The limits of resilience

Sometime during a recent PEXForum conference, I wrote on my notepad that resilience has become the development sector’s new buzzword. Others have made the same discovery. PSJP’s new paper, Building Resilience in International Development lists a raft of references to the term in the later literature of development and it seems that multilateral organisations, foundations,…

Beyond Us and Them

This blog post is prompted by the provocative article entitled Institutional Philanthropy and Popular Organising in Africa: Some Initial Reflections from Social Movement Activists by Halima Mohamed which draws on the experiences of activists from 13 different movements across Africa. I am part of one of those movements. Social movements are proof of ordinary people’s…

Embracing complexity: Together we can!

Sometimes nightmares become real and dystopias – foreseen only in novels or movies – become true stories. On Thursday 13 February, Assifero was hosting one of the five Ariadne Forecast roundtables in Europe in Como (http://www.puntocometa.org/home-eng/), Italy. We were over 40 Italian funders, discussing the 2020 Forecast report elaborated each year by Ariadne. Only one…

Multiple means to reach a single goal – new paper explores systems to #ShiftThePower

In the 19th century, Victor LeGrand created an orderly, geometric railway system for France which was designed to bring about the full integration of the country. This was reckoned to be far superior to the Prussian rail system, which was a hodgepodge of lines run by 50 different companies. The French system, known as the…

Let’s play a new European tune

New promise Thirty years ago, European philanthropy stood on the brink of new promise. The formation of the European Foundation Centre (EFC) on 9 November 1989 – the same day that the Berlin Wall fell – ushered in a new era for philanthropy as part of a vision for a new Europe. There was hope…

Announcing a new study on philanthropy’s role in producing safe, healthy and just societies

Candid (formerly the Foundation Center) and Centris (Rethinking Poverty) are conducting a study on the role of philanthropy in producing safe, healthy and just societies. At a time when many people are questioning the value of philanthropy, the study aims to clarify its role in creating peaceful and inclusive societies that provide access to justice for all…

Funding African movements? Philanthropic revolutions needed first.

‘New configurations of civic-led movements are playing an instrumental role in challenging political, social and economic abuses of power, at great personal risk. At the same time the organized and professionalised civil society spaces which are typically supported by philanthropy are losing momentum, relevance and connectivity to those whose interests they are meant to be…

Litigating for social change: what can funders learn from global experience?

By Steven McCaffery Strategic litigation can be a powerful tool for positive social change, but when is it the right investment for philanthropy? A new book draws on the international experience of successful campaigns and offers real-world lessons on avoiding the pitfalls. From policing in New York, to classroom conditions in post-apartheid South Africa, the push…