Posts with the tag
“Making Voices Heard and Count”

Citizen Data Takes Centre Stage at the Fifth UN World Data Forum

11th December 2024 by Ayman Akkad

In mid-November 2024, Medellín, Colombia, played host to the fifth United Nations World Data Forum (UNWDF). Themed “Datutopia,” the Centre’s Leave No One Behind Partnership attended the Forum alongside over 2,000 participants, including representatives from national statistical offices (NSOs), academia, civil society, and global data partnerships. Over the course of four days, the forum tackled pressing questions about how to create an innovative and inclusive data ecosystem to support sustainable development. 


Citizen Data: A Cornerstone of Sustainable Development 

 
One of the event’s standout themes was the transformative potential of citizen data in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Citizen data, a form of crowdsourced information often contributed by individuals through community initiatives, digital platforms, and mobile devices, has proven to be an indispensable complement to traditional statistics. It has become particularly effective in shedding light on the realities of marginalised and underrepresented communities. 

Examples of its impact abounded. From mapping pollution in urban areas to capturing the social dynamics of hard-to-reach populations, citizen science projects were lauded for addressing gaps where official data sources falter. Crucially, the forum highlighted how such initiatives empower communities to shape their narratives and reclaim agency over how their realities are represented. 
 
Integrating citizen data into official statistics, panellists argued, could revolutionise decision-making and contribute to a broader “data commons,” a shared and open-access repository that fosters greater inclusivity. 

A Pivotal Role for the Collaborative on Citizen Data

Among the key players at UNWDF 2024 was the Collaborative on Citizen Data, a coalition dedicated to advancing the role of citizen-generated data in achieving the SDGs. The Collaborative, co-chaired by the Centre’s Leave No One Behind Partnership, was instrumental in guiding discussions on how citizen data could be effectively harnessed. 
 
Through its presentations, the Collaborative showcased the Copenhagen Framework on Citizen Data, which serves as a roadmap for implementing such initiatives. Practical examples came from country coalitions of the Centre’s Leave No One Behind Partnership, which illustrated how citizen contributions to the data value chain—from collection to analysis—can address challenges and ensure data reflects society’s diversity. 
 
Speakers emphasised that mainstreaming citizen data into global and national practices is essential for inclusive development. Their message was clear: sustainable development cannot succeed if it leaves marginalised voices unheard or unrepresented. 

Innovation and Inclusivity in the Data Landscape 

UNWDF 2024 was not short on forward-looking ideas. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and geospatial data into the broader data ecosystem took centre stage too, with examples of how these technologies can accelerate analysis and reveal actionable insights. Yet, caution was urged. With AI’s rapid proliferation, participants stressed the importance of adhering to strict ethical standards to ensure transparency and fairness. 
 
Building a universally accessible data commons also garnered significant attention. Panellists underscored that bridging the gap between technical experts and local communities requires a shared and inclusive language. This vision, though ambitious, is pivotal for ensuring that data-driven decisions genuinely reflect the lived realities of people worldwide. 

Trust, Ethics, and the Role of Partnerships

The forum grappled with the thorny issues of data ethics and trust. As citizen data becomes integral to global development strategies, safeguarding privacy and maintaining ethical standards are paramount. Stakeholders debated the responsibilities of governments, private sector, and civil society in ensuring transparency and accountability within this burgeoning ecosystem. 
 
Equally, many participants rightly championed partnerships as the backbone of a robust data system. Successful collaboration between governments, academia, and grassroots organisations can help avoid duplication, maximise impact, and ultimately build a more equitable data ecosystem. Calls to involve youth more actively in data initiatives reflected a broader ambition to future-proof this movement. 

Shaping the Global Data Ecosystem: The Road Ahead

The Medellín Framework for Action, UNWDF 2024’s key outcome document, sets a course for adapting the Cape Town Global Action Plan to the realities of an evolving data landscape. It envisions a future where citizen data, geospatial intelligence, and traditional statistics work in tandem to address global challenges effectively. 
 
The next forum, scheduled for April 2026 in Saudi Arabia, promises to continue this momentum. With a focus on improving data quality and accessibility, it will include training sessions and competitions for small and medium-sized enterprises to develop innovative data solutions. 
 
