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 entre ellas en complicidad. La mayoría no había escrito nunca una canción. Sin embargo, hubo quienes, a pesar de las dudas y las dificultades de su proceso migratorio, decidieron darle una oportunidad a una experiencia que todavía estaba tomando forma, pero que ya parecía [...]

2026-05-26T09:39:51+00:0026th May 2026|

No 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.” Others exchanged knowing looks. Most had never written a song before. And yet, despite their doubts and the difficulties of their migration journeys, some decided to give this experience a chance, even as it was still taking shape, already sensing it had the potential [...]

2026-05-26T09:35:15+00:0026th May 2026|

La 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 palabras. Mucho antes de trabajar en metodologías o programas, había experimentado cómo la música podía conectar con algo profundo, transformar y mover percepciones de una manera muy única y particular. Cuando la voz ocupa su espacio A veces lo difícil no es cantar, sino dejarte [...]

2026-04-30T22:09:35+00:0030th April 2026|

Music: 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, I had already felt how music could connect with something deep, transform, and shift perception in a way that is entirely its own. When a voice takes up space Sometimes the hardest part isn’t singing, it’s letting yourself be seen. Part of you wants to [...]

2026-04-30T22:08:21+00:0030th April 2026|

Yuguelito 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 Sendero Seguro que combinaba pavimentación, luminarias, cámaras de vigilancia y alarmas vecinales. Este proyecto fue una propuesta muy completa y con un respaldo comunitario innegable. En la exploración de vías para hacerlo realidad, nos encontramos con el Presupuesto Participativo como una posibilidad para lograrlo. Este [...]

2026-04-23T15:37:40+00:0023rd April 2026|

Yuguelito 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 a Sendero Seguro combining paving, streetlights, security cameras, and neighborhood alarms. This project was a thorough proposal with undeniable community support. While exploring ways to bring it to life, we came across Participatory Budgeting as a potential avenue. This mechanism is meant to give everyone [...]

2026-04-23T15:37:16+00:0023rd April 2026|

Who 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. Drawing on Nigeria’s current context, the piece explores the gap that can emerge between formal mandates and real operational autonomy. It highlights how institutions established to provide oversight may be constrained by political pressure, limited capacity, patronage systems, and inconsistent enforcement, even where constitutional protections [...]

2026-04-22T15:59:02+00:0022nd April 2026|

Lo 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 tendría que estar a la altura de lo que la comunidad se había tomado el tiempo de decir. Este es el relato de lo que pasó después. Lo que la comunidad dijo 255 voces. Una respuesta al proceso de recolección de datos que representa más [...]

2026-04-16T21:42:03+00:0016th April 2026|

What 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 had taken the time to say. This is the story of what happened after. What the community said A total of 255 voices were captured—representing over 12% of the settlement’s population, or, put another way, roughly half of the ~500 families who call Yuguelito home. [...]

2026-04-16T10:59:42+00:0016th April 2026|

What Accountability Lab’s Co-CEO model teaches us about shared leadership

As organizations confront increasing complexity and global collaboration, leadership models are evolving. At Accountability Lab, our three Co-CEOs reflect on what it takes to build a shared leadership structure. Leadership in a changing sector Leadership in the world of civil society is changing. Today’s leaders face increasing funding uncertainty, political polarization, growing operational demands, and increasingly global teams – while working hard to remain closely connected to the communities they serve. As teams become more global, partnerships grow more complex, and expectations around accountability and transparency continue to rise,  social impact sector organizations are questioning whether traditional leadership structures [...]

2026-05-22T07:26:20+00:0026th March 2026|
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