Ariadne News & Events

LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER: 2018 ARIADNE WINTER FILM NIGHT – 28^th FEBRUARY: Ariadne will be holding a Winter Film Night, in partnership with the Bertha Foundation, to explore how film and documentary-making can be a powerful means of accelerating change, and how funders can support its production. We will be screening The Silence of Others, a yet to be released film which tells the epic six-year story of the first attempt in history to prosecute crimes of Spain’s 40-year dictatorship. Seven years in the making, The Silence of Others is the second feature documentary from Emmy-winning filmmakers Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar (Made in L.A.). It is Executive Produced by Pedro Almodóvar and his producing partners, and is supported by Bertha Foundation, Oak Foundation, Sundance, ITVS, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and many others.  The film will be followed by a Q&A with the film-makers, and a glass of wine with fellow grant-makers. The screening will take place on Wednesday 28^th February at the Bertha DocHouse  (Bloomsbury, London) between 15:45-18:15. To register, please click here. 

REGISTER NOW: ARIADNE PORTAL TUITION: An hour’s tuition session to increase your skill in using the Ariadne Portal will be held on Thursday 15^th March at 15:00 GMT. This is an online webinar you can participate in from your desk. To join, you will need a computer or tablet (iPad/Android) to watch the online demonstration. To register, please RSVP here. For additional portal tuition dates, please click here.

REGISTER NOW: FOR AN INCLUSIVE EUROPE: GERMAN FUNDERS COUNTERING RACIAL AND RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION IN GERMANY AND IN EUROPE: Ariadne and Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen are happy to invite you to the meeting “For an Inclusive Europe: German funders countering racial and religious discrimination in Germany and in Europe”. This meeting, devoted to German donors, will take place on the afternoon of Wednesday 25^th  April, 12:30-17:30 CET at the Haus Deutscher Stiftungen, 10117 Berlin, Mauerstr. 93. This is part of Ariadne’s European project ‘Countering Racial and Religious Discrimination’ as a follow-up of the report “In search of an inclusive Europe” (Executive Summary in German). Felix Oldenburg, Secretary General of the Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen, Julie Broome, Director of Ariadne, Timo Reinfrank, Executive Director of Amedeo Antonio Stiftung, and other speakers who will be confirmed soon, will join us for this exchange. This meeting will be held in German. It is open to representatives of grant-making foundations who support projects for social change and human rights. Please register here.

UPCOMING EVENT: FOR AN INCLUSIVE EUROPE: EUROPEAN FUNDERS COUNTERING RACIAL AND RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION: Ariadne and the Diversity Migration and Integration interest group of the European Foundation Centre are organising the meeting “For an Inclusive Europe: European funders countering racial and religious discrimination“. This meeting will take place in Brussels in June (precise date TBC). It is part of Ariadne’s European project ‘Countering Racial and Religious Discrimination’ as a follow-up of the report ” Seeking an Inclusive Europe: Foundation Grantmaking for Countering Ethnic and Religious Bias and Xenophobia.” More details will follow soon on the Ariadne portal.

*To register for Ariadne events, your institution must be a member organisation of Ariadne. For questions regarding your membership status, please contact Lori Klos.

New Research, Articles and Judgements

New GAATW publication on partners in ending human trafficking: Sex worker rights organisations are creatively responding to violence, exploitation and other abuses within the sex industry, including instances of human trafficking, according to a new report published by the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women, “Sex Workers Organising for Change: Self-representation, community mobilisation and working conditions”. The report highlights GAATW’s research in seven countries and documents how sex worker rights organisations mobilise sex workers and their allies to resist stigma, discrimination and oppression, and to collectively voice their concerns, demand their rights, and participate in public and political life. Also by GAATW, see “New EU Priorities on Trafficking in Human Beings: Time to recognise the contribution of sex worker rights organisations”.

Escape for daughters of the Mafia: In this article for Chatham House, Helen Fitzwilliam outlines a protection programme to rescue women and children of the ’Ndrangheta, a mafia clan that kills those who dare to betray it. Helen Fitzwilliam is a filmmaker whose work includes the documentary, ‘Illicit: The Dark Trade’. Ariadne’s Winter Film Night in partnership with the Bertha Foundation, will explore how funders can support documentary film production as a powerful means of accelerating change. See the “Ariadne News & Events” section for more details.

McKinsey and Company report – Delivering through diversity: ‘Black women potentially suffer a double burden of bias that keeps them from the uppermost levels of corporate leadership’. This is according to a new report from McKinsey and Company. This report tackles the business case and provides a perspective on how to take action on inclusion and diversity to impact growth and business performance. It sheds light on how companies can use diversity as an enabler of business impact. It also articulates a clear opportunity for companies to promote inclusion and diversity in senior decision-making roles, and specifically in roles on executive teams.

Hungary’s government strengthens its anti-NGO smear campaign: Hungary’s government announced a new draft law ostensibly aimed at curbing “