.

The Better Preparedness Initiative, led by Human Rights Funders Network and Peace and Security Funders Group, held strategy sessions with global movement leaders to share lessons on protecting and restoring democracy and civic space in the United States and internationally. Benjamin Naimark-Rowse of the Carnegie Endowment presents ten key takeaways from these conversations.

Grassroots climate justice movements play a critical role in defending democracy worldwide, responding to rising authoritarianism and ecological crises. A brief from CLIMA Fund highlights how these movements advance participatory governance and climate solutions across regions from the Philippines to Brazil, Kenya, and the United States.

A German toolkit offers methods to increase youth participation in all phases of citizens’ budgets, this way promoting inclusive governance.

Corporate Accountability published this research exposing how many large carbon offset projects fail to reduce emissions effectively, undermining climate accountability efforts ahead of COP30. 

The Central European University Democracy Institute hosted its annual conference on “Excessive Wealth Concentration and Democracy,” and emphasized the need for institutional structures to prevent power concentration rather than relying on the benevolence of the superrich.

Democracy Without Borders released a brochure titled What is Democracy?, explaining democracy’s history, evolution, and challenges from a global perspective. It's also available in German, English, French, Spanish, and Swedish and suits educational and workshop contexts. 

ESSENTIAL LISTENING

Grassroots justice stories from Malawi feature in Namati's latest podcast episode, exploring how community groups transformed police-community relationships from fear-based interactions to dignity-centered partnerships. Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

FROM OUR MEMBERS

OPEN SOCIETY FOUNDATIONS: Supported this Devex opinion piece by Olena Pavlenko, that calls for stronger global standards to ensure the critical minerals powering the green transition don’t come at the expense of equity and stability. Drawing on Ukraine’s experience, she urges fairer frameworks and local investment to avoid repeating past harms.

FORD FOUNDATION: Emphasizes that disability inclusion is essential to all movements for justice. In a recent reflection, Vice President of International Programs Martín Abregú highlights the Foundation’s commitment to advancing global disability rights and calls on other funders to step up their support.

TAI SECRETARIAT: Cohosted the webinar Is U.S. Democracy Really at Risk? A Framework for Assessing Threats, with the Center of Congressional and Presidential Studies and the Democratic Erosion Consortium. We dived into the data for assessing U.S. trends benchmarked to the international context.

TOOLS AND TRENDS FOR FUNDERS

Delphine Moralis, CEO of PHILEA, Europe’s philanthropic association, finds hope in philanthropy’s roots in solidarity, generosity, and love—values vital in difficult democratic and socioeconomic contexts. Read the interview in Spanish.

This piece in Stanford Social Innovation Review explains how NGOs in low- and middle-income countries can serve as learning labs for governments to test, adapt, and scale health innovations, promoting sustainable system reforms.

Inter-Narratives, a conversation with contributors to The Myths of Philanthropy series, explores narratives governing philanthropy and the potential of relational capital as its greatest resource. 

The Democratizing Philanthropy Initiative invites funders, practitioners, and scholars to co-create evidence-based, actionable research aligned with justice and equity. Introductory webinars will run in August across regions. Read the Position Paper draft and find more here about the webinars. 

ESSENTIAL WATCHING

Democratic Playbook provides strategic guidance to counter authoritarian populism and build inclusive democratic movements. Watch the full masterclass by Ricken Patel, including the 10 lessons to defend and renew democracy.

FOCUSED TOPIC OF THE WEEK:

Pulling Back the Curtain: A Call for Transparent Regulation Across Systems

Across policy debates on digital safety, tax justice, and illicit finance, a unifying concern emerges: the urgent need for coherent and enforceable transparency. Developments point to the limits of fragmented or symbolic oversight—and to unmet public demand for systems that serve the common good, not just elite interests.

The European Union’s Digital Services Act, once hailed as a breakthrough in platform regulation, has fallen short of its promises, with meaningful transparency from major tech companies still out of reach. Mark Scott, writing in Tech Policy Press, sees an opportunity for the UK to learn from this and build a more effective framework under its Online Safety Act. But this lesson holds wider relevance: data access and platform accountability remain fragile everywhere unless governments align policy with enforcement.

Meanwhile, the Eurobarometer’s latest findings show that 80% of Europeans want multinationals to pay a fair share of tax in every country they operate. This reflects not only public appetite for tax reform, but also frustration with systems that allow powerful actors to sidestep responsibility across jurisdictions.

That pattern repeats in financial systems. Ricardo de Soares and John Heathershaw show how western firms and intermediaries exploit weak regulatory environments—especially in places like the United Arab Emirates—to enable large-scale corruption, often with consequences felt most deeply in the Global South.

Efforts to close those gaps are underway. Alex Jacobs, reflecting on progress in the UK’s fight against illicit finance, notes how reforms in transparency and accountability are not only essential to tackle crime, but also critical to defend democratic institutions and uphold justice.

Despite frustration at the current state of affairs, there is perhaps a shared opportunity—to move from piecemeal fixes to a more integrated approach that links digital rights, financial regulation, and democratic governance. If policymakers can recognize the connections, then reform in one area may help unlock progress across the board.

ESSENTIAL READING

A peer support group for foundations spending down their own income and resources published “Tune In, Spend Out,” where they documented their shared learning and strategies.

JOBS

Facilitation of Protest Lab Innovation Week Event -  Freedom of Peaceful Assembly. Deadline July 25, 2025.

CALLS

CALENDAR

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