TAI Weekly

TAI Weekly | What is happening with democracy’s guard dog?

By TAI (Role at TAI)
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Dear readers.

TAI joined a full house at the World Bank’s GovTech Forum this past week. Lots of discussion about enabling public services. Perfect timing for the release of new research on how technology is changing government accountability.
 

Plus, it’s Open Gov Week – find a session to go to near you.

Enjoy the Weekly!



TAI doesn't own the photos. All photos used in this weekly have a link to their source.

WHAT'S NEW?

The European Commission proposes new anti-corruption measures, including new and strengthened rules criminalizing corruption offenses and harmonizing penalties across the EU. See also the proposal from the High Representative to establish a dedicated Common Foreign and Security Policy sanctions regime to target serious acts of corruption worldwide.

A must-read investigation conducted by The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project about Khabibula Abdukadyr, his family, and their emergence as wealthy, politically-connected investors across Central Asia and beyond.

The Global Alliance for Tax Justice outlines 5 reasons to establish a United Nations tax convention now.

Experts build proposals ahead of the First Latin American and Caribbean Summit for global, inclusive and sustainable taxation, to be held in July in Cartagena.

Building on its analysis of promoting civic space, the OECD has released infographics showcasing their data and the French language highlights are coming soon.

Joy Aceron details civil society monitoring of local health programming - in this case, endorsed by officials of the city of Prasig in the Philippines.

Judy Gearhart learns from labor rights activists Kalpona Akter and Tola Moeun in shaping new forms of accountability in apparel sector supply chains.

CHECK THIS OUT!

Stop believing every WhatsApp forward warns Hanaa’ Tameez - part of efforts in Indonesia to combat misinformation and elevate media literacy.

FROM OUR MEMBERS 

HEWLETT FOUNDATION:

joins up with USAID and the Center for Global Development to localize evaluations and evidence collection in sub-Saharan Africa. Putting resources in the hands of those closest to the problems this initiative aims to address systems change.

HEWLETT FOUNDATION:

The Inclusive Governance team reflects on how their national partners can leverage Open Gov Week to connect globally.

LUMINATE:

Luminate marked World Press Freedom Day by sharing its partners, journalists and media advocates perspectives on what's worrying them and what gives them hope for the future of press freedom.

ESSENTIAL READING!

Pansy Tlakula, Chairperson of the Africa Network of Information Commissioners, a platform that brings together members of access to information oversight bodies, has launched Transparent Times – a resource for those protecting, promoting and regulating the respect of the right of access to information.

 

TOOLS & TRENDS FOR FUNDERS

To hold countries accountable for human rights, you need the most transparent and robust data. Anne-Marie Brook and Kobe Amos explain how the Human Rights Measurement Initiative takes a comprehensive approach to finding out what is really going on.

WINGS has collected the experiences of 20 foundations worldwide, many of them non-climate funders, to see how they have started to take climate action, and how they are changing programmes, operations, and investments.

The concept of participation – involving people who are impacted by the grants a foundation gives – is resonating with philanthropic institutions. But do foundations know how to integrate participation? Diana Samarasan and Katy Love hope a new tool will make a difference. (Want to build participation in strategy? Check out our participatory strategy minisite.)

The Spring Strategies' Shaking Up Philanthropy report details funding trends and shifts in philanthropic practice. It pools insights from the likes of Rakesh Rajani, Co-Impact Vice-President, as well as Board Member, Ingrid Srinath, and Advisory Board Member, Theo Sowa.

HAVE YOUR SAY! PLANNING FOR TALINN

 The preliminary agenda for the Open Government Partnership Global Summit is now out and organizers are asking for you to have your say. Give feedback by May 19 to inform final session selection

 

FOCUSED TOPIC OF THE WEEK:

Media freedom: What is happening with democracy´s guard dog?

Press freedom and democracy have an intimate relationship – a point that came through more than ever for this year’s World Press Freedom Day. The V-Dem Institute shared this graph showing the global state in government censorship efforts of the media. More stats are in the latest World Press Freedom Index highlighting the range of threats to journalism, not least the rise of fake content.

Khadija Patel makes the case for funding free and independent public-interest media.

This year’s UN, OAS, OSCE and African Commission Joint Declaration focused on Media Freedom and Democracy. Drafted with the assistance of the Centre for Law and Democracy, it sets out the obligations and responsibilities of States, online platforms and the media themselves to ensure that the media can support democracy and human rights.

It’s not just control of media, but of data that is enabling autocrats. Sultan Alamer and Nathan Brown detail how Arab autocracies are adopting more efficient technological and administrative strategies to gain knowledge about citizens’ behavior. It may help with policy implementation—but it won’t ensure wiser governance.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

DON'T MISS THIS!

Andrew Lowenthal spent more than two decades defending digital rights, and watched as peers and partner organizations switched to an opposite mission called anti-disinformation": Read “An Insider's Guide to "Anti-Disinformation"

NEWS ROUNDUP

Global Land Alliance has been selected by the European Commission to receive €2.1 million to further develop Prindex - an effort to strengthen land governance with the International Land Coalition, and underscores the importance of data on perceptions of land and property rights.

What’s the future for the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero caught between those wanting more stringent accountability and those not wanting to be bound?

Marisa Lourenço details how Botswana's relationship with diamond giant De Beers is increasingly tense as the government seeks to lock in revenues.

Dani Kaufmann and Rob Pitman argue that the EITI standard should be extended to the disclosure of greenhouse gas emissions.

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

Program manager anti-corruption and fiscal integrity programs, NDI


Senior Policy and Advocacy Officer, Debt Justice, Eurodad


Chair and Trustees vacancies, Publish What You Fund

CALLS / OPPORTUNITIES

Transparency School 2023 - annual state-of-the-art anti-corruption and accountability training for future leaders. Deadline for applications for a full tuition fee waiver is 14 May 2023. 
 

Grants available for fact-checking programs - Deadline May 15, 2023
 

2023 Open Government Awards - Deadline May 13, 2023
 

Green Accountability Global Call for Proposals - GPSA (thegpsa.org) - Deadline May 24, 2023

CALENDAR

Who really owns it? Using company ownership data for investigations, Open Ownership Webinar, 9 May, 13.00 BST
 

The CTAP journey towards accountable health systems across Africa, Webinar, May 10, 10am EDT

Research to Practice Talk: The transformative potential of citizens' assemblies on its participants, Berggruen Institute, May 16, 2023 02:00 PM

The impact of citizens assemblies on participation, PeoplePowered webinar, May 16, 8am ET, Webinar

Nations in Transit 2023 - Launch of Freedom House's report on the state of democracy in the 29-country region stretching from Central Europe to Central Asia, May 24, 9am ET

Truth, Trust and Hope / Nobel Prize Summit, 24-26 May 2023 / Washington, DC. In-person and virtual

Panel discussion: "Kleptocracy and The Financial Action Task Force". Monday 5 June, 5pm – 6.30pm BST

Rights Con 2023, June 5-8, 2023

EITI Global Conference, Dakar, June 2023

Conference on the future of AI – and what this means for (countering) disinformation, June 29, Brussels, Belgium

2023 #ShiftThePower Summit, Bogota, Colombia, December 2023

Michael Jarvis,

TAI's Executive Director

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