On this International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we honor the leadership, resilience, and creativity of #DisabilityJustice activists around the world. Thank you to everyone who supports this work. Together, we are creating a world where all people with disabilities can thrive. #IDPD2025

Not surprised but still disappointed that major INGOs are using generative AI for their poverty porn campaigns. The fact that some have defended it as a consent hack shows how far we have to go to incentivise progressive narratives. www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

I worry that we are misunderstanding what philanthropy is when we ask this. It isn't ODA and expecting it to be accountable and responsive in the same way might not help. We need more of it - and not just in the US and Europe. We need to sell it as an innate civil and political right.

Great new toolkit for donors on Coordinating Action on Civic Space by @oecd-ocde.bsky.social brnw.ch/21wUosY a includes some grown up recommendations that reflect the scale of the challenge.

So @moreincommonuk.bsky.social shows a lesser seen case for aid - countering Russian and Chinese influence - to be pretty popular with the public. More so even than UK economic growth and security. www.moreincommon.org.uk/latest-insig...

Congrats to former USAID colleagues and collaborators for bringing together resources and learning on Democracy, Rights and Governance into a new hub and ensuring that knowledge is accessible to all DRGHub.org

Nonprofit organizations are an integral component of civil society providing critical resources, defending civil liberties and more. That’s why they’re likely the Trump admin’s next target. We put together resources to help orgs navigate this scary time: www.ifyoucankeepit.org/p/what-to-do...

We've lost a formidable and respected campaigner and advocate for international development.

Kazakh government is latest to launch investigations into former USAID recipients working on human rights, free press, and democracy timesca.com/kazakhstan-i...

Fascinating new report on Countering Extreme Right Narratives from the Global Narratives Hive. Some useful tips for activists and donors. Congrats to @ficivilsociety.bsky.social and all the funders, activists and researchers who developed the Hive. An idea that looks more relevant every day.

🔎 UPDATED: ICNL's global analysis bit.ly/49DDa8m provides civil society with: 🔶 Substantive arguments against overbroad #ForeignInfluence registration laws 🔶 Potential response strategies 🔶 An assessment of how CSOs are likely to be impacted

The trend line is clear. Even the positives are improvements from a very low base and are by no means secure. We need work on the demand side. We need to support those demanding responsive and accountable government. #FreedomInTheWorld

The reducing of the UKs ODA budget is clearly a blow on the back of other donor announcements. Long term challenges to #civilsociety sustainability are increasingly medium and short term issues now. We'll have to use the funding we do have increasingly strategically to build resilience.

Good article by James Savage of @fundhumanrights.bsky.social on donor responses to foreign agent laws. europeandemocracyhub.epd.eu/defending-ci... #civicspace #humanrights

Hello, BlueSky! We're the Open Government Partnership —a global community of governments, civil society, and changemakers working together to make governments more transparent, accountable, and inclusive.

Perspective 1: Go all in to support #civilsociety in this moment of need. Stand up for your values. Perspective 2: Perspective 1 is good money after bad. Support those with a path to sustainability in an era of reduced funding. Humility needed.

Looks interesting and timely from Civicus. Small grants to social movements supporting freedom of assembly. www.civicus.org/index.php/en...

European Commission to develop a civic space strategy. civic-forum.eu/press/in-his...

10 key findings from 10 years of collecting and analyzing data on transnational repression--by @freedomhouse.bsky.social freedomhouse.org/article/ten-...

So many potential reasons that young people aren't working for CSOs. Recruitment practices might be to blame. But I wonder whether a shift in forms of political activism to informal, peer led movements makes institutional civil society seem less attractive / relevant? These are global trends.

I'd argue USAID cuts mark more than the end of an era of American generosity. If we put aside the (very significant) immediate real world impact of the cuts and focus on the big picture, this might mark an inflection point for the concept of "development". A large bail of straw for the camel.

The air seems fresher here. I am conflicted though. Civic freedom requires that we try and defend civic spaces and it feels uncomfortable to abandon the "other place" as a lost cause. But here I am.