WHAT'S NEW?
Access Info and Open Knowledge France release legal recommendations to align French Access to Documents Law with international standards and aimed at strengthening transparency and public accountability.
Fernando Nieto Morales and Gregory Michener analyze the collapse of Mexico’s National Institute for Transparency, Access to Information, and Protection of Personal Data (INAI). Read their shared lessons for the transparency movement (In Spanish).
Radical-right populism drives political misinformation. Petter Törnberg and Juliana Chueri analyze 32 million tweets from parliamentarians across 26 countries. Their new research shows how misinformation aligns with anti-democratic trends and radical-right politics.
A survey of more than 2,000 millionaires across G20 countries reveals their growing fears of "wealth extremism,” highlighting how concentrated wealth erodes trust in media, influences legal systems, and undermines democracy.
The World Economic Forum was in full swing in Davos, which means that Oxfam released their latest inequality report, revealing the role of inheritance, monopoly power, and crony connections fueling billionaires wealth. One sample stat: the world’s ten richest men gained $100 million daily on average.
In Mozambique, the family of missing human rights journalist Arlindo Chissale believe he is now dead, killed by a death squad. Corinna Jentsch calls for curbing of police violence, accountability for political assassinations and protection of media freedom to try and bring peace.
The Open Contracting Partnership (OCP) team look ahead to a busy 2025 for reforming procurement and the celebration of ten years of OCP (happy birthday!)
Louise Smyth, Chief Executive of UK Companies House reflects on the first year of implementation of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, noting some impressive actions including removing 60,700 suspicious or inappropriate registered office addresses.
Erin Jones and Richard Youngs analyze how civic activism evolves amidst intensifying climate crises and rising repression. ICYMI, their recent report explores the double-edged nature of civic backlash and resilience.
ESSENTIAL READING
Check Aryeh Neier and Amrit Singh's analysis in The New York Review of Books. They explore the challenges facing Guatemalan democracy as obstructionist elites attempt to undermine President Bernardo Arévalo, whose election symbolized hope for a more democratic future.
FROM OUR MEMBERS
OPEN SOCIETY FOUNDATIONS: Alex Soros, Chair, talks to the Financial Times of his ambitions for philanthropy and the importance of “fighting back” in today’s context.
PACKARD FOUNDATION: Anand Sinha has been honored with an Honorary Fellowship from the Indian College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists for his decade-long contributions to advancing reproductive health and expanding care access for women globally.
Essential Watching
Check out this BudgIT Senegal video on promoting green accountability in the country
TOOLS AND TRENDS FOR FUNDERS
Updated principles for high-quality listening and feedback are now available. Developed by the feedback community, they reflect the latest evidence on what effective listening and feedback practices look like for nonprofits and philanthropic funders.
The Gates Foundation enters its 25th year with a new name and a record budget. Formerly the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the world’s largest development-focused foundation is now simply the Gates Foundation and has announced its biggest-ever budget to date.
Paddy Loughman and Ella Saltmarshe explore the power of deep narratives and how activists worldwide are successfully challenging harmful systems rooted in them. From climate breakdown to rising inequality, these narratives shape the systems driving today’s global crises.
FOCUSED TOPIC OF THE WEEK:
Beyond the Ballot in Strengthening Democracy
The current democratic landscape is simultaneously fragile and full of potential. While significant challenges persist, the emergence of innovative approaches from scholars, activists, and community leaders offers meaningful pathways for democratic revitalization and sustainable institutional transformation.
For example, Yanina Welp's scholarly work critically examines traditional democratic measurement approaches, emphasizing that annual institutional performance indicators provide an incomplete picture of democratic health. Her research suggests that purely top-down metrics fail to capture the nuanced realities of political systems, particularly in regions like Latin America.
Similarly, Bernadett Sebály emphasizes that confronting autocratic tendencies requires more than passive resistance. Her perspective advocates for comprehensive systemic reforms that address fundamental democratic deficits and create governance structures genuinely responsive to broader population needs.
Emerging feminist thought leadership might help with this aim and Keseb Democracy Fellow Erin Vilardi offers innovative strategies for democratic transformation that are more inclusive, representative, and responsive to diverse societal needs.
