WHAT'S NEW?
The End Snow Washing campaign in Canada rightly celebrates royal ascent to the new law that tightens corporate ownership rules and requires public beneficial ownership disclosure.
We’re excited to see the launch of The Audit Reform Lab in the UK - a group of researchers and policy analysts making the vital case for audit reform.
There is increasing discussion about leveraging private capital to boost development finance, not least in the G20. But what is the track record? Paul James urges better disclosure of data on private capital mobilization for development which is notoriously hard to measure.
There have been lots of governance-related conversations at the Paris Peace Forum this past weekend. Watch session replays here and get a sense of the conversations on X.
Lori Regattieri, a recent Mozilla Senior Fellow in Trustworthy AI, speaks about mitigating anti-environment propaganda in Brazil. She stresses the need to put more pressure on Big Tech about the climate agenda.
Amnesty International's recent report exposes the insufficient safe spaces for defending human rights in Colombia, emphasizing the urgent need for improved conditions to support effective advocacy and protection efforts (in Spanish).
Katherine Hearst flags concerns over climate governance, noting how Dubai-based firm Blue Carbon has signed a framework of collaboration with the Kenyan government that would concede "millions of hectares" of its territory for the production of carbon credits.
An administrative court in Jakarta has ruled in favor of local community representatives who are challenging the environmental permit for a controversial mining project in North Sumatra.
Will critical mineral production significantly boost revenues in source countries? Amid talk of OPEC-style cartels for specific minerals, the OECD and IGF release a draft mineral pricing framework for lithium. They are welcoming comments on the toolkit until 2 February 2024.
ESSENTIAL LISTENING!
In this episode of African Climate Voices, economist Fadhel Kaboub explains strategies and measures needed for the successful de-risking of mineral investments in Africa. Africans need to shape their own vision of governance, Fadhel argues, as extraction of critical minerals grows.
FROM OUR MEMBERS
FORD FOUNDATION:
President Darren Walker says "Philanthropy should be about justice and dignity. This requires an interrogation of our own complicity in the very problems we are seeking to solve."
HEWLETT FOUNDATION:
Shares insights from community-led conservation efforts in the American West, providing valuable lessons in sustainable resource management and community engagement.
MACARTHUR FOUNDATION:
Announces the next phase of its plans to strengthen local news at an unprecedented level: Press Forward Locals.
TOOLS & TRENDS FOR FUNDERS
How can funders integrate a gender and social inclusion perspective into philanthropic programming? This is what we discussed at the recent WINGS Forum in Nairobi in a session led by TAI’s Eszter Filippinyi and Cristina Ordonez. Read our brief.
Mercer makes the case for why investment governance matters for foundations, playing a crucial role in significantly influencing portfolio results, especially when considering the extended time frames associated with foundation endowments.
Daniel X Matz thoughtfully explores how will generational shifts and donors’ evolving values and social interests shape the face of future philanthropy and perceptions of giving in our society.
How has governance-related aid changed post-pandemic? TAI´s Jenny Lah embarked on a comprehensive investigation of the funding picture to try to find out, drawing from the data provided by the OECD.
ESSENTIAL READING!
The global impact of authoritarian regimes extends beyond their national borders, as highlighted by the Washington Post Editorial Board in their latest installment of the Annals of Autocracy series. The feature underscores the phenomenon of transnational repression, emphasizing the need for collective efforts to address and counteract the influence of dictators on a global scale.
FOCUSED TOPIC OF THE WEEK
Building to more effective participation and more inclusive democracy
In a world witnessing a concerning surge in authoritarianism, coups becoming fashionable, and elections reduced to mere rituals, Tim Hughes delves into the critical question of why participation often fails to have the desired impact. Getting the right language to engage is a good starting point. Ayisha Osori and Udo Jude Ilo emphasize the need for democracy to transcend electoral processes, urging the design of more inclusive language and ideologies.
Also, looking at how concepts of democratic participation may evolve, Dieter Zinnbauer considers if we are heading to “a much deeper, “full-stack” mode of political engagement where we can fully align our economic lives as workers, consumers, savers, or investors with our political values.”
Amidst global democratic challenges, surveys across countries reveal a disturbing trend: female politicians are disproportionately targeted by violence compared to their male counterparts. A recent study in Italy further confirms a stark backlash against women's rights and participation, emphasizing the urgency to address gender-based violence and inequality in political spheres.
In an effort to counteract these issues, the Green Screen Coalition is dedicated to amplifying voices from feminist, decolonial, and indigenous perspectives. The magazine centers on values such as care, respect, and non-extractive forms of exchange, offering a platform for diverse voices in the quest for a more inclusive democracy.
HAVE YOU SEEN OUR PREVIOUS WEEKLIES?
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
Global Policy Manager- Penal Reform
Program Officer, Natural Resources and Climate Change -Ford Foundation South Africa
Co-Executive Director - The Engine Room
Learning, Monitoring and Evaluation Consultant - Mama Cash
Human Resources Intern - CIVICUS
Anti-Corruption & Governance Center Program Office - Center for International Private Enterprise
Anti-Corruption & Governance Center Associate Program Officer - Center for International Private Enterprise
CALLS
Accountability Lab’s Civic Charge: An Accelerator for Social Accountability Change Agents! is open to applicants from a number of its network labs, including Bangladesh, Belize, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Mali, Mexico, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somaliland, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Applications are open here until November 24, 2023.
CALENDAR
The Future of AI Governance: A Conversation with Arati Prabhakar - CEIP, November 14, 2023
EngageFest: How to use AI analytics for Citizen Engagement, November 15, 2023
Defending Democracy: National Security and the Environment, November 15, 2023
Collective Redress – Lessons from Around the Globe - Digital Freedom Fund, November 22, 2023
Emerging Impacts: The Effects of MacKenzie Scott’s Large, Unrestricted Gifts, November 30, 2023
Conference of State Parties, UN Convention Against Corruption, Atlanta, December 11 - 15, 2023
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 contact@transparency-initiative.org or