As the curtains closed in Medellín, one lesson stood out: citizen data is no longer a peripheral consideration. It is a cornerstone of modern development strategies, bridging the divide between abstract statistics and the lived realities of individuals. In doing so, it ensures that the often-repeated mantra of the SDGs— “leave no one behind”—becomes a promise fulfilled. 


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Ayman Akkad

Project Manager, Leave No One Behind

International Civil Society Centre

Ayman is the Project Manager for the Leave No One Behind partnership, at the International Civil Society Centre, joining the Centre in late 2024. With a multidisciplinary background in journalism, development, advocacy and strategic communications, he brings a wide range of experience to this role. He holds a master’s in Conflict Resolution from the Heller School at Brandeis University and a master’s degree in public policy from Princeton’ University’s School of Public and International Affairs. Ayman works towards democratizing policymaking by increasing citizen participation in decision-making and empowering communities to leverage technology for social change.


Global Perspectives 2023 – Moments of Truth 

22nd November 2023 by Miriam Niehaus

Prolonged humanitarian crises, the rise of generative artificial intelligence, the use of disinformation to polarise societies and manipulate elections, the suppression of civil society from state and non-state actors and decreasing funding… are just a few of the ever-growing challenges that social justice, humanitarian, and development organisations must contend with. As progressive and rights-based civil society organisations – from local to international level – are grappling with these crises of the past few years, the International Civil Society Centre once again had the honour of curating our yearly conference, Global Perspectives on these topics. “Global Perspectives – Moments of Truth” happened on 9 November and brought together hundreds of online participants across five different sessions to not just ponder these challenges but provide concrete examples and explore ideas on how we can collaboratively tackle them.  

Though each session was independently curated, three overarching themes emerged. 

The Future of Civic Space is Now
Anticipating the factors that will constrict our civic space a decade from now demands our attention today. Civic Space has been in decline and is likely to continue on this trajectory. Are we adequately addressing the issues that will likely shape our societies in the next decade, impacting our civic engagement? In the session titled “Learn From and Engage on Futures Scenarios for Civic Space” participants learned about the outcomes of the Centre’s “A History of Civic Space 2024-2034”, exercise, where representatives from 15 civil society organisations collaborated to develop possible future scenarios for civic space. Session participants engaged in the scenarios and identified actionable steps to either advance or prevent undesirable outcomes. For example, a likely scenario of artificial intelligence (AI) first enabling a lot of good work at scale and then backfiring on civil society as “obstacles to progress”, highlighted the urgency to get into the AI game now. Later in the day at the “Digital Dialogue – AI: Solution or Threat to Mis-/Disinformation?” drove the point home: two scholars Liz Orembo from Research ICT Africa and Admire Mare from the University of Johannesburg, called on civil society organisations to address AI now, as governance advocates, watchdogs, as well as helping to increase media literacy. This is especially needed as there are a number of key elections coming up next year where we will likely see sophisticated disinformation campaigns. Henry Parker from Logically, informed us that there is a lot of potential to use AI to identify disinformation campaigns and reprimand the actors responsible. During “A Sector Conversation”, Stéphane Duguin from CyberPeace Institute warned us that we need to create a comparable countermodel if we wish to increase our capacity to oppose disinformation campaigns. Read their approach to responsible use of artificial intelligence here and watch this space as we are launching our Sector Guidance on Mis-, Dis-, and Mal-information: Insights and Foresights in early 2024.    

Representation Matters
Two sessions, “The Truth is in the Telling” and “Exploring Personal Realities (of Marginalisation)”, delved into the importance of representation. Insights from individuals working with and identifying as members of marginalised communities underscored the need for more direct dialogue with those in power. Nana Afadzinu from WACSI emphasised in “A Sector Conversation” the need for introspection and acknowledgement of systemic inequity. Festus Odingo from the SDG Kenya Forum emphasised the significance of partnerships as a key force for change, emphasising how they may broaden the scope and effect of community-based initiatives. Representation of course also happens through communication pieces – donor reports, flyers, fundraising advertisements and much more. Undeniably, communication about Global North-financed Global South projects has been a big part of manifesting white saviourism and entrenching power imbalances. By now, several organisations have begun to examine this reality and make changes. The Ethical Story Telling Guideline, a toolkit that PATH and Metro Group DRC contributed to, was presented by the speakers. It can assist companies in determining how to, for instance, become more ethical by making concrete adjustments to the planning process. Communication audits, such as the ones conducted every two years by CARE International, can be useful in holding teams accountable and providing incentives for improvement. As part of its bottom-up strategy to alter various communication channels, CARE has made significant efforts to maximise informed consent and minimise unconscious bias. Yet, there are still incredibly difficult dilemmas when organisations must weigh communication subjects’ agency against their safety, for example when portraying female CSO workers in Afghanistan. The emphasis is on respect. A key takeaway from our sessions is to aim to do no harm but failing forward is inevitable as we push one another to improve and recognise ethical storytelling as a fundamental  component of power shifts within the industry. 

