TAI Weekly

TAI Weekly|Who are the Guardians of Truth?

By TAI (Role at TAI)
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TAI Weekly

WHAT'S NEW?

What will the UN Summit of the Future deliver for gllobal governance? Tim Hirschel-Burns examines the zero draft of the Pact for the Future outcome document and suggests what needs to be added. 

Democracy champions must employ compelling and contemporary narrative-building strategies and policy platforms to effectively engage women and young people in their coalitions.

The Council of Europe’s Recommendation on Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) was approved by the Committee of Ministers on 5th of April. The Recommendation is comprehensive and, if genuinely implemented, could significantly limit the damage caused by SLAPPs.

More than £2.6bn has been stolen through investment fraud in the UK since the start of 2020. So discovers the Pension Management Institute after submitting a freedom of information request.

The era of bribes is over - so claimed heads of the biggest global commodity traders this past week (this just a couple of weeks after Trafigura pleaded guilty to bribery in Brazil, and after Guvnor agreed to a $660m fine over past bribery in Ecuador).

The global coalition fighting for extractives transparency and a just transition, Publish What You Pay has announced its new executive director joining in July, Ketakandrinana Rafitoson, a political scientist and human rights activist from Madagascar. 

The integrity and value of carbon credits are again under scrutiny. The decision of the Science Based Targets Initiative to allow carbon credits in dealing with emissions sparked a staff revolt. Stephen Singer resigned from the initiative’s technical advisory group, calling credits, “scientifically, socially and from a climate perspective a hoax.”

Matthew Forgette recaps the submission of 30 civil society organizations to those shaping the Terms of Reference for the United Nations Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation that they hope centers human rights.

World Resources Institute and ALLIED are launching “The Standing Together for Environmental Defenders” (STAND) Initiative to offer training, financial support, and collaborative partnerships to defenders and civil society organizations confronting risks in Brazil, Guatemala, Mexico, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya and Liberia. 

Alexandra Karppi and Mary Hopkins point to the humn cost of democratic decline in Europe and Eurasia. They call on governments to protect the most vulnerable and do more to shore up democratic institutions.

ESSENTIAL READING  - BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

You can become mini-experts on the beneficial ownership of investment funds and of publicly listed companies by reading new policy briefs. They raise such important questions around whether reporting requirements ensure sufficient visibility and access to information, and how that can be used for oversight. 

FROM OUR MEMBERS 

FORD FOUNDATION: Darren Walker reflects on how the fight against inequality will save democracy: “As the head of a global organization dedicated to combating inequality, I believe deeply in philanthropy’s power — and responsibility — to support civic engagement as the antidote to a polarized society.”

 CHANDLER FOUNDATION: On April 5th, with Justice Zambia, Chandler Foundation held a High-Level Meeting to prepare the Government of Zambia to join the Open Government Partnership. 

FCDO: FCDO has spent a total of £3.4 billion via awarded contracts in FY 2023-24. Only £553.3 million was spent on development contracts in this period. The leading sectors? Climate and governance. The largest contract winner? Palladium International, with £290 million for three contracts, including £220 million for the U.K. Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions project. 

MULTIPLE MEMBERS: Many of our members participated at the Skoll World Forum in Oxford last week. So much rich discussion read the initial reflections from our own Eszter Filippinyi.

TOOLS AND TRENDS FOR FUNDERS 

Rainforest Foundation Norway and Rights and Resources Initiative announced the launch of the Path to Scale funding dashboard. This new open-source online tool gives easy access to donor funding data for Indigenous Peoples’, Afro-descendent Peoples’, and local communities rights and forest guardianship. 

Isabelle Clerie calls for a reality check across development. “Shifting the power allows communities to define their problems and own their solutions.” To build trust we have to start with basic principles of human interaction, connection and kindness.

Europe regional director of Porticus, Ondřej Liška writes about philanthropy’s need to transform, learn, imagine, collaborate and bridge siloes. Ondrej says: “Philanthropy exists within the same social, economic and power relations which it intends to fix”.

Program officers enter philanthropy to connect community needs to solutions, but reports and presentations overshadow the ability to do this with intention. They consistently give feedback about not having the time, resources, or agency to integrate effective listening practices. To alleviate the tensions and challenges of grant management, we need to change the boundaries of the program officer role.

ESSENTIAL WATCHING!

Watch this educational series aimed at providing you with the necessary skills to uncover and combat corruption using technology as a tool.

FOCUSED TOPIC OF THE WEEK

Guardians of Truth? Journalists, Technologists, and Civil Society in the Information Ecosystem

Information ecosystems are critical spaces for shaping public attitudes, policy pressures and actions on today’s pressing challenges. Take the example of the climate crisis. Caleb Ijioma highlights how climate disinformation is influencing journalistic coverage of the issue in Ghana. Experts point to the need for fact checkers to focus more on climate change disinformation and its negative impact on citizens and communities.

Andres Freund highlights the significance of individuals healthy practices within these ecosystems. Individual expertise and actions, including yours, can have far-reaching implications, potentially averting major cyberattacks and safeguarding digital infrastructure.

Justin Arenstein is concerned with the complexity and severity of the challenges faced in combating misinformation, particularly when it intersects with political interests and utilizes technologies like artificial intelligence. He sheds light on the darker side of information ecosystems, portraying misinformation as not just a matter of ignorance but also as a form of organized crime. 

The first UN General Assembly resolution on artificial intelligence is welcomed by members of the Association of Progressive Communications as a step forward in addressing the ethical and human rights implications of AI within information ecosystems. The resolution's call to refrain from using AI systems that violate human rights underscores the importance of ethical considerations in the development and deployment of technology within these ecosystems.

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We’d love to hear from you on how we can further improve TAI Weekly to better serve your needs in program management on the transparency, accountability, improved grantmaking and civic space. Please direct your feedback to [email protected] or

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