Category: News

At the end of last year, I had the chance to participate in the #Shift the Power Summit in Bogotá, organised by the Global Fund for Community Foundations and TerritoriA, which gave me, and the International Civil Society Centre further resolve in supporting ICSOs in their power shift journey. The Summit gathered over 700 participants from over 70 countries to discuss how to work together to truly shift power and overcome the blockages that prevent a truly systemic change of the system, moving away from top-heavy and top-down systems of international development and philanthropy. 

While in recent years the debates around shifting power, localisation and decolonisation within the civil society sector have gained prominence, resulting in an increasing number of actors seeking to foster a paradigm shift, the challenges to dismantle and readdress power, roles and responsibilities remain significant. 

The Summit was a pivotal event that saw activists, national and international organisations and funders, convene in agreement that the current development and philanthropy systems are not fit for purpose but require a radical restructuring of their architecture. 

As Marie-Rose Romain Murphy of the Haiti Community Foundation, poignantly said in her address:

“Communities have been historically marginalised in the development process by governments and NGOs. Shifting power means recognising that local communities hold the solutions.” 

During the conference, communities and practitioners who have been historically disenfranchised were front and centre. Throughout the discussions and sessions, we reflected on how as actors we can foster an enabling environment for change, avoiding window dressing and empty commitments. 

In order for significant shifts to happen it is pivotal for organisations to re-examine their assumptions regarding where they stand in the sector. Developing self-awareness and defusing power dynamics within an organisation is helpful in ensuring that partnerships are genuine, built on trust, and free from exploitative practices. For international civil society organisations (ICSOs) changing the system entails not giving away power entirely, but rather engaging with it to progressively shift it to communities we aim to serve.  

A key question that was discussed during the Summit was: Beside shifting power as a moral imperative, what does it mean for development and philanthropy actors to address the problem of power inequities? 

Since 2018, the International Civil Society Centre’s Power Shift Labs have addressed the problem of power imbalances between Northern and Southern, but also between large and small, rich and resource-scarce entities of ICSOs. During the Labs, ICSO leaders explored the questions of how to overcome barriers and lead the necessary transformational power shifts in governance. Our goal is to prioritise the perspectives of the communities we serve by facilitating the exchange of lessons learned while supporting organisations in re-evaluating how they add value to a system that is infused with a colonial mindset.

The Summit highlighted that the challenging and dismantling structures that perpetuate power imbalances is paramount to define the legitimacy of ICSOs in the civil society ecosystem. 

Here are some of the reflections from the Summit on how organisations can start addressing power imbalances: 

Power Shift cannot happen without mindset change 

At the Summit, there were several discussions around the idea that before shifting power we need to shift culture and mindsets, and that requires individual reflections. Most dimensions that contribute to unequal decision making can be interpreted through an intersectional lens. To fight such inequalities, organisations should commit to identifying and eradicating the negative power dimensions that allowed such decision-making structures to develop and foster. Power imbalances are recognised as being not only an issue between Global North and South, but also across Southern, patriarchal power dimensions. All individuals working in the sector ought to ask themselves; how do you use power responsibly once you have it? How can we use our positionality and power to influence the sector to do better? 

Concrete change requires strong sponsorship 

In many organisations, there is a public commitment to being less colonial at internal and structural level and more conscious of power imbalances. While at macro-level, there is widespread agreement on the need to change and on such intent, there is a lack of vision of how to achieve change in the short-term, resulting in lack of consistent progress. In fact, while at a personal level, decision-makers might want to be de-colonial, they often struggle to transfer such commitment to the policy and strategy level. Finding sponsors for change within the organisation is crucial to implement such theoretical commitments and move from policy to concrete action. 

There is a wealth of power in language and communication 

The use of empowering language is a key tool to establish genuine and more equitable partnerships with communities, moving away from bureaucracy and flawed impact measurement to shared values and empathy for each other’s needs. Reflecting and being intentional about language also requires avoiding the co-option of the language of liberation, that radical groups have used to address the need to overhaul the system. Furthermore, while most organisations agree that decision-making should be moved to the closest point of impact, efforts to prioritise such commitments should be communicated better, creating safe spaces for critical and thought-provoking discussions.  

We look forward to exchanging with organisations that endeavour to embrace this transformative mission despite the challenges. One of our key avenues to build momentum is the Power Shift Lab, which serves as a dedicated platform for a comprehensive review and assessment of the intricate interplay between power dynamics, organisational intent, and governance reform. This year’s Power Shift Lab, taking place on 10-12 June 2024 in Senegal in collaboration with Tostan, will focus on the intersection of governance transformations and shrinking civic space, delving into how such transformations affect local civil society. Connecting with local initiatives, we will further assess how to develop governance frameworks that facilitate the empowerment of local decision-makers in strategy, with the aim to dismantle the top-down decision-making structures that still pervade the sector.  

