TAI Weekly

TAI Weekly|Challenging the Status Quo: What's The Politics of Inequality?

By TAI (Role at TAI)
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TAI Weekly

WHAT'S NEW? 

Joe Mathews argues that while trust in elections is waning, new forms of direct democracy, where citizens make decisions themselves, flourish. He believes this shift away from the traditional nation-state model is a sign of democratic growth.

The Media Freedom Coalition highlights the links between free media and societal benefits such as peace, security, economic stability, and environmental health. Their new report consolidates research that will bolster global advocacy for media freedom.

New research indicates that trust in government significantly influences citizens' willingness to pay taxes in Africa, suggesting that efforts to improve governance may directly increase tax compliance rates.

A new investigation reveals that gold refiners in the UAE are suspected of handling gold illegally mined in Africa, raising concerns about the ethics of global supply chains.

A U.S. court has approved a historic settlement where the IFC agreed to pay reparations to Honduran farmers harmed by a palm oil investment. This marks the first time an international financial institution has provided a remedy due to a lawsuit - a welcome step to accountability.

Villagers in northern Laos are calling for stricter mining safety regulations following a chemical leak from a Chinese-Lao rare earth mine. Six months on, communities remain fearful of ongoing contamination risks to their water and land, citing inadequate government oversight and slow responses.

The Sentry details how a South African businessman involved in a major oil pipeline project in Zimbabwe has been linked to a $45 million fraud scandal in Ghana. Revelations have sparked calls for greater scrutiny of the project's financial dealings that involve a UK bank and South African pension funds. 

A new how-to guide for anti-corruption messaging, co-authored by professors Caryn Peiffer and Nic Cheeseman, provides evidence-based strategies to create more effective campaigns.

The Open Contracting Partnership team explain why procurement and procurement technology matters. They urge a human-centered approach to focus on public outcomes, meeting people 's needs, and delivering data we can rely on.

FROM OUR MEMBERS 

FORD, MACARTHUR, LUMINATE: The three TAI members have launched a new collaborative fund aimed at strengthening democracy in West Africa. The initiative seeks to address challenges facing democratic governance in the region by promoting inclusive, accountable, and transparent institutions.

USAID: The Global Accountability Program is now open for applications. This program offers an opportunity for organizations to strengthen transparency, accountability, and governance practices around the world. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until March 31, 2025. Apply early! 

ESSENTIAL WATCHING!

We enjoyed an Alliance magazine-hosted discussion that explored the relationship between taxation and philanthropy, asking whether they are close relatives or strangers. Experts weighed in on whether taxation and philanthropy should work hand-in-hand to address global challenges or if they serve fundamentally different purposes. Watch and then reread this opinion piece on philanthropy’s tax blindspot by TAI’s Michael Jarvis and Savior Mwambwa.

TOOLS AND TRENDS FOR FUNDERS 

Judith Kakese Mukuna-Garisch identifies nine key elements for effective funder collaboration in addressing complex "polycrises" like climate change and inequality. There are overlaps with the qualities identified by TAI's Michael Jarvis and Chantal Pasquarello reflecting on TAI member collaborations.

In a welcome sign of donor transparency, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation now details its grant-making areas, funds, and application windows on its website, setting a positive example for others in the philanthropic sector.

The Generosity Commission Report could redefine philanthropy by addressing the decline in American giving and volunteering over the past two decades, potentially paving the way for a more unified philanthropic landscape.

Melinda French Gates has launched a $250 million open call for organizations focused on women's physical and mental health, completing her $1 billion commitment to women and girls. She aims to award between $1 million and $5 million to diverse candidates.

ESSENTIAL READING!

The Corporate Research Project of Good Jobs First has launched Violation Tracker Global, a comprehensive database documenting corporate crime and misconduct by large companies across 45 countries in both the Global North and South. The database, which is free to access, tracks offenses such as anti-money laundering (AML) violations and bribery penalties paid by corporations. 

FOCUSED TOPIC OF THE WEEK:

The Politics of Inequality, the Struggle for Fairer Economies and Resource Sharing

Despite the long-standing belief that democracies are inherently more equal, new research and global events tell a more complicated story. Gideon Coolin, Emanuele Sapienza, and Andy Sumner’s reveal that democracies are not immune to the grip of inequality. Political barriers—often tied to vested interests and entrenched power dynamics—make economic fairness elusive, leaving marginalized communities behind even in democratic settings.

It does not help when information and democratic freedoms are under threat - that has a knock on effect on efforts to deliver a fairer economy. As countries like Kenya grapple with disinformation campaigns, often fueled by powerful elites, the broader fight for transparency and accountability is being compromised. In Nigeria, where journalists face threats and attacks amidst widespread protests, the ability to hold governments accountable is eroded. 

Further complicating the landscape is the unequal access to and control of resources. We risk replicating extractive models in new “green” market solutions, such in Africa’s voluntary carbon markets. What should be an opportunity for growth and sustainable development is at risk of being another avenue for economic exploitation, where governance challenges can lead to land grabs and deepen inequality rather than solve it. 

Charles Onyango-Obbo picks up on these concerns, warning of the growing threat of "carbon colonialism" in Africa, where foreign interests are exploiting the continent's land under the guise of carbon offset initiatives and agricultural expansion. He argues that part of the solution must lie in politics and governance. “Good and effective governments that can get their countries to produce more than enough food for themselves, end food import dependency, and have quality supply to sell to the rest of the world, will put a stop to land grabs.”

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