WHAT'S NEW?
A new investigation from CONNECTAS and Informe Reservado exposes organized crime’s infiltration into Ecuador’s gold trade, particularly in mineral processing plants. The findings shed light on how illicit actors exploit the sector, raising alarm about governance and regulatory enforcement.
The Uganda Debt Network continues to carefully monitor the country’s debt burdens and the latest figures for 2023-24 show a sharp increase, climbing from USD 23.66 billion to USD 25.59 billion in just one year. Domestic borrowing outpaced external debt growth. With external debt to GDP at 57.2%, concerns over financial sustainability continue to mount.
African Minerals Development Centre’s recent brief explores how Africa’s lithium, cobalt, and copper industries are becoming battlegrounds for competing interests. As demand for critical minerals soars, tensions grow between artisanal miners and industrial operators, while Western and Chinese investors vie for influence.
From Africa’s coup-prone regions to political tensions in the United States and South Korea, civilian control over the military is facing new challenges. Joe Foti argues that transparency and oversight remain crucial in preventing military overreach and safeguarding democratic governance.
Panama has been in the news for Trump Administration designs on the Panama Canal, but another stand-off is at play over its biggest copper mine, currently shuttered over environmental concerns. This deep dive from Michael Stott and Leslie Hooks walks you through the debates involving fiscal sustainability, the politics of foreign investment, community benefit and environmental risks.
For the first time since apartheid ended, the African National Congress lost its outright majority in national elections last year. While coalition governance could enhance democracy, Rekgotsofestse Chikane and David Everatt worry that it “may merely serve to reconfigure existing mechanisms of elite capture.”
The next Winter Olympics will be in Italy this time next year. The hope is to make it one of the cleanest games ever. Read the latest civil society monitoring report, which analyses data from 94 projects (out of 100 planned in the Olympic Works Plan). You can read the full report in Italian and an executive summary in English.
Ghana’s President John Mahama has launched an investigation into the controversial national cathedral project amid an economic crisis. Despite promises of private funding, $58 million in public funds has already been spent, with little construction progress. Meanwhile, the country’s special prosecutor has declared former finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta a wanted person as he faces allegations of financial misconduct. How much is welcome accountability, how much politically motivated?
Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India’s government has increasingly controlled public data, undermining statistical agencies and shaping narratives to suit political agendas. Jayati Ghosh argues that maintaining control over official data is at the heart of the authoritarian project.
Amid today’s geopolitical shifts, it is encouraging that over 750 participants joined the Open Government Partnership Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting. This roundup is a welcome reminder of lots of local actions from that region and worldwide that can inspire us right now.
This new report from the Bridgespan Group highlights efforts to build a multiracial democracy beyond electoral processes. Community-led initiatives are shaping more inclusive governance, with those most affected by democratic erosion leading the charge for lasting change.
With over 4,000 organizations worldwide, the Open Think Tank Directory is a valuable public database for fostering transparency and collaboration. Ahead of the 2025 State of the Sector survey launch in March, a campaign is underway to encourage members to update their profiles and invite new think tanks to join. If relevant, explore and add your organization.
ESSENTIAL WATCHING
The recording of Themrise Khan’s session on “Reimagining an Alternative Ecosystem for Global Development and Humanitarianism” is now available on the GFCF YouTube account. The concept paper challenges conventional models and urges more concrete discussions on what global development and humanitarianism should look like in different contexts.
FROM OUR MEMBERS
OPEN SOCIETY FOUNDATIONS: Brian Kagoro, Managing Director of Programs at Open Society Foundations (OSF) and a Pan-Africanist and global development practitioner, discusses the African Union’s 2025 theme on reparations. Meanwhile, OSF signals the risks faced by human rights defenders worldwide, profiling those under threat and showcasing innovative solutions to protect them.
MACARTHUR AND FORD FOUNDATIONS: Have joined governments, tech firms, and philanthropies to launch Current AI, a partnership dedicated to developing AI for the public good. With a $400M investment and a goal of raising $2.5B over five years, the initiative aims to ensure AI serves broader societal needs.