Weathering a Perfect Storm
Our speakers highlighted this year a shrinking civic space, humanitarian crises piling up and worsening, colonial structures still fostering inequity, and growing cybercrime and disinformation adding to the complexity. All of this is happening in the face of a challenging global economy with a sharp decline for our causes. Are we experiencing a perfect storm? Yet, for most in the sector, there is a firm resolve to plough on despite difficult circumstances. There is no alternative. It has been inspiring to see among others, leaders from ICVA, CIVICUS, WACSI and the CyberPeace Institute sharing resources, knowledge and honest invitations to collaborate more, helping each other to overcome our deficiencies and capitalise on our respective expertise and strengths.  

To continue surviving the storm, the International Civil Society Centre will keep bringing attention to the incredible innovations that are being developed in the field. As Mirela Shuteriqi from ICVA said in her closing statement, we must also transform ourselves. We must encourage a culture and bring about changes at the UN level, using this as a chance to collaborate and tackle social justice issues. We remain dedicated to facilitating dialogue, sharing innovations, and fostering collaboration within the sector. It is through collective determination, thoughtful introspection, and ethical storytelling that we can face the challenges that lay ahead, transform ourselves, and forge a path towards a more just and equitable future. The journey is ongoing, but together, as a united force, we embark on it with unwavering resolve. 

 

Special thanks to all our speakers – Jennifer Abomnger, Nana Afadzinu, Stéphane Duguin, Patrick Gathara, Arnold Gekonge, Eva Gondor, Heather Hutchings, Wolfgang Jamann, Lysa John, Hussam Joudah, Admire Mare, Shalini Moodley, Patricia Mugenzi, Levis Nderitu, Nana Nwachukwu, Festus Odingo, Elizabeth Orembo, Henry Parker, Neha Rayamajhi, Mirela Shuteriqi, Clare Spurrell, David Verga, and Rachel Wilkinson.

 

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Miriam Niehaus

Head of Programmes

International Civil Society Centre

Miriam leads the Centre’s programmes. She started at the Centre as Executive Assistant in 2014 and then, as Project Manager, developed and implemented the Centre’s projects on civic space between 2016 and 2019. Prior to joining the Centre Miriam worked for VSO International and GIZ in the Palestinian Territories. She holds a BA in Islamic Studies and Social Anthropology from the University of Freiburg and an MA in Near and Middle Eastern Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies.


Join Making Voices Heard and Count at the UN’s High Level Political Forum

6th July 2020 by Peter Koblowsky

Event Title: Community-driven data as transformative means for accelerated action and SDG delivery
Call link: https://bit.ly/2VFzz6s
Wisembly: https://app.wisembly.com/hlpf2020#stream
Date: 9 July 2020
Time: 8.00-10.00am (EDT)
Facilitation: Wolfgang Jamann, International Civil Society Centre

Download the Agenda

Note:
We will record this event! Room capacity is limited to 300! We advise our audience to arrive at the virtual room before the official starting time. Moderators will be online in the room as of 7.45am.

Peter Koblowsky

Senior Partnership Manager - Leave No One Behind

International Civil Society Centre

Peter joined the Centre in January 2013, back then as a trainee. He completed the traineeship in the advocacy & campaigning office of World Vision Germany. Peter now coordinates the Leave No One Behind project and contributes to the development and implementation of various other strategic formats. Before joining the Centre, Peter worked for various organisations and think tanks in the development sector, being an expert in multi-stakeholder processes. He studied at the University of Bonn and graduated with an MA in Political Science with a focus on multi-actor advocacy for climate policy.


