Dear Readers:
We are thrilled to share our brand-new library on Participatory Strategy https://participatorystrategy.org/ - new guidance and case studies on how to engage partners and beneficaries in setting funder strategies in line with our mission for transparent and accountable funding.
What is participatory strategy? who has been doing it? is my organization ready to unlock a participatory strategy process? The minisite features examples of those who have successfully grappled with such questions.
Dig In!
P.S. Remember, TAI doesn't own the photos. All photos used in this weekly have a link to their source.
WHAT´S NEW?
COUNTERING AUTHORITARIANISM
Thomas Carothers and Benjamin Press identify three main types of anti-democratic projects that are driving democratic backsliding and examine how democracy supporters can more effectively respond.
Open Society President Mark Malloch-Brown explains how more faith in democracy, civil society and accountability are essential to hold off the authoritarian tide. Watch the interview.
Internet cuts and officials offering hugs were among the propaganda tools used by Cuba´s local government to silence recent protests in several locations.
Global Witness demonstrates how social media platforms are failing to stop the spread of election disinformation in Brazil ahead of next weekend’s presidential runoff election.
Koffi Sawyer explains how Africa spends more running elections than almost any other region. But trust in electoral processes cannot be bought. It has to be earned.
Brookings scholars urge the importance of anti-corruption in getting Ukraine’s reconstruction right.
INTERESTING WATCHING!
Watch Professor Léonce Ndikumana discuss his new book “On the Trail of Capital Flight from Africa: The Takers and the Enablers”
FROM OUR MEMBERS
LUMINATE:
Is seeking a Funding Operations Analyst to support and improve its funding processes, and a Communications Manager to lead external communications for our Luminate Strategic Initiatives team.
MACARTHUR FOUNDATIONs:
Highlights The "Dirty Truth" from Sierra Club revealing how utility companies are not making enough progress on their own climate pledges to achieve 80% clean electricity by 2030.
OPEN SOCIETY FOUNDATIONS:
Highlights the words of Director of Equity, Laura Carvalho, in its series: #InsideOpenSociety. Learn from her experience growing up in one of the most unequal countries spurring her work to tackle global inequity—especially amid the cost of living crisis.
CHANDLER FOUNDATION:
Read the 2022 edition of the Social Investor, which features insights from a diverse range of social change leaders — from heads of state to social entrepreneurs to philanthropists. It shares stories and lessons, including on system change, shifting power, funders in the global south, democracy and more.
TOOLS FOR FUNDERS
Olivia Vereha explains why civil society does not need tech but “a support system to adopt [relevant] tech in their activity” (reminds us of TAI’s piece on Do you need a data person?)
Jeni Tennison reminds us that our digital infrastructure is reliant on open source tools that are only kept going through good will. Can sovereign tech funds boost resilience?
Megan Colnar and Robin Varghese, TAI past and present steering committee members at OSF, explain how to build team culture via strategy design.
Check this USAID guide to countering corruption across sectors, a new resource for donor staff and practitioners alike.
ESSENTIAL LISTENING!
How is just transition going in Ugljevik, the host-town for this year's edition of the Lung Run? Listen to the newest episode of the Bankwatch podcast and find out from Majda Ibrakovic from Center for Environment, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
FOCUSED TOPIC OF THE WEEK
JOURNALISM AND JOURNALISM MATTERS
In previous Weeklies we have alerted about how closed regimes around the world are implementing wide digital arsenals to intimidate people exercising democratic rights. Five years ago activists in Malta denounce the assasination of investigative reporter Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Caruana was very well known for her “fearless journalism and the far-reaching impact of her incisive writing on financial crime, abuses of power and deep-seated corruption“. However, progress in the criminal investigations and prosecutions had been slow. Today, 36 freedom of expression and information groups are denouncing the Maltese government’s lack of ambition and transparency in press freedom reforms and are renewing calls for justice for Daphne.
Daphne´s death is another example of the value of independent journalism to counter threads to democracies, but, are journalism organization getting the support they deserve? Sameer Padania calls on Europeans to build a new future of journalism that meets societal needs.
This reminds us of the introduction to funding media and journalism that Sameer wrote for TAI a few years back. An interesting piece you can pair with our recent blog The state of governance funding where the latest assistance figures related to media and independent journalism are showing interesting trends.
DE-COLONIZING AND LOCALIZING – FUNDER EVOLUTIONS
Despite much attention to ‘shifting power’, how to do it? Several universities formed a research alliance to combining a global mapping exercise with in-depth case studies. See how you can help with this initiative.
Degan Ali, a global champion for reforming the global aid and development ecosystem tells about her experience on Shifting Sands: Shifting Power.
Isabel Souza-Rodriguez reflects on how turning from organizer to funder helped her reimagine the status quo and shift funding.
In a further pillar of its new commitment to localization, USAID lays out seven principles to guide local capacity development - we think they are hard to argue with - do you-
NEWS ROUND-UP
Learn how Lithuania is dramatically greening its procurement
How do you stop multinational companies shifting profits to avoid taxes? It seems even tax policy reform is no guarantee as a review of reform in Chile finds it did not accomplish its intended effects. The real winner was the tax consulting industry who found much more demand for its services.
The Equator Principles have been adopted by more than 130 banks in 38 countries to manage environmental and social risks in projects they finance. However, as its signatories met in Seoul it faced big tests of credibility regarding continued fossil fuel financing and accountability against commitments.
The IMF weighs in for beneficial ownership transparency with a whole book to guide country efforts to disclose.
Open Ownership has just published scoping reports on beneficial ownership transparency reform and implementation in Argentina (in Spanish) and Indonesia (in English and Bahasa Indonesian).
JOBS AT TAI MEMBERS
Job postings at Hewlett Foundation - ONGOING
Job postings at MacArthur Foundation - ONGOING
Job postings at Open Society Foundations - ONGOING
Job postings at Luminate - ONGOING
Job postings at Ford Foundation - ONGOING
Job postings at FCDO - ONGOING
Job postings at Skoll - ONGOING
JOBS LISTINGS
Head of Development, The International Land and Forest Tenure Facility
Digital Data Officer, Near East Foundation
Manager, Development and Outreach, Human Rights Watch
Consultant - MEAL Specialist, International Medical Corps
Senior Specialist, Urban Resilience, RTI International
Research and Impact Manager, WEConnect International
Finance Senior Analyst - Treasury & Banking, United Nations Office for Project Services
Research Associate, Connected by Data
Programme Lead (Technical Director), Chemonics International Inc
CALLS / OPPORTUNITIES
Invitation to Tender - WFD Maldives Online Course Development- Westminster Foundation for Democracy
“Grants available for environmental crime investigations, GRID-Arendal”
CALENDAR
October 26, 2022, Fulfilling the promise of e-procurement reform in Africa
October 26, 2022, World Justice Project 2022 Rule of Law Index Launch,
October 31- November 3, 2022 - Reimagining the International NGO: Learning Festival
November 1, 2022, Financial and economic crime in the Global South
November 2-4, 2022, Tax Policy for Sustainable Development,
November 17, 2022, Building trust and reinforcing democracy - OECD Global Forum
November 17, 2022, The New Customary Land Rights Act in Sierra Leone: Bringing informed community consent to responsible investment,
December 6-10 2022, “International Anti-Corruption Conference,
Michael Jarvis,
TAI's Executive Director
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