FORD FOUNDATION: In this #OnWhatMatters episode, Teresa Njoroge, founder of Clean Start Solutions, and Hilary Pennington discuss how social enterprises can support people affected by the criminal justice system. They explore rehabilitation, reintegration, and social inclusion as key steps toward a more just society.
TOOLS AND TRENDS FOR FUNDER
Philanthropy has yet to build a global collective voice for policy influence and multi-actor partnerships. Benjamin Bellegy and Sameera Mehra of WINGS argue that philanthropy deserves a seat at the table to help address today’s global crises.
A new report from the Center for Effective Philanthropy finds that MacKenzie Scott’s large, unrestricted gifts have strengthened nonprofits’ financial stability and expanded their community impact. While her approach departs from traditional philanthropic norms, reactions among foundation leaders remain mixed.
Vu Le's warns about the existential threat to philanthropic work in an increasingly authoritarian environment in the United States. Le emphasizes that the preservation of democratic institutions is not just a matter of political preference but a fundamental prerequisite for the continued effectiveness of philanthropic endeavors.
A new toolkit on applied strategic foresight argues that thinking within the current strategic planning time horizon (3 to 5 years) tends to limit ‘mental flexibility’ and often leads to path-dependent thinking. Thinking further out (10+ years) better enables the exploration of viable future alternatives that may be significantly different from today.
ESSENTIAL READING
Outright International’s new report details the consequences of Trump’s 90-day U.S. aid freeze on LGBTQIA+ organizations and communities. Since its implementation on January 24, 2025, the freeze has caused staff layoffs, program closures, and rising violence. The report urges policymakers, media, and donors to act, and warns that defunding could set the movement back a decade.
FOCUSED TOPIC OF THE WEEK:
The Cascading Effects of U.S. Aid Suspension
The current political turbulence in Washington is creating ripple effects extending beyond U.S. borders, fundamentally reshaping the landscape of global democracy and governance. As U.S. foreign aid faces significant cuts, Christina Lu and Lili Pike highlight how autocratic leaders worldwide are seizing this moment of American withdrawal to consolidate their power and suppress dissenting voices.
The impact is particularly harmful to investigative journalism. These outlets, often serving as the primary watchdogs in fragile democracies, find themselves unable to maintain their crucial oversight role. The weakening of these institutions creates a dangerous vacuum in accountability, potentially accelerating democratic backsliding in regions already at risk.
Charles Kenny’s analysis of USAID contract terminations reveals a concerning pattern: democracy and governance programs are being disproportionately targeted for cuts. This trend extends beyond explicit democracy initiatives, affecting even health programs that incorporate elements of institutional reform. This systematic dismantling of democracy support mechanisms suggests a broader shift away from promoting democratic values through U.S. foreign assistance.
The withdrawal of U.S. participation from global tax negotiations exemplified what is now a broader pattern of American disengagement from multilateral spaces. However, while this development initially appeared to be a setback for international cooperation, Brenda Malina argues this one may backfire, building on a story we featured a couple of weeks ago.
Recent progress in financial transparency legislation, designed to combat illicit financial flows into the United States, now faces an uncertain future, with Casey Michel worrying that money launderers will be the ones to benefit. At least we had one bright spot, a US federal judge lifted an injunction, allowing enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act to continue.
The impacts of US moves suggest we are at a critical juncture in global democracy support, a sense reinforced at a convening of bilateral and philanthropic donors last week. The situation demands a coordinated response to help fill the growing gaps in the democratic governance ecosystem and maintain crucial oversight mechanisms in vulnerable regions.
JOBS
Several Opportunities - Ford Foundation
Several Positions - Center for Democracy & Technology
Various Opportunities - Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
Multiples positions - Brennan Center for Justice
Managing Director, External Relations - Freedom Fund
Senior Program Officer, Advocacy and Accountability - Women Enabled International. Deadline February 26, 2025.
