Crackdown on NGOs could impact election observation

Zimbabwe is pressing ahead with a controversial Bill that critics say seeks to criminalise the operations of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in the country. According to senior government officials, amendments to the Private Voluntary Organisations (PVOs) Act is designed to stop illegal money from coming into the country under the guise of NGO funding, but is allegedly used to push a political agenda and political lobbying. The ruling party, Zanu PF, has been suspicious of NGOs, routinely accusing them of working with hostile foreign countries to push what it calls a "regime change agenda". In recent days, members of the [...]

2022-04-03T12:13:47+00:0024th March 2022|

Introducing our 2022 Integrity Icon Philadelphia winners!

Article originally published in The Philadelphia Citizen  By Roxanne Patel Shepelavy Are you, like me, looking for a reason to find hope amidst what can often seem like the rubble of our public life? Well, I’m happy to say you’ve come to the right place. Because I am here with not one, but five reasons to be inspired.Namely, our 2022 Philadelphia Integrity Icons: Rebecca Lopez Kriss, a deputy commissioner in the City’s Revenue Department Lori Maple Hayes, director of urban forestry Stephanie Ridgeway, Indego community organizer Leah Wood, paraprofessional Lauren Young, director of K-12 math curriculum These are Philadelphia public servants you mostly won’t have [...]

2022-04-08T08:07:08+00:0023rd March 2022|

Ways to commit to democracy

By Blair Glencorse & Narayan Adhikari  Last month, the Nepal government released its written commitments as part of the United States government-led Summit for Democracy—an effort to bolster and renew democratic action globally during a period of significant challenges for democracies around the world. While American influence in Nepal is certainly not uncontroversial—as we have seen with the renewed protests related to the Millennium Challenge Corporation agreement recently—in a broader sense the S4D, as it is known, and the “Year of Action” it has now precipitated are an extraordinary opportunity to galvanise attention and mobilise international action to support democratic norms. Sadly, the Nepal government [...]

2022-04-03T13:41:45+00:0017th March 2022|

Including the excluded in the bureaucracy

Let’s face it, Nepal’s civil service is not held in very high regard by Nepalis themselves. But in the past seven years after the affirmative action policies of the new Constitution, there are signs that the bureaucracy is more inclusive and efficient. Take Manmaya Bhattarai Pangeni, who entered Nepal’s civil service as a junior branch officer in 2006. She rose up the ranks, serving as Chief District Officer (CDO) of Nawalparasi and is now secretary at the Gandaki Province Chief Minister’s office. As CDO, Pangeni was committed to curbing illegal sand extraction and quarrying that worsened floods in the district. Serious crime, including violence against women, went down during [...]

2022-04-08T07:45:05+00:0013th March 2022|

US funded NGOs ban a threat to Zimbabwe?

THE banning of non-governmental organisations through the proposed Private Voluntary Organisations (PVOs) Amendment Bill will have dire economic and political consequences for Zimbabwe that could spiral into a serious crisis, human rights groups have warned. The government is pushing for the PVOs Act to monitor and ban NGOs perceived to be political. Parliamentary hearings have already begun, although wracked with violence in some parts of the country where suspected Zanu-PF activists have been accused of trying to block others from contributing. According to a report released this month on the possible economic impact of the PVOs Amendment Bill gazetted in [...]

2022-04-03T12:07:18+00:009th March 2022|

Strengthening resilience of marginalised segments stressed

Efforts are being made to build the resilience of marginalised populations, particularly women, against the negative impacts of Covid-19. A press release said that the launching ceremony of "Gov-HER-Nance Initiative: Ensuring Gender Equity and Socio-Economic Resilience during Covid-19 in Pakistan” was organised at a hotel in Peshawar. The Accountability Lab is implementing the project in selected districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in collaboration with the Health Department. The project aims to strengthen the resilience of marginalised populations against the negative impacts of Covid-19 and future pandemics.   Article originally published in The News International 

2022-11-10T06:46:19+00:003rd March 2022|

Terms of Reference – Strategy Retreat Facilitator

Background on Accountability Lab  Accountability Lab is a translocal network of local organizations that make governance work for people around the world. We build creative campaigns, consolidate and disseminate knowledge, and grow communities inside and outside government that can bolster accountability and support the ecosystems for more inclusive development. Since the Lab was founded ten years ago, it has grown organically and now operates across 14 countries (DRC, Kenya, Liberia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Mexico, Pakistan, Somaliland, South Africa, Uganda, the United States and Zimbabwe) with a budget of around $5m and teams that total 120+ people globally. The Lab’s [...]

2022-03-02T19:49:37+00:002nd March 2022|

Global Democracy Coalition statement in support of Ukraine

We are again witnessing just how dangerous autocrats and their regimes can be. The Kremlin has for decades trampled on the rights and freedoms of its own citizens and is now attacking peace and democracy beyond its own borders, attempting to topple the Ukrainian Government by force. Democracy organizations from around the world, under the umbrella of the Global Democracy Coalition and beyond, join world leaders in condemning Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, a sovereign democratic nation. We support steps taken by the international community to hold the Russian Government and those responsible accountable for this crime. We repudiate this [...]

2022-04-03T11:03:16+00:0028th February 2022|

USAID Launches Program to Support CSOs for the Benefit of All Liberians

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) launched a new Civil Society Activity that will support stronger collaboration between civil society organizations (CSOs), the Government of Liberia, and local Liberians to advocate for citizen-driven reforms. Partnering with Naymote Partners for Democratic Development, the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL), and Accountability Lab Liberia, the Civil Society Activity will seize opportunities for positive change through civil society advocacy on issues that Liberians themselves identify as priorities. Steve Terrevecchia, from USAID’s implementing partner on this program, Development Alternatives Incorporated, highlighted the importance of CSOs in uncovering the root causes of [...]

2022-04-08T07:19:41+00:0028th February 2022|

Apply to our OGP Nigeria Youth Network!

Accountability Lab Nigeria and OGP Nigeria are collaborating to establish the OGP Nigeria Youth Network, a network of young people working in the areas of accountability, open governance, and innovation. The network will include OGP Champions, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), Women, and Youth-led organizations across the 36 States of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (F.C.T) who will engage with the OGP Inclusion and Diversity working group in Nigeria to mainstream youth, women, and PWDs in all OGP thematic areas both at the state and the federal level. The network shall have a variety of youth engagement activities, some of [...]

2022-02-16T13:47:25+00:0016th February 2022|
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