A provocative framework examining the interplay between national political dysfunction and local community civic renewal is introduced by Daniel Sti. His eight working hypotheses explore whether bottom-up grassroots engagement can counteract widespread political polarization, presenting a potentially transformative perspective on democratic resilience.
For those intrigued by different ways to democratize participation, check out the new Sortition journal that explores roles of random selection in deliberative processes that might shield the selection of officeholders from corruption and venality and tap the “wisdom of crowds.”
In sum, researchers point to potential strategies for democratic preservation and renewal:
Multidimensional democratic assessment methodologies are needed.
Prioritize local-level civic engagement and community empowerment
Maintain vigilant institutional protections against potential democratic backsliding
Integrate diverse perspectives, particularly from historically marginalized communities
Create responsive governance mechanisms that demonstrate tangible societal benefits
ESSENTIAL LISTENING
Listen to Coercive Capital, where Zoë Reiter of the National Endowment for Democracy discusses combating kleptocracy. In this episode with host Elaine Dezenski, she highlights the critical role of civil society in exposing kleptocratic networks.
JOBS
Chair and Member, International Advisory Board - Open Ownership
Several Opportunities - Ford Foundation
Several Positions - Center for Democracy & Technology
Managing Director, External Relations - Freedom Fund
Executive Director - Twaweza East Africa. Deadline February 6, 2025.
Director of Development - WITNESS. Deadline February 10, 2025.
Senior Policy and Advocacy Officer - Climate Justice - Eurodad. Deadline February 16, 2025.
CALLS
WJP released EUROVOICES, a survey of 72,000+ people across EU Member States on their perceptions and experiences with rule of law at the subnational level.
The Sidney Hillman Foundation is accepting entries for its Hillman Prizes, which recognize investigative journalism and commentary that advance the common good globally. Deadline January 31st.
Early-career researchers and practitioners studying (anti-)corruption and integrity are invited to the 9th ICRN Forum, June 12–14, 2025, in Vienna. Present your research, exchange ideas, and collaborate with peers. Deadline February 3, 2025.
Media grants for coverage of environmental crimes in the Amazon. Deadline February 6, 2025.
Funders for a Just Economy invites applications for its Racial Capitalism Community of Practice, a five-part series (March–June 2025) exploring anti-racist philanthropy and economic justice. Deadline February 12, 2025.
In 2025, the Rockefeller Foundation will open applications for its Big Bets Climate Fellowship, available in the Asia Pacific Region and the United States.
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
USAID Global Accountability Program. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until 31 March 2025
Working on the political economy of aid and development? Join PEADS2025, April 23-24, 2025 in Pitlochry, Scotland.
CALENDAR
Public Trust in Tax 2024: Latin America and Beyond. Webinar, Hosted by OECD, The International Federation of Accountants, and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. January 28, 9 am EST
Philanthropic Webinar: Core Principles of High-Quality Listening and Feedback, January 29, 1pm ET.
Countering disinformation and social division - Berghof Foundation’s launch event with the Platform Peaceful Conflict Transformation to discuss how peacebuilding can tackle disinformation, January 30, 16:30-17:30 CET.
Digitising Kenya- An assessment of the citizen centricity of Kenya’s digital governance, Research Launch Webinar, February 4, 3.30pm EAT
Public presentation exploring the key findings of ‘Wealth for Impact: Global Perspectives from the Next Generations of Wealth Holders’ study, February 5, 13:00 GMT.
BMW Foundation’s event dedicated to exploring the transformative power of communities. February 5-6, 2025.
First Ethics & Governance Working Group meeting of 2025 - with a fantastic panel of speakers on the topic of AI and labour, February 6, 2025, at 10am ET/ 3pm BST.
OGP Asia and Pacific Regional Meeting in Manila. February 5-7, 2025
RINGO team and guest speakers will explore practical ideas to take forward in civil society’s work in the following areas: Resource Flows; Accountability and Risk; Leadership and Governance; and Solidarity and Partnerships. February 11-12, 2025.
International Funders for Indigenous Peoples (IFIP) 2025 Global Conference: Global Impact, Local Solutions: Funding Indigenous Self-Determination and Leadership, Naivasha, Kenya. February19-21, 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.
People Powered 2025 Convening, Nairobi, Kenya, April 23–27, 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.
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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