TAI Weekly

TAI Weekly|Sovereignty vs Suppression

By TAI (Role at TAI)
2021-06-09T213218Z_1715337223_RC25XN944RK3_RTRMADP_3_COLOMBIA-PROTESTS-3-scaled.jpg
TAI Weekly

What's New

Carbon credits are intended to channel funds to poor countries, but researchers find "no evidence" that they actually benefit the local communities where projects are implemented.

Susan Ekoh shows how power dynamics and governance affect urban climate policies on mobility in Accra and Dakar, pointing to the need for improved coordination, city authority empowerment, and better data management to address climate-related mobility issues.

Rachel Noble and Anam Parvez Butt highlight a call for shifting from GDP-focused growth to feminist, care-centered economies that prioritize rights, justice, and the well-being of people and the planet, moving away from harmful practices like oil spills and weapon production.

Meta Platforms shut down CrowdTangle, a key tool for researchers and journalists tracking misinformation on Facebook and Instagram, despite appeals to keep it operational.

In the mineral-rich provinces of Palawan and Cebu in the Philippines, the PREDIC Tool is enabling transparency and accountability around mining projects for more effective community engagement.

An investigation by Verdad con Tinta and CONNECTAS finds that over $1 billion in spending from an Indigenous Development Fund in Bolivia has benefited the ruling MAS party more than the intended communities. Issues of corruption and a lack of transparency have contributed to the problems (in Spanish).

Toby McIntosh reminds us that 55 countries still lack access to information laws. He explores reasons for this stagnation, including donor fatigue, and details what is being done to strengthen information rights.

​​Enoch Randy Aikins argues that recent protests in Sub-Saharan Africa demonstrate citizens' ability to demand accountability from leaders, rather than waiting for coups to address failing governments.

Indonesia is enhancing procurement oversight with Opentender.net, which helps auditors focus on high-risk areas and handle public complaints. This data-driven approach has halved complaint rejection rates, improved case resolutions, and sped up response times.

From Our Members

LUMINATE: The new podcast, Talk To Me Direct, features influential African changemakers discussing digital governance and inclusive democracy. It explores ways to ensure all Africans can safely and effectively engage in democratic processes online and offline.

OPEN SOCIETY FOUNDATIONS: This interview with William Shoki, editor-in-chief of Africa Is a Country discusses how the platform, founded 15 years ago to challenge Western narratives about Africa, is reframing perspectives and plans to enhance regional coverage, engage new audiences, and emphasize the value of thoughtful, long-form content.

Essential Listening!

The new podcast series "A Common Pot" from Namati and the Grassroots Justice Network features insightful discussions on justice and community action. In the first episode, Catalina Marino, program coordinator at Asociación Civil por la Igualdad y la Justicia (ACIJ), highlights how two communities in informal settlements outside Buenos Aires have used creative approaches in their 15-year fight for the right to a clean environment.

Tools and Trends for Funders

Stephanie Gillis of Raikes Foundation talks through the importance of investing in public infrastructure and civic spaces, that is often overlooked by funders. 

Check out the latest installment of Women & Democracy that focuses on why feminist philanthropy is essential to democracy, including essays from leaders of collaborative funds and giving circles.

Marlene Engelhorn, a multi-millionaire heiress and co-founder of Taxmenow, emphasizes that while we are all connected through systems governed by laws and rights, we need to reform existing narratives, and that taxes should be reclaimed as a key tool for democratic redistribution.

Trimita Chakma, Georgia Booth, and Ruby Johnson explore and consolidate existing evidence that demonstrates the effectiveness of participatory approaches in contributing to social change efforts and transforming philanthropic practices. It also proposes a new tool for evaluating the quality of evidence more inclusively.

Essential Reading!

In his new book, Richard Youngs explores how climate change, the Covid-19 pandemic, and geopolitical conflict are challenging democracy but also sparking momentum for democratic resilience. He offers insights on how democracies can adapt and strengthen amid these pressures.

Focused Topic of the Week

Sovereignty or Suppression? Latin America’s Struggle with Power and Inequality

Building on recent discussions around taxation in Latin America, the South Centre’s  taxation in Latin America highlight how unequal tax systems perpetuate economic disparity. Tax avoidance and evasion benefit the wealthy, making it difficult to implement progressive reforms. Without equitable taxation, public services and development suffer, deepening social inequality.

At the same time, many governments in the region use national sovereignty as a shield for authoritarian practices. In a recent example, the Ortega regime in Nicaragua shut down 1,500 NGOs and confiscated their assets in a single day, under the guise of defending sovereignty, effectively silencing civil society. 

In Venezuela, the government’s crackdown on press freedom has led to the rise of initiatives like Operacion Retuit, which uses AI to bypass censorship and distribute verified news. Journalists face imprisonment for reporting on elections, and information blockades prevent the public from accessing truthful reporting. In this difficult context, Operacion Retuit collaborates with media outlets to help people access critical information, despite the state’s attempts to control the narrative.

Mexico is also at a turning point. Most press coverage is focusing on the legislative push (now passed by the lower house) to shift to directly elected judiciary, but it is not the only move. The Congress is again considering reforms that could dissolve the National Institute for Access to Public Information (INAI). This body plays a vital role in upholding transparency and privacy. Its dissolution would undermine democracy, weakening citizens' right to information and accountability.

Tell Your Story!

Doc Society and The Citizens have launched the Big Tech Narrative Initiative to support artists and storytellers exploring technology’s societal impact. Submit your documentary, fiction film, podcast, VR/AR project, or other medium by September 22.

Jobs

Calls

  • Need help launching or enhancing a participatory program? Apply for expert mentoring support from People Powered!

  • Call for short stories: Submit stories that offer accurate depictions of surveillance tech for a new toolkit. Five will be published, and one author will win a trip to RightsCon 2025 in Taipei.

  • Contribute to the agenda for América Abierta, a regional open government and open data event in Brasilia. Submissions open until September 13. Submit here.

  • Ariadne Network is seeking an experienced facilitator for their Annual Reconnect, April 8-10, 2025, in Europe. If interested, email your experience to [email protected]. Follow-up calls will be arranged in September.

  • The Allard Prize for International Integrity is accepting nominations for its $100,000 CAD award, recognizing exceptional anti-corruption efforts. Nominations are open until September 15, 2024.

  • The Open Government Partnership (OGP) Independent Reporting Mechanism (IRM) is currently searching for individuals to join its pool of independent researchers with policy research and linguistic expertise on one or more of the following: Brazil, Cabo Verde, United States, Italy, Western Balkans (in particular Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro).

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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