TAI Weekly

TAI Weekly|Reimagining Democracy for Fragile Times

By TAI (Role at TAI)
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TAI Weekly

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

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

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

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