Join us to help make voices heard and count in SDG implementation

15th January 2020 by Peter Koblowsky

In 2020, The Leave No One Behind global partnership enters a new 3-year phase after successful completing the pilot stage between 2017 and 2019. The focus remains on Making Voices Heard and Count through empowerment of marginalised groups, assessment of their local situation through community-driven data and advocating for sustainable improvement of their livelihoods.

In this new stage, the global partnership is expanding its scope with countries from both the Global South and North. This means a continuation of our scaling up in Bangladesh, India, Kenya, Vietnam and Nepal. Additionally, we are exploring new national partnerships in Denmark, Canada, Malawi and the Philippines. The partnership plans to highlight the importance of implementing the SDGs in different socio-political contexts, demonstrating, that there is considerable room for improvement in countries in the Global North as well, thus recognising the universality of the Agenda 2030.

The International Civil Society Centre remains in the role of a host organisation. The increase in scale of Making Voices Heard and Count means that the Centre is additionally looking for new strategic partners to come on board and contribute to the bigger impact through their expertise. Currently we have 12 global international civil society organisations and national level coalitions, consisting each of numerous CSOs, throughout all action countries.

Join the Partnership

The Centre is expanding both the partnership itself and advisory groups on different topics, such as:

  • Data generation and analyse,
  • Working with margilised communities,
  • Implementation of the SDGs.

If your organisation has expertise in one or more of these fields, or if you want to build a deeper understanding of the project, feel free to contact Peter Koblowsky for further information and framework questions.

Let’s join forces for the practical achievement of the SDGs in a growing number of countries worldwide!

Peter Koblowsky

Senior Partnership Manager - Leave No One Behind

International Civil Society Centre

Peter joined the Centre in January 2013, back then as a trainee. He completed the traineeship in the advocacy & campaigning office of World Vision Germany. Peter now coordinates the Leave No One Behind project and contributes to the development and implementation of various other strategic formats. Before joining the Centre, Peter worked for various organisations and think tanks in the development sector, being an expert in multi-stakeholder processes. He studied at the University of Bonn and graduated with an MA in Political Science with a focus on multi-actor advocacy for climate policy.


Leave No One Behind news round-up

5th December 2019 by Thomas Howie

The Leave No One Behind project was launched in late 2017 as a partnership of 12 international civil society organizations (ICSOs). In 2018, the partnership set up national coalitions in 5 pilot countries (Bangladesh, India, Kenya, Nepal and Vietnam), bringing together national NGOs and civic platforms, as well as community-based organisations. Here we round up some news from a couple of our pilot countries:

India: New study published as part of Leave No One Behind

Wada Na Todo Abhiyan (Don’t break your promise) launched a new study: ‘The 100 Hotspots: a snapshot of socially excluded vulnerable population groups and SDGs in India’. It is a first of its kind study on the less recognised population groups in India and their status in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

A recent blog by Wada Na Todo Abhiyan featured on Feedback labs explains what the study shows and how it fits into the Leave No One Behind project

Read the blog: 100 Hotspots: Making Socially Excluded Voices Heard and Count in India

Bangladesh: Leave No One Behind gets national coverage

A recent conference organisaed by the project partners in Bangladesh received widespread national media coverage. With several highprofile contirbutions from NGO Affairs Bureau, UNDP and the Project Partners there was plenty to discuss and to carry forward into future work.

Read news: Speakers: Mindset must change for inclusive development

Read news: Three crore marginalised people out of dev process

 

 

Thomas Howie

Communications Manager

International Civil Society Centre

Thomas joined the Centre in June 2017 as the Communications Coordinator. He is responsible for developing and implementing the Centre’s global communication strategy, as well as the Disrupt & Innovate platform – a place for civil society professionals and activists to discuss current innovations and future trends in the civil society sector. Prior to the Centre, Thomas worked for 5 years in the European Parliament firstly as the Digital and Social Media Coordinator for the Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament, and then, after the 2014 European elections, for Jude Kirton-Darling and Paul Brannen as Head of Communications, where he worked on issues such as the EU-US trade deal, issues around Brexit and as a specialist on the Petitions Committee. Thomas graduated from Bristol University with BSci in Geographical Sciences and holds an MA in Peace Studies from the University of Bradford, where he completed research into the role of civil society in the post war peace settlement in northern Uganda.