¿Quién vigila las reglas del juego? Nuestra experiencia haciendo observación ciudadana

Durante el 2025 acompañamos a la comunidad de Yuguelito, en Iztapalapa, en su primera ocasión involucrándose en el Presupuesto Participativo (PP) de la Ciudad de México. Sin embargo, las cosas no salieron como esperábamos. El proyecto propuesto por la comunidad fue rechazado bajo argumentos poco claros y contradictorios, entre los que destacaba la condición de irregularidad del asentamiento, el cual no constituye un criterio oficial. Esta experiencia nos dejó claro que existe una enorme brecha entre lo que se diseña y lo que realmente pasa en territorio. Esto significó tanto señalar los vacíos legales, como visibilizar que las condiciones [...]

2026-06-08T13:11:52+00:008th June 2026|

Who watches the rules of the game? Our experience as citizen observers

Throughout 2025, we accompanied the community of Yuguelito in Iztapalapa as they participated for the first time in Mexico City's Participatory Budgeting (PB). Things did not go as expected, however. The project the community put forward was rejected on vague and contradictory grounds, most notably the settlement's irregular status, which is not an official eligibility criterion. This experience made clear to us the enormous gap between what is designed on paper and what actually happens on the ground. It meant not only pointing out legal loopholes, but also making visible that the conditions for exercising the right to participate [...]

2026-06-08T13:05:43+00:008th June 2026|

Accountability Lab’s Co-CEO model teaches us surprising lessons 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 as we launch a free toolkit for others interested in co-leadership models.

2026-05-28T21:16:51+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|

Civic Charge: Celebrating leadership rooted in people, place, and purpose

Civic Charge is Accountability Lab’s global learning programme that brings together changemakers strengthening accountability within their communities. Unlike fellowships built around deliverables, Civic Charge is designed as a learning accelerator – a space for reflection, skills-building, and peer connection, where leaders can step back from the urgency of doing and invest in how they are growing. Over the past two years, Programs & Learning Manager, Jaco Roets, has guided this journey with a steady, thoughtful approach – building a community where ideas are tested, values are practiced, and leadership is strengthened through honesty, care, and shared experience. Each session moves [...]

2025-12-01T09:51:37+00:0026th November 2025|

Bridging the gap: Why inclusion is the work, not the afterthought

In conversations around governance and democracy, I’ve been struck by how inclusion continues to emerge as both a challenge and a catalyst for change. From the International Democracy Day (IDD) Conference in Brussels to the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Summit in Vitoria-Gasteiz, one theme was consistently reaffirmed for me: young people are not just the future of democracy, they are the present. At the IDD conference, Namibian Deputy Minister of Information, Emma Theofelus, reminded us that while networks and youth movements are flourishing, many young people still don’t know how to navigate the systems that shape their lives. “That’s why [...]

2025-11-13T11:47:34+00:0013th November 2025|

Leadership and Partnership in Security: The Leading Role of Civil Society

As global instability deepens – from hybrid warfare and disinformation to climate shocks and civic repression – the link between democracy and security has never been clearer. Speaking at a high-level roundtable on “Leadership and Partnership in Security: The Leading Role of Civil Society,” Blair Glencorse, Co-CEO of Accountability Lab, reflected on how leadership, trust, and collaboration can help build the foundations of collective security. “It’s an honour to be part of this gathering, especially as Ukraine’s continued struggle for freedom and Moldova’s recent elections remind us that democracy and security are inseparable,” Glencorse began. “The question before us is [...]

2025-10-30T08:39:48+00:0030th October 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|
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