Archive for 2026
Nadie migra con la voz intacta
“¿Y si intentamos convertir sus historias en canciones?”. Lanzamos la pregunta al aire en nuestro salón de trabajo, que en realidad era la capilla de la Casa del Migrante Arcángel Rafael, donde decidimos desarrollar el proyecto. No hubo demasiado entusiasmo al responder. Algunas personas rieron, como diciendo “eso no es para mí”; otras se miraron…
Read MoreNo one migrates with their voice untouched
“What if we tried turning your stories into songs?” We threw the question into the air in our workspace, which was actually the chapel at Casa del Migrante Arcángel Rafael, where we decided to develop the Music4Change pilot. The response was far from enthusiastic. Some people laughed, as if to say, “That’s not for me.”…
Read MoreLa música: el arma más poderosa que no lastima a nadie
Hay cosas que una explicación no alcanza a tocar, pero la música sí. Esto lo entendí viajando sola con mi guitarra, en las marchas, en los espacios compartidos con otras artistas, en la manera en que una canción puede abrir una conversación, nombrar una herida o tocar algo que a veces no sabe decirse con…
Read MoreMusic: the most powerful weapon that does no harm
There are things no explanation can reach, but music can. I learned that while traveling alone with my guitar, at marches, in spaces shared with other artists, in the way a song can open a conversation, name a wound, or touch something that sometimes has no words. Long before I worked with methodologies or programs,…
Read MoreYuguelito y el Presupuesto Participativo: Cuando las reglas no están a la vista
¿Te imaginas tener una idea para mejorar tu colonia y que exista dinero público destinado para hacerla realidad?. En la comunidad del Yuguelito no solo lo imaginaron, lo están haciendo. Tras un mapeo y priorización colectiva de necesidades junto a Accountability Lab, nació un proyecto: Todos juntos por un Yuguelito seguro. Se trataba de un…
Read MoreYuguelito and participatory budgeting: When the rules are kept out of sight
Can you imagine having an idea to improve your neighborhood and having public funds available to make it happen? In the Yuguelito community, they didn’t just imagine it; they pursued it. After a collective mapping and needs prioritization process facilitated by Accountability Lab, a project was born: Todos juntos por un Yuguelito seguro. It was…
Read MoreWho governs the watchers? Nigeria’s independence problem is structural, not constitutional
This commentary piece, originally published by Sahara Reporters, features insights from Odeh Friday, Country Director of Accountability Lab Nigeria, on the deeper challenges affecting institutional independence in Nigeria. The article argues that questions of accountability are not only constitutional, but also structural, requiring attention to how oversight institutions are designed, resourced, and protected in practice.…
Read MoreLo que la comunidad pidió, y lo que el sistema (no) respondió
[Lee la primera parte de esta historia: Yuguelito: Vivienda, Autogestión y Rendición de Cuentas] La primera parte de esta historia terminó con una promesa implícita: más de 250 encuestas completadas, un equipo de once Agentes Comunitarios de Campo, con el Yuguelito en el centro de todo, y la certeza de que lo que vendría después…
Read MoreWhat a community asked for, what the system rejected – and everything in between
[Read the first part of this story: Yuguelito: Housing, Self-Governance & Accountability] The first part of this story ended with an implicit promise: over 250 completed surveys, a team of eleven Community Frontline Agents with Yuguelito at the center, and the certainty that what came next would have to live up to what the community…
Read MoreFrom curiosity to facility: how responsive action built an institution
When ~$50 billion was wiped from global development ledgers last year, the existing gap between powerholders and doers yawned open. People, organizations, institutional memory, and hard-fought civic gains were at risk of falling into the maw. It was also proving difficult to find up-to-date information in what became a fast-changing situation. Stronger together: #SharedStrengthCollectiveAccountability Lab…
Read MoreNetwork as institution: Why ending projects well is crucial to sustaining democracy, rights and governance work
When funding shrinks, and the civic space it had pushed open strains and threatens to snap shut, it is the lattice of enduring networks that keeps it propped open. Longer term democracy, rights and governance funding is a rare thing. Five-year long, uninterrupted funding is rarer still. The long duration of the funding creates the…
Read MoreWhen elections test democracy: Youth, digital space, and accountability across Africa
Elections across Africa are moments of both democratic possibility and democratic pressure. In a recent webinar ahead of the Global Democracy Coalition Africa Regional Forum 2026, civic leaders explored how young people are responding to these tensions – mobilizing communities, confronting digital repression, and defending democratic accountability across the continent. Elections at a critical democratic…
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