By the following members of the Working Group on Philanthropy for Social Justice and Peace: Ana Criquillion, Barry Knight, Atallah Kuttab, Halima Mahomed, Stephen Pittam, Chandrika Sahai and Suzanne Siskel. Courtesy of www.alliancemagazine.org On 8 July members of the Working Group on Social Justice and Peace held a webinar to talk about power and philanthropy.…
By Albert Ruesga Courtesy of www.alliancemagazine.org ‘Let not thy will roar, when thy power can but whisper.’ Dr Thomas Fuller Wealthy donors are typically the lifeblood of a community foundation. These individuals and families draw their power from many of the institutions that define contemporary life in a capitalist society – not only financial institutions,…
By Avila Kilmurray Courtesy of www.alliancemagazine.org ‘This is how the verb “to participate” is conjugated – I participate, you participate, they decide.’ This comment relates to international development aid but could be echoed by grant recipients of many philanthropic programmes. Who decides on the allocation of resources and how? Motivated by an acute sensitivity to…
By Suzanne Siskel and Anna-Nanine Pond Courtesy of www.alliancemagazine.org How powerful are foundations relative to other actors in society? With few exceptions, foundations and NGOs pale in size, programme scope and budgets beside governments, international development agencies and multinational corporations. Yet, too often, grantmakers act as if the limited transactional clout of giving away money…
By Chandrika Sahai and Ana Criquillion This post is also available here in Spanish. At the current moment in time, Latin America and the Caribbean as a region is witnessing enormous shifts. Its economic landscape is changing and some of the countries in the region are now identified as emerging markets. Meanwhile social, economic and…
“Any form of art is a form of power; it has impact, it can effect change – it can not only move us, it makes us move.” Ossie Davis (American actor and playwright) For the first time ever, Tamil and Muslim students from Jaffna District in the North of Sri Lanka came together and produced…
By Ana Criquillion Courtesy of www.alliancemagazine.org When I started the Central American Women’s Fund (FCAM) in Nicaragua almost a decade ago, I wondered how I could involve Central American women’s movements in decision-making without creating a political mess. Decisions around money are always difficult, particularly where there are so few resources available and where organizations…
“I feel proud that iPartner India as a donor keeps its ear to the ground and supports such brave initiatives, irrespective of the political situation, conflict and the associated risks – we care that we are in a position where we can enable transformation and we push forward.” Sumitra Mishra, Country Director of iPartner India…
By Linda Guinee and Barry Knight Courtesy of www.alliancemagazine.org The first question is: what is power? The simplest and one of the most effective formulations comes from feminist psychologist Jean Baker Miller, who defines power as ‘the capacity to produce a change’. Probing deeper, however, reveals a complexity that is hard to fathom. There are…
By Halima Mahomed and Bhekinkosi Moyo Courtesy of www.alliancemagazine.org ‘The dilemma of the poor is not about resources. It is about power. If the poor have power, they will leverage the resources needed.’ Adam Habib, Vice Chancellor, University of Witwatersrand Adam Habib’s remark, made at the 2012 African Grantmakers Network Assembly on The Role of…