Global Perspectives

Every year, leaders of national and international civil society organisations gather at the Global Perspectives Conference with people passionate about doing social good, to exchange ideas and experiences, make connections and address the world’s most pressing challenges. This year, this is more relevant than ever. 

Global Perspectives 2021 was held as a hybrid experience, from 25 October to 4 November 2021. It brought together an international audience from national and international civil society organisations (CSOs), foundations, governments and business. This year’s theme focussed on the civil society sector approaches, opportunities and challenges of Shifting Power. We provided global and regional perspectives – holding in-person meetings in three hubs in East Africa, South East Asia and Latin America. The conference offered panel discussions, work sessions and peer-to-peer exchange, high-quality conversations and intensive networking.

Civil society sector approaches, opportunities and challenges of Shifting Power

After more than a year of surviving lockdowns, economic and psychological hardships, financial and operational restrictions, CSOs are taking the path to recovery by adapting and creating new strategies to prepare for unexpected events. They are doing so by adopting to the new powers that have been growing in the past few years.   

In 2021, Global Perspectives therefore focussed on the civil society sector approaches, opportunities and challenges of Shifting Power. CSOs are unlearning and deconstructing the current cultural norms that benefit from hierarchical worldviews and move towards networked and community-led operations. The International Civil Society Centre, with its unique position, wants to support organisations in understanding and overcoming privilege and colonial legacies that influence the way the civil society sector operates.   

With three pillars in focus: de-concentrating data and digitalisation, decolonising aid and organisational structures, and embracing new power, we brought in futurists and forward thinkers to support and challenge participants. The event was centred around questions such as: 

• How can CSOs work collectively, effectively and ethically with citizen-generated and open data, to give power to marginalised groups?  
• What does it mean to decolonise the future of the sector and aid system in which we operate, and what is our role in that? 
• What are the practical approaches, tools and models that we can use to actively shift power? 

Global Perspectives 2021 Steering Committee

We would like to thank our global and regional steering committees for their continuous support in planning and shaping the content of Global Perspectives 2021. With their valuable contributions, they helped us to find essential and innovative topics and speakers.

Global Steering Committee 

David Bainbridge, Executive Director, CBM Global Disability and Inclusion 

Kirsty Smith, Executive Director, CBM Global Disability and Inclusion UK 

William Garrood, Head of Global Strategic Planning, WaterAid

Doris Basler, Co-Director, Strategy & Feminist Futures, Oxfam International 

Dini Widiastuti, Executive Director, Yayasan Plan International Indonesia

Nazla Mariza, Influencing Director, Yayasan Plan International Indonesia 

Angela María Rosales Rodriguez, Directora Nacional, Aldeas Infantiles SOS Colombia 

Cristina Urdaneta Silva, Oficial de enlace y articulación, Aldeas Infantiles SOS Colombia 

Latin America Hub

Anabel Cruz, Director, Rendir Cuentas (Communication and Development Institute (ICD)) 

Guillermo Correa, Executive Director, RACI – The Argentine Network for International Cooperation.

Angela María Rosales Rodriguez, Directora Nacional, Aldeas Infantiles SOS Colombia 

Cristina Urdaneta Silva, Oficial de enlace y articulación, Aldeas Infantiles SOS Colombia  

Southeast Asia Hub

Dini Widiastuti, Executive Director, Yayasan Plan International Indonesia 

Nazla Mariza, Influencing Director, Yayasan Plan International Indonesia 

Ryan Rahardjo, Head of Public Affairs Southeast Asia, Google 

Daniel Oscar Baskoro, Data and Artificial Intelligence Specialist 

East Africa Hub

Martin Namasaka, Regional Media and Communications Advisor, Horn East and Central Africa, Oxfam International 

John Kitui, Country Director, Oxfam Kenya 

Michael Odumbe, Regional Program Quality Lead, Horn East and Central Africa, Oxfam International 

Maureen Olyaro, Regional Project Manager STITCH, FEMNET- African Women’s Development and Communication Network 

Arthur Larok, Federation Development Director, ActionAid International  

Parvin Ngala, Regional Director-Interim, Horn East and Central Africa, Oxfam International