TAI Weekly

TAI Weekly|Calling all big development players

By TAI (Role at TAI)
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TAI Weekly

WHAT'S NEW?

We’re excited to see the launch of the Visible Mining platform in Colombia to enhance transparency in the mining sector and encourage effective use of royalties for local development (this builds on an IFC and TAI needs assessment a year or two back).

A revised draft text has been released for the upcoming UN Summit for the Future, reflecting feedback on the zero. Information Clearinghouse have summarized all the updates - here we highlight those for Chapter 5 on Global Governance.

Check out the new Global Narrative Hive community - a network that aims to connect activists, campaigners, and communicators globally to promote a just world through powerful narratives.

Matthew Sterling Benson discusses the persistent cycle of predatory rule in South Sudan, driven by the extortionate financing methods of its rulers.

The Apolitical Foundation has published its annual list of 78 standout organizations preparing effective, democracy-driven political leaders - those looking to shape the future of political leadership.

Bringing an open government perspective to the localization debate, Jonathan Fox and Jeffrey Hallock examine USAID's funding priorities in Colombia, highlighting gaps in data disclosure and the need for greater local funding.

Zoe Marks explores the dynamics of African popular protests and political change, focusing on the interplay between mass movements and military power.

Last week we featured several stories on the importance of civic participation and here Modesta Alozie highlights the barriers faced by women to participate in climate initiatives, drawing on experiences from Nigeria.

The International Network of Open Justice is compiling experiences of citizen participation in judiciaries worldwide. Once complete, the findings should be an important resource for identifying good practices in judiciaries across different regions. If you are aware of any case worth mentioning, you can submit suggestions here.

ESSENTIAL READING

Reflecting on the deadly tax protests in Kenya, Ken Opalo, explains how the “generalized erosion of fiscal pact and trust in government raise the specter of widespread tax evasion, proliferation of informality, and unmanageable deficits.”

FROM OUR MEMBERS 

Open Society Foundation: is highlighting a QandA session with Bellingcat, the independent investigative collective known for using open-source research to expose human rights abuses, corruption, and criminal activities. 

Ford Foundation: is broadening its diversity data collection efforts beyond the United States. This expansion aims to gather comprehensive diversity data to better understand and address global challenges (and to foster inclusivity and equity on a global scale.)

Hewlett Foundation: Ali Noorani, program director of U.S. democracy, explores how to create compelling narratives for inclusive institutions. He emphasizes mitigating polarization, building robust national institutions, ensuring trustworthy elections, and the critical importance of listening to marginalized voices. 

ESSENTIAL LISTENING!

This episode of Listen to What’s Wrong with Democracy? (supported by the Open Society Foundations) discusses how the freedom to speak truth to power is under threat, not just in authoritarian states, but increasingly within democracies, too.

TOOLS AND TRENDS FOR FUNDERS 

Embracing the word "solidarity" alongside "justice" and "equity" can help philanthropy rethink what it means to do good. Leah Hunt-Hendrix argues that philanthropy-in-solidarity can address the root causes of oppression and exploitation, prioritizing the participation of those most affected.

Alex Daniels details how progressive foundations efforts to combat election-related misinformation face many obstacles in the US, including efforts to undermine the work through accusations of partisanship. Much will be familiar to those trying to protect electoral integrity and democracy in other countries.

Duncan Green offers 5 ways to reboot international NGOs including a call for “fundraisers without borders” and the value of “immersions.”

Lots that we resonate with in Aiden Reiter’s review of the trend toward funder collaboration and the different motivations for collaboration from learning to multiplier effects.

Responding to criticisms that we recently featured from Mark Kramer and Steve Phillips, Jodi Nelson and Fay Twersky argue that strategic philanthropy is alive and well, and that it does not aim to replace government but to complement it by filling gaps and unlocking resources.

ESSENTIAL READING

Columbia Journalism Review interviews Jose Jasán Nieves Cárdenas, an exiled Cuban journalist and editor of El Toque, over threats now faced in Miami from Cuban state security. This case highlights increasing transnational repression, where authoritarian regimes target journalists abroad, and is a stark reminder of the need to protect journalists to ensure ongoing critical reporting.

FOCUSED TOPIC OF THE WEEK

Trust, Accountability and Inclusion for Stronger Democracies

Rebuilding trust in democratic systems is on the mind of TAI members, but also on those of the range of big development players, not least UNDP and the OECD.

 

Sarah Lister and Iain Walker explain how citizen assemblies enable diverse groups to deliberate on issues, providing informed guidance to officials and countering uninformed public opinion. The blog emphasizes the need for broader participation beyond elections, and highlights the UN's efforts in supporting democratic institutions and inclusive elections globally, advocating citizen's assemblies as a means to combat polarization and amplify public voices.

In time for the ongoing High Level Political Forum in New York, UNDP is relesasing a set of reports relating to SDG Goal 16 that includes the governance elements. Among them a fascinating report that underscores the importance of governance in boosting climate action.

Meantime, you can dig into all the relevant OECD resources on democratic governance and much more via the organization’s new open-access model that allows free access to nearly 30,000 items,part of a renewed commitment to transparency. We take this as an opportunity to remind all of the brand new guidance on enabling inclusive governance and the older framework on drivers of trust in public institutions.

Returning to the most recent commentary, Tom Carothers and Brendan Hartnett highlight unchecked political ambitions as a key cause of democratic backsliding, emphasizing the need for robust accountability, while Anat Admati argues that demanding greater corporate accountability is vital for restoring public trust in democracy..

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