Rethinking CSO sustainability: from dependency to self-reliance

At the 2025 OGP Africa and Middle East Regional Meeting, young leaders, civil society actors, and digital governance experts came together to tackle a shared challenge: how to move from aid dependency to homegrown resilience. From bold strategies for CSO self-reliance to youth-led digital innovations and the power of local movements, this article captures the key conversations shaping the future of governance in Africa. The discussion on civil society sustainability highlighted the pressing challenges of diminishing donor funding and the shift towards performance-based financing. According to René Edouard Mendis, “Funding cuts aren’t just coming from USAID, they’re also hitting partners [...]

2025-04-11T09:14:22+00:0010th April 2025|

Defending press freedom: Five key takeaways from Danai Nhando and Nkosikhona Dibiti

Around the world, journalists are facing growing pressure—from legal threats and online harassment to financial constraints and shrinking civic space. These challenges don’t just affect individual journalists—they impact our collective ability to access credible, independent information and hold those in power to account. In a recent episode of the AccountabiliTea podcast, Cheri-Leigh Erasmus, Co-CEO of Accountability Lab and host of the podcast, spoke with Danai Nhando, a Human Rights Lawyer and Social Entrepreneur, and Nkosikhona Dibiti, Executive Director of Community Podium and Journalist, about the state of media freedom today. Their insights speak to a global moment of reckoning for [...]

2025-04-03T08:28:58+00:002nd April 2025|

From green to grey: Reimagining governance

This article, shared by apolitical, explores the critical intersection of governance, urbanization, and sustainability in Pakistan’s capital. From Green to Grey: Reimagining Governance by Asif Farooqui, Director of Programs at Accountability Lab Pakistan, reflects on Islamabad’s transformation over the years, highlighting how rapid urban growth has reshaped the city’s landscape, environment, and livability. The article raises pressing questions about citizen participation in urban planning and governance, asking: Who truly shapes our cities? Are citizens passive observers, or can they reclaim their role in shaping their surroundings? With a deep dive into Islamabad’s past and present, the piece examines how unplanned [...]

2025-02-26T12:39:26+00:0026th February 2025|

4e Sommet régional sur l’intégrité, de la corruption à une gestion redevable et participative de la taxe conventionnelle sur les produits pétroliers à l’importation au Sud-Kivu ?

Le mois dernier, le 19 décembre 2024, Accountability Lab RDC a organisé dans la ville de Bukavu à l’Est de la République Démocratique Congo, le 4e Sommet régional sur l’intégrité. Dédié à la « Transparence et la Redevabilité pour la reconstruction de la province du Sud-Kivu » comme thème, le cas spécifique de la Gouvernance, la transparence et la redevabilité de la taxe conventionnelle sur le produit pétrolier à l’importation (l’une des taxes importantes de la province) et la nécessité de l’effectivité de la rétrocession provinciale ont été au menu des discussions des parties prenantes. Parrainé par le gouverneur de province, le [...]

2025-01-10T13:46:31+00:0010th January 2025|

L’inclusivité en action : Le rôle du projet USAID Basiki ni Tagne Kunafoni dans la transformation de l’accès à l’information au Mali

Le Mali est plongé dans une grave crise sécuritaire et sociale depuis plus d'une décennie, où la désinformation est devenue un puissant facteur de perturbation, divisant les communautés par la peur et la méfiance. L'information se propageant plus rapidement que jamais, on ne saurait trop insister sur l'importance de garantir l'accès à des informations fiables et vérifiées. C'est dans ce contexte difficile que le projet USAID Basiki ni Tagne Kunafoni a été développé. Soutenu par l'USAID et exécuté par un consortium composé de Pact, Code for Africa et Accountability Lab Mali, le projet a pour objectif  d’apporter l'espoir d'un Mali [...]

2025-02-18T18:09:04+00:0017th December 2024|

Inclusivity in action: transforming information access in Mali

Mali has been entrenched in a severe security and social crisis for over a decade, where misinformation has emerged as a potent disruptor, dividing communities through fear and mistrust. As information spreads more rapidly than ever before, the importance of ensuring access to reliable, verifiable information cannot be overstated. It is within this challenging context that the USAID Basiki ni Tagne Kunafoni (BTK) project was conceived. Supported by USAID Mali and executed by a consortium led by Pact, including Code for Africa and Accountability Lab Mali, the BTK project brings hope for a more informed Mali. The Importance of the BTK Project The BTK [...]

2025-01-13T14:11:21+00:0017th December 2024|

Catalyzing Community Action: Tackling forced land grabbing and promoting decision-making in village funds

The challenges of land grabbing and corruption in land management are prompting innovative responses from grassroots initiatives in Indonesia and Thailand. The Land Defenders project is leading the charge by unleashing the power of marginalized communities to fight for their land rights and supporting existing advocates with valuable data and information. Meanwhile, the Voices4Budget project is revolutionizing the process of village fund allocation. By engaging local communities in decision-making, this initiative ensures that their needs are front and center.  Land Defenders and Voices4Change were two of the winning teams of the South East Asia cohort of Hackcorruption this year who each [...]

2024-11-21T08:57:18+00:0020th November 2024|

Sharing Solutions for Sustainable Development: From Rawalpindi to the UN HLPF

As a transgender rights activist from Pakistan and the co-founder of PINK Center, I had the extraordinary privilege of participating in the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) 2024. Bringing together world leaders, policymakers, civil society organizations, youth delegates, and stakeholders, the annual platform serves as a global stage to review progress, share best practices, and chart new paths towards achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).    The HLPF 2024: A Global Stage for Sustainable Development The High-Level Political Forum 2024 was a whirlwind of innovative ideas, youth engagement, and global cooperation. This year's forum, under [...]

2024-10-08T10:08:27+00:008th October 2024|

Meeting Change: Resonant leadership in an evolving Nigeria

In 2023 Accountability Lab Nigeria made significant strides in advancing accountability in the country; collaborating with stakeholders, building power for citizens in local communities, and expanding their reach to enhance accountability in governance. We chatted with the Lab’s Country Director, Odeh Friday, about his journey to the Lab, the value of a translocal network, and the challenges of building sustainable local structures for accountability in a funding environment that favors quick wins. Before joining Accountability Lab, Odeh worked in direct aid response, delivering healthcare, livelihood, and other humanitarian services to communities in need. It was while delivering food aid to Internally [...]

2024-07-26T15:14:41+00:0026th July 2024|

Building a new accountability narrative in Liberia

From helping shape national conversations to using technology to bolster election integrity, AL Liberia's programs are focused on building accountability in diverse ways. We sat down with AL Liberia's Country Director, Lawrence Yealue, to better understand their deep civic engagement work. Voter education wins In 2023, AL Liberia had a clear mission: to equip Liberians with the knowledge and tools needed for a peaceful electoral process. Projects focused on civic and voter education across six strategic counties. Over 800,000 people were reached via community radio and we engaged a further 363,545 people via social media, amplifying messages of non-violence and [...]

2024-07-26T14:45:20+00:0017th July 2024|
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