If you are interested in participating in the event, want to find out more or keep up to date with our Accelerating Inclusive Power Shift initiative, sign up for our newsletter or reach out to Myriam Ciza Gambini, directly at mcgambini@icscentre.org

Myriam Ciza Gambini

Project Manager

International Civil Society Centre

Myriam coordinates the “Accelerating Inclusive Power Shift” project, which aims to foster equitable partnerships and more inclusive governance models in the development and humanitarian sectors. Prior to joining the Centre, she worked on EU development policy in Brussels for CONCORD and Humanity & Inclusion and with CBM in Italy.

Every year, institutions release their trend reports. Recently, the World Economic Forum identified four different environmental issues as the most significant risks facing the world in the next 10 years. The UNDP Trends Report cites four climate-related trends in its top 13 themes. However, we know climate change is not merely a future trend, we are already feeling the damaging effects of climate change. February 2024 was globally the warmest on record. 

The Scanning the Horizon Community, hosted by the International Civil Society Centre, investigates trends and signals affecting civil society and looks to apply this learning and approach to Civil Society Organisations. At the start of the year, the Scanning Community met to examine and explore those areas where digital technology and the environment converge. 

We delved into a thought-provoking workshop to understand the intricate relationship between digital technologies and sustainability. Taking the Doughnut Economic Model – a framework, developed by Kate Raworth, that challenges traditional notions of economic success and sustainability, –  we were able to use the ‘Digital Doughnut’, a visual tool that helped us explore the nuances of our digital footprint.  

The Doughnut Economic Model offers a holistic approach to sustainable development. It visualises a “safe and just space for humanity,” represented by the area between the inner and outer rings of the doughnut. The inner ring denotes the minimum standards of well-being that every person should have access to, as outlined by the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Meanwhile, the outer ring represents the planetary boundaries we must not exceed to safeguard the health of our planet. 

This model prompts us to consider not only the immediate impacts of our actions but also their long-term consequences on both people and the planet. By framing sustainability within this broader context, we are compelled to think beyond mere environmental conservation and examine the systemic issues at play. 

The intersection of technology and sustainability is a pressing issue in today’s world. While technological advancements offer huge benefits, they also pose significant challenges to our environment and society. From the proliferation of electronic waste to the energy-intensive nature of digital infrastructure, the digital sector has a substantial ecological footprint. We do not always think about the physical and environmental infrastructure of digital technology. Cloud technology, for example, requires a significant amount of energy and waste. A Google data centre uses 450,000 litres of water per day.  Training a single AI model can emit as much carbon as five cars in their lifetimes. There is often a hidden environmental cost to all this new technology. 

The ‘Digital Doughnut’ takes the doughnut economy and uses the model to assess digital technologies. During our workshop, led by Alistair Alexander, participants examined the global impact of digital technologies and their implications for planetary health. We explored pressing topics like disinformation, e-waste, and energy consumption, shedding light on the multifaceted challenges we face. 

In an era defined by rapid technological advancement and growing environmental concerns, the need for a more sustainable approach to digital development has never been greater. When we talk about sustainability in the tech realm, it is easy to focus solely on surface-level solutions like renewable energy and recycling. While these are crucial steps, we must not lose sight of the deeper questions. What are the underlying paradigms and systems driving climate change? How is digital technology contributing to this crisis and what fundamental changes are needed? 

You can find out more about the Digital Doughnut here: https://doughnuteconomics.org/ and here: https://reclaimed.systems/The-Digital-Doughnut or contact Alistair directly. 

At the heart of our efforts with Scanning the Horizon is collaboration with our members and partners to bolster future literacy within the sector. We are actively engaged in charting and anticipating emerging trends.

Our Scanning the Horizon Community unites professionals from diverse sectors to share knowledge, and expertise, and test novel methodologies. Please email us if your organisation is interested in gaining more insight into our community as part of its foresight work. We look forward to hearing from you. 

Rachel Wilkinson

Programme Manager – Futures and Innovation

International Civil Society Centre

Rachel leads the Futures and Innovation programme at the Centre. She is responsible for managing the portfolio of projects and events as well as leading and developing the Scanning the Horizon strategic peer learning platform. Rachel has more than 15 years of experience working in the third sector, on a national and international level, working for various ICSOs in international development and human rights in both London and Berlin.

The stage was set for the International Civic Forum (ICF) before the end of 2023 in the vibrant and creative innovation space of Transforma Lab, Brussels. For two days, a workshop with forty participants from around the globe was held with the aim of preparing them, their civil society organisations, and the civil society sector at large for anticipating futures. This is by no means an easy feat, but we were fortunate to hear how it played out for three participants: Patrick Allam, the Legal Officer from Spaces for Change, Melissa Juisi Simo, the West Africa Civil Society Institute’s (WACSI) Programmes Assistant, and Răzvan-Victor Sassu, the Head of Strategy and Policy for the World YMCA. In the interviews, they shared with us their thoughts about foresight and futures crafting and their takeaways from the experience.  