Impact and Learning Manager - Civitates. Deadline February 28, 2025.
Director of Communications - Movement Law Lab. Deadline February 28, 2025.
Executive Associate - Paul M. Angell Family Foundation. Deadline February 28, 2025.
Regional Lead, Asia Pacific - Open Government Partnership. Deadline February 28, 2025.
CALLS
In 2025, the Rockefeller Foundation will open applications for its Big Bets Climate Fellowship, available in the Asia Pacific Region and the United States.
Civitates’ Tech and Democracy open call supports organizations working at the intersection of tech and democracy, focusing on key EU regulations like the Digital Services Act and AI Act. Eligible non-profits and mission-driven for-profits can apply until March 14, 2025, at 23:30 CET.
Civicus is calling for proposals for the WeRise Campaign, a comprehensive and forward-looking approach designed to promote and protect Freedom of Peaceful Assembly (FoPA) as a fundamental right and tool to defend and expand the civic space. Deadline March 15, 2025.
The Amazonia+ call seeks a managing organization for local forest governance projects led by women and youth in the Amazon. Grants up to 400,000 Euros for 10 projects. Deadline 19 March 2025.
Call for submission of abstracts for a short paper and panel presentation at the 2025 Global Investigative Journalism Conference. Selected research papers will be presented at the 2025 Global Investigative Journalism Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from November 20 – 24, 2025. Deadline 31st March 2025.
Publish What You Fund is offering free, online training on using the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI)—the leading global open aid dataset.
Working on the political economy of aid and development? Join PEADS2025, April 23-24, 2025 in Pitlochry, Scotland.
The Thousand Currents Academy in Atlanta, will bring funders and allies together to support unrestricted, long-term funding for Global South movements, fostering systems change through trust and accountability, May 19-22, 2025.
The 10th edition of the School for Thinktankers returns to Fundació Bofill in Barcelona in 2026. Submit your early-bird application.
CALENDAR
WINGS discussion on what the philanthropy sector needs to do now, to share thoughts, exchange strategies and ideas on how to navigate this moment, February 26, 2025, 15:00 - 16:30 UTC.
Report Launch, Freedom in the World 2025. February 26, 2025, 10:30AM ET
Indulging Kleptocracy: British Service Providers, Postcommunist Elites, and the Enabling of Corruption, Washington, DC, February 27, 2025.
Disconfirming Evidence in Grantmaking, live webinar on how to identify and challenge confirmation bias in philanthropy, February 27, 2025.
'The billionaire tax: a (modest) proposal for the 21st century' with Prof Gabriel Zucman, Oxford Martin School, March 6, 2025 12:00 PM EST.
Finding hope in people-led movements, March 12, 2025.
How We Can Block, Bridge, and Build Our Democratic Future Together, March 17, 2025.
World Bank Group's Partnerships for Anticorruption Global Forum, in Washington, DC, April 8-9, 2025,
EDGE Conference 2025 | From Pledge to Action: Accountability in Philanthropy”, Bogota. April 28-30, 2025.
2025 Financing for Feminist Futures conference, Madrid, Spain. May 21-23, 2025
8th Impacts of Civic Technology Conference (TICTeC), Mechelen, and online. June10 & 11 2025.
Leading Locally 2025, Minneapolis-St. Paul, June 10-12, 2025.
On Think Tanks Conference 2025, Johannesburg, South Africa, June 16 - 18, 2025.
2025 World Justice Forum, Warsaw, Poland. June 23-26, 2025
4th International Financing for Development Conference, Seville, June 30 - July 3, 2025
Open Government Partnership (OGP) Global Summit in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, October 7-9, 2025
Global Investigative Journalism Conference (#GIJC25). Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Thursday, November 20-24, 2025.
11th Session of the Conference of the States Parties (CoSP11) to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), Doha, Qatar. December 14-19, 2025.
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