Overview

The 14th Global Perspectives conference was held as an open, accessible, free online event on 30 November 2022. It brought together an international audience from national and international civil society organisations (CSOs), foundations, governments and business. This year the event offered deep insights and innovative perspectives on civic space futures, becoming locally led, next frontiers of CSO accountability and achieving the SGDs.

Read the outcome document and further resources

Read now

Opening Keynote: Transforming civil society futures

Overview

The world has become more turbulent and less predictable. Established truths or assumptions are being challenged, like that of everlasting growth and ‘development’, or the continuous progress of liberal democratic ideas. Civil society organisations are badly needed to address today’s challenges and shape an equitable and climate just future where no one is left behind. Yet they struggle to stay ahead of the curve, and to unleash their innovative and political potential. What will it take to join forces in true partnerships over the challenges of climate change, loss of biodiversity, further rise of anti-rights and anti-democratic forces? How can we imagine differently so we seize the opportunities of digital transformation and decolonisation? And how can we change our mandates and ways of working to remain a meaningful player in societal transformations? 

Panel

  • Wolfgang Jamann, Executive Director, International civil Society Centre
  • Nana Afadzinu, Executive Director, West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) 

Watch the keynote now

Session 1 : The Global Standard: a tool to preserve, promote and expand civic space

Overview

In this panel, we hear different experiences on how organisations are using the Global Standard to strengthen their work. By ensuring that the people they work for and with drive their actions, CSOs become more accountable, transparent, and legitimate social actors and thus contribute to creating a more enabling environment for CSOs to operate in. Find out how to use the Global Standard as a tool to strengthen your practices and build CSO resilience while contributing to preserve and expand civic space! 

Panel

  • (Facilitator) Elisa Lopez, Programme Manager for the Global Standard for CSO Accountability, Accountable Now
  • Marija Vishinova, Communication and Information Officer, Balkan Civil Society Development
  • Jocelyn Condon, Chief of Policy and Advocacy, Australian Council for International Development (ACFID)
  • Siale Ilolahia, Executive Director Pacific Islands Association of Non-Government Organisations (PIANGO)

Watch the session now

Session 2:  How can we foster a more inclusive digital development?

Overview

In this fast-evolving digital world, international development actors are increasingly using data and digital technologies to fulfil their agendas. Although technological advances have brought numerous gains to the development community, it has also widened the existing inequalities: marginalised communities are being left further behind due to a lack of access and opportunities to reap the digital benefits. In addition, there is an ongoing lack of highly granular data and insight on the concrete situation of these communities, impeding the development of targeted approaches for their increased inclusion. This panel discussion explores which digital approaches could foster the inclusion of marginalised groups and questioned whether civil society was ready to work in more digital and data-driven ways, highlighting the role CSOs could play in promoting a more inclusive and equitable digital development.   

Panel

  • (Facilitator) Claudia Wells, International Hub Director, Development Initiatives
  • Vinay Narayan, Senior Research Associate, Aapti Institute
  • Monicah Ramah, Integrated Programming, Voluntary Service Overseas Project Officer
  • Quincey Stumptner, Policy and Foresight Lead, SUPERRR Lab
  • Kriss Morris Chinkhota, Research and Development Coordinator, CARE Malawi

Watch the session now 

Session 3: Getting ahead: Anticipating futures for civil society operating space

Overview

Crisis response in defending civic and civil society operating space often dominates time and resources and urgent matters are prioritized over the longer-term anticipatory work. However, to create an enabling environment for civil society, the civil society sector needs to develop more anticipatory and proactive mechanisms to complement its reactive responses to civic space restrictions and changing operating conditions. During the session we spotlighted the key takeaways from our recently published landscape mapping on “Anticipating futures for civil society operating space” and discussed the following questions: What is holding us back in becoming more anticipatory? How can we get ahead and move from a “crises mindset” to anticipatory action? 

Panel

  • (Facilitator) David Griffiths, Human Rights Consultant, Eikona
  • Eva Gondor, Senior Project Manager, International Civil Society Centre
  • Poonam Joshi, Director, Funders’ Initiative for Civil Society (FICS)
  • Barbara Weber, Director of Global Strategy and Impact, Amnesty International
  • Miguel de la Vega, Executive Secretary, Unidosc (Mexico)

Watch the session now 

 

Session 4: Beyond the North-South divide: future models of cooperation

Overview

As many International Civil Society Organisations have started to imagine their role in the future development architecture, they are confronted with cooperation structures that address the power imbalances that have historically characterised Global North-South relations. South-South cooperation has acquired a significant role as a model of collaboration to exchange knowledge, resources and technical know-how. This session convened global experts to explore diverse partnerships and showcase the latest thinking around Southern cooperation modalities. Is there a role for Northern organisations in this configuration? How can the sector push itself to foster new ways beyond “traditional” development cooperation? 

Panel

  • Mariane Maier Nunes, #ShiftthePower Fellow, Global Fund for Community Foundations
  • (Facilitator) Gerrit Saen, Country Director for Dominican Republic, Plan International 
  • Cecilia Milesi, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Global Change Center
  • Philip Goodwin, Chief Executive Officer (2015-2024), Voluntary Service Overseas
  • Myriam Ciza Gambini, Project Manager, International Civil Society Centre

Watch the session now

Related events