CNN's Larry Madowo may have been joking when he told a conference in Marrakesh this morning ...that "we can't run the continent on vibes and Insha'Allah". But wry smiles from more than a few Africans in the room suggested they were well acquainted with said vibes and prayers! 😅

The quote brought some levity to the 2025 Mo Ibrahim Forum, part of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation Governance Weekend, that our Co-CEO Blair Glencorse and AL Eastern and Southern Africa Director, Mcdonald Lewanika, are attending. Held under the banner of Financing The Africa We Want, the forum builds on the findings of the 2024 Ibrahim Forum Report, 'Financing Africa: where is the money?' It underscores the widening gap between Africa’s growing development and climate finance needs and the current availability of external resources. Read it here - https://cdn.mediavalet.com/eunl/dam/ac3iL8QiykmSy8316mF6nQ/9ekVpkk0J0iBX51lH9DW3Q/Original/2025-forum-facts-figures.pdf

It shows that as ODA from traditional donors declines sharply, Africa’s share dropped to just 11% over 10 years. The current multilateral system is simply not meeting Africa’s long-term finance needs - estimated between $1.6-$1.9 trillion, only half of which is costed. Africa gets less than 3% of climate finance for developing countries, with only 36% earmarked for adaptation. We look forward to sharing some of the innovative solutions coming out of the Ibrahim Governance Weekend to turn this picture around.

#MIFMarrakech

📢 Are you rethinking resilience and finding new ways to navigate the disruption in the ...nonprofit sector? Across our network, the question isn’t just how civil society survives - it’s how we stay present for the communities who count on us.

In the latest episode of the AccountabiliTea podcast, colleagues from across the Lab – Beloved Chiweshe (Accountability Lab Zimbabwe), Sadia Khan (Accountability Lab South Africa), Doussouba Konaté (Accountability Lab Mali), Narayan Adhikari (Accountability Lab Nepal), Fayyaz Yaseen (Accountability Lab Pakistan), and Ana Laura Lozano (Accountability Lab Mexico) reflect on the real impact of shifting aid: from layoffs and paused programs to reimagined partnerships and local solutions.

Doussouba Konaté captured the urgency:
"What we need to address is: how can we be less dependent? How can we build the resilience of civil society actors so that we can continue to be present for the communities we serve, even in moments of crisis?

🎧 Listen to the full episode of the AccountabiliTea Podcast on:
🔗 Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4mt9Jxc
🔗 Spotify: https://bit.ly/4jkC5qF

#AccountabilityLab
#CivicSpace
#Resilience
#GlobalAidCrisis
#GlobalSolidarity

A very exciting update from Philadelphia!

🌍 In this week's global roundup we're talking digital literacy and policy on the ...African continent!

🇳🇬 Accountability Lab Nigeria has been bridging the gap between fast-growing access to digital technologies with digital rights and legal protections. They invited journalists, CSOs and Nasarawa state public officials for a session on the Nigeria Data Protection Act (2023) and deepened understanding of consent, privacy, and the risks of digital exposure.

🇿🇼 One month after Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum (DRIF25) in Lusaka, Zambia, Accountability Lab for East and Southern Africa (Accountability Lab Zimbabwe) is reflecting on a discussion they hosted on “Ubuntu and AI Governance” – it explored knowledge as a commons for ethical and inclusive technology, examining the tensions between AI’s growing centrality in knowledge production and the urgent need for that knowledge to be accurate, accessible, inclusive, and culturally grounded.

👓 Here's why Ubuntu –"I am because you are" – challenges us to treat knowledge as a common good rather than a private commodity: https://bit.ly/3Hgzi4y

🇱🇷 With Accountability Lab Liberia (Integrity Icon Liberia), 12 youth-led organizations have begun raising awareness on the importance of digital literacy, and preparing for a series of training sessions that will help more young people seize opportunities in today’s digital world.

🗳 Democracy doesn’t end at the ballot box; it begins with participation. In his latest blog, ...Syed Raza Ali, Program Manager at Accountability Lab Pakistan, reflects on the gap between democratic ideals and everyday experiences of governance in Pakistan.

Drawing from a recent global webinar hosted by People Powered and the Open Government Partnership, he explores how other countries are embedding participation into decision-making and what that could look like in Pakistan.

From underutilized Right to Information laws to the need for effective local governments, the blog offers an honest assessment of the challenges and possibilities.

With lessons from Colombia, Senegal, Indonesia, and Bosnia, Syed makes the case that real democracy is built through transparency, trust, and consistent public engagement, not just through elections.

📖 Read the full blog: https://bit.ly/4mywujg

#AccountabilityLabPakistan #Democracy #OpenGovernment #CivicSpace

Beyond the Ballot: Reclaiming Democracy through Participation - Accountability Lab Pakistan

Democracy is not just about elections. It is about people being truly able to take part in decisions that affect their lives. Yet, in Pakistan,...

pakistan.accountabilitylab.org

CALL FOR VIDEO 🎥

2025 Voices of SDG16+ - Stories for Global Action Video Campaign
...
It is with great excitement that we are launching the 2025 Voices of SDG16+ video
campaign. This 7th edition explores “Resilience, Adaptation & Innovation: Local
Voices reclaiming SDG16+”

Individuals and partners from around the world are invited to submit short videos
sharing their stories of best practices and extraordinary efforts to advance SDG16+ at the national and local levels. In the face of increasingly interlinked challenges, this
campaign seeks to spotlight the resilience, creativity, innovation, and
determination of civil society actors working to uphold peace, justice, and inclusion.

Successful stories can be told in English, French, Arabic or Spanish.

🚨 Deadline for submitting your video - 19 June 2025 at 10PM CEST/ 4PM EDT 🚨

Find more information here: https://voicesofsdg16plus.org/about-the-campaign/
And share your video at: https://voicesofsdg16plus.org/2025-share-your-story/

#VoicesofSDG16+ #Stories4GlobalAction #ActOnSDG16+ #VSDG16+ #2030Agenda
#HLPF2025 #SDGSummit

🧩 How do we build stronger partnerships when everything feels uncertain?

As funding ...landscapes shift and civic space tightens, we’re all being asked to rethink how we work and who we work with. The latest white paper by Nathaniel Heller and AB Bernstein for Geneva Global, “Doing More with Less”, reminds us that due diligence doesn’t need to be perfect. It needs to be practical, proportional, and rooted in trust. 📄 Read the full paper: https://bit.ly/4mvpYtw

Key takeaways:
🔹 Streamline Due Diligence: Long and complicated checks can often exclude the very partners we need to focus on.
🔹 Build with Trust: Relationships are more important than rigid rules, especially in challenging times.
🔹 Leverage Ecosystem Partners: Intermediaries familiar with the local context can help reduce friction and improve outcomes.
🔹 Redefine Impact: It's not just about deliverables anymore; it's about fostering long-term resilience, equity, and shared goals.

At the Lab, due diligence is a commitment to building partnerships based on shared values, local leadership, and long-term impact.

Doing More with Less in Times of Challenge - Geneva Global

This paper explores how private philanthropists — especially those in the "Meaningful Middle" giving between $1 and $25 million per year — can...

bit.ly