Regarding “futures” work, what has been your connection? 

Before attending the ICF 2023, all three interviewees had varied connections to futures work. As Melissa noted, most civil society organisations are essentially in “reaction mode.” Although her organisation has begun pursuing futures work, it is still a new area for her personally to explore. Prior to taking part in the ParEvo foresight exercise run by the ICSCentre in the first half of 2023, Patrick hadn’t work with it before. ParEvo is a participatory and evolutionary approach to creating stories about possible futures. In the exercise, 15 participants developed stories about possible civic space futures through eight iterations of storytelling. Patrick began the exercise with a great deal of scepticism and uncertainty about the future. But later on:

“I now recognize the role that we can play in ensuring that the future is one that we can actively govern and possibly shape its outcomes.” Patrick

Through this work, he started to see potential for a more positive future. On the other hand, for Răzvan, it is a daily reality to acknowledge the importance of foresight in the development of global strategy and policy. Futures thinking had already been incorporated into Răzvan’s strategic processes, but he pointed out that:

“We also want to try to expand the network of people who actually think futures thinking is important. We don’t want it to remain limited to a bubble in Geneva who finds it significant.”  Răzvan

The three participants all agree on the importance of futures thinking, despite having varying degrees of experience with it.

“We need futures if we want to lead the future that we are going into, if we want to see innovation, and if we want to see participation.” Melissa

How can we go about futures thinking? 

Melissa compares futures thinking to a daily task, something one will do daily to ensure longevity, efficiency and optimal productivity. She thinks that this strategy will promote creativity and teamwork – all of which are crucial for imagining the future. When talking about the strategy of his organisation, Răzvan brings up the creation of a think tank to facilitate strategic foresight, especially with regard to the needs of young people. He highlights the challenges of prioritising future thinking amidst ongoing crises and funding constraints, suggesting the integration of bite-sized future thinking activities into existing processes. Patrick emphasises the value of systematic future planning, not only within his organisation but also extending to their networks, having been influenced by his ICF experience. In his view, this is a means of being proactive as opposed to reactive, working towards a situation in which upcoming events won’t come as a surprise. 

Did you have any “aha” moments at the ICF? 

“Where can we make a difference now that will make a difference in the future?” is a quote that motivated Melissa.

“How am I making a difference now for the future and not just making a difference now to correct the past? Because that has been the pattern.” Melissa

Melissa further underlined: “It was so beautiful for me to see that although we’re different groups from different parts of the world, we’re able to see similar risks and opportunities available for civil society.” But at the same time, she reflected that if there is too much alignment in thinking and we only stay within civil society, this might lead to the omission of some crucial perspectives. There is a need for increased cooperation between civil society and other sectors, including the government and business when it comes to shaping the future. Răzvan’s eureka moment centred on the notion that the workshop simplified the idea of “futures literacy” for those who are unfamiliar with it. He can imagine that creating a simple “package” for organisations would be helpful. Patrick’s realisation was that:

“Instead of finding ourselves in the future, where we are in the vicious circle of always reacting to issues as they come up, the goal is that everyone of us will move to the mode where we are actively shaping our future.” Patrick

He adds that this approach shouldn’t be only applied when it comes to organisational strategy but also for funding and community involvement.  

What will you do with the insights from the ICF? 

Melissa, Patrick, and Răzvan talked about how they wanted to incorporate futures thinking into their work going forward. Melissa intends to absorb the information and share it with others through an article that can be used as a reference. Her second ambition is to develop a curriculum or a learning material to share with other civil society organisations to strengthen their capacities. Patrick is eager to implement a more methodical approach to integrating foresight into the institutional thinking of his organisation and expanding it to their network. Răzvan advocates for the inclusion of strategic foresight as a fundamental component of strategic planning and proposes incorporating futures thinking and methods into routine meetings, such as a staff retreat. 

Throughout the interviews, Melissa, Patrick, and Răzvan highlighted the growing significance of foresight and anticipation for civil society. They further emphasised the need for taking an integrated approach to futures thinking and making it a regular practice. The perspectives and experiences that they have shared serve as a reminder of the complexity of the issue, the opportunity it presents, and the teamwork needed to address it.

If you’re interested in learning more about this topic, check out Anticipating futures for civil society operating space – Solidarity Action Network (SANE). The International Civil Society Centre’s three-year initiative (2022 – 2025) focussing on strengthening anticipatory capacities and future readiness of civil society professionals who are working to defend and expand civic and civil society operating space. The ICF methodology was co-developed by the ICSCentre and Forum for the Future, with support of Patricia Mugenzi.

Elizabeth Parsons

Communications Manager

International Civil Society Centre