Youth leading the way on open governance in Liberia

“Without the voices of young people—who make up the majority of the population—there can be no open governance.” Theo Dowetin, the European Partnership for Democracy team lead in Monrovia, could not have said it better at our recent OGP co-creation event with young people in Liberia. As the world seeks sustainable solutions to global challenges like climate change, poverty, and democratic regression, the inclusion of young people in decision-making has become more important than ever. When given voice and agency, young people bring fresh ideas and the energy needed to drive positive change and impact. In governance, this inclusion ensures [...]

2024-12-13T14:41:18+00:0013th December 2024|

Driving inclusive change in East Africa: Accountapreneurs’ collaborative approach to civic engagement

William Tolbert Nyabungu is a Community Development Worker with over 15 years of experience in civic engagement and social inclusion. He founded the Promoters of Social Inclusion (PSI) Foundation (Kenya). The PSI Foundation is collaborating with Noreen Asekenye, the founder of the Tell a Story Foundation. William and Noreen are Accountapreneurs who emerged from Accountability Lab's Incubator program—Noreen from the 2021 cohort and William from the 2022 cohort. Together, they are working on a project in Kenya focused on social transformation with an interest in civic education and awareness among the youth in Kenya.  Advancing inclusive education Established in 2018, the Tell [...]

2024-11-26T14:51:39+00:0026th November 2024|

Action for Accountability champions environmental justice

This article, shared by GLOBE POST, highlights the inspiring work being done to promote environmental justice in South Africa through the Action for Accountability (A4A) project. Led by The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, Accountability Lab South Africa, and the Public Service Accountability Monitor, the project brings communities together to tackle issues like wetland restoration and improving sanitation. The article shines a light on the important role of Civic Action Teams in driving these efforts, making a real difference in local communities. It also recaps the recent People’s Council event, where leaders came together to share ideas and collaborate on solutions for [...]

2024-09-05T12:36:08+00:005th September 2024|

What’s democracy without citizen participation?

This article presented by Grocott's Mail discusses the ongoing challenges in achieving meaningful citizen participation and accountability within South Africa's local municipalities, focusing on the case study of Makhanda. It highlights initiatives like the Action for Accountability project and the role of organizations like the Public Service Accountability Monitor in promoting civic engagement and addressing governance issues. It has been three decades since the dawn of democracy in South Africa, yet gaps between communities and government remain a talking point. The apartheid administration brought the blatant exclusive participation in governance, forcefully silencing a large portion of the population. However, the [...]

2024-09-05T10:01:58+00:0019th April 2024|

Empowering Global Youth: A Path to Inclusive Democracy

By Kibo Ngowi Amidst the challenges faced by democracies worldwide, a beacon of hope is emerging as young people take charge of their futures. Youth across the globe are stepping up to redefine their roles in shaping governance. And the call for increased youth participation resonates strongly in the global south.  Despite a lower-than-desired voter turnout in the Nigerian elections earlier this year, the resilience of the 'Not Too Young To Run' movement demonstrated the transformative power of youth cohesion as several young candidates who benefitted from the campaign took office for the first time. Pakistan, with its youthful population, [...]

2023-12-07T10:05:42+00:007th December 2023|

Youth-Led Initiatives and the Future of Democracy: A Conversation with McDonald Lewanika

Governments and institutions have a crucial role in supporting and empowering young people in their efforts to promote democratic change and innovation. International Democracy Day Brussels is an annual event that gathers organizations and experts to celebrate democracy and discuss its challenges. The theme for this year is ‘Empowering the next generation,’ focusing on young people’s essential role in advancing democracy and ensuring their voices are included in decisions that profoundly impact their world. In this year's event, McDonald Lewanika, the Regional Director for East and Southern Africa at Accountability Lab, shared his insights on youth-led initiatives, the state of [...]

2023-12-18T16:05:55+00:0020th November 2023|

“Supporting Zimbabwe to get free and fair elections is not an event but a process”: The Role of the EU Election Observation Mission

The European Union deploys one of the largest observer missions to monitor the 2023 Zimbabwe elections. We spoke to Dr McDonald Lewanika, politics and development professional, about the importance of the verdict by EU election observers and what contributions European actors can make to assist Zimbabweans in getting the elections they want. By McDonald Lewanika and Katrin Seidel Earlier in the year, the European Union had sent 46 long-term observers and 11 political analysts to Zimbabwe. On Election Day over 150 observers from EU member states as well as Canada, Norway and Switzerland will be monitoring the elections. This is [...]

2023-08-18T12:32:05+00:0018th August 2023|

Mali: Accountability Lab Country Director, Doussouba Konaté, honored following her visit to the Obama Foundation Democracy Forum

Accountability Lab Mali's Country Director, Ms. Doussouba Konaté, shared a panel with former US President Barack Obama on November 17, 2022 in Washington as part of the Obama Foundation's Democracy Forum. On December 8, 2022, a press lunch was organized in his honor by Accountability Lab Mali. During this lunch, the press and other guests were entitled to the intervention of Doussouba Konaté in English. Very comfortable and with a great knowledge of the realities that undermine Africa, particularly the Sahel, Doussouba Konaté succeeded in convincing the former American president, Barack Obama, and all the participants of the Forum, who have several [...]

2022-12-14T10:20:56+00:0014th December 2022|

Deal with our ‘culture wars’ to combat democratic backsliding – President Obama

A lot of times those of us who are interested in democracy promotion have tried to wish away these so-called culture war questions. We like to focus on rules, law, policy and calculations” — President Barack Obama WASHINGTON D.C., DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA , UNITED STATES, November 18, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Keeping young people engaged in governance processes creatively to help prevent democratic backsliding was one of the key messages from Accountability Lab at the Democracy Forum in New York this week. Speaking on a panel with President Barack Obama, Country Director at Accountability Lab Mali Doussouba Konaté, said that democracy “on the streets” had [...]

2022-11-30T23:59:23+00:0018th November 2022|

President Biden is Hosting a Summit of African Leaders – Governance in the Sahel Must Be a Priority

By Doussouba Konaté BAMAKO, Nov 11 2022 (IPS) - The upcoming Africa Leaders’ Summit– slated to take place in Washington, DC in December- is well-timed. The Biden administration has made a welcome and significant push over the past two years to support democracy, anti-corruption and peace-building around the world- and in Africa in particular. From the Summit for Democracy to the new Sub-Saharan Africa and Countering Corruption strategies- policies and practices within the US government have shifted in ways that can support much needed reforms across the continent. It is in the Sahel where many of the biggest challenges remain- and these should be a priority during the [...]

2022-11-14T09:59:43+00:0013th November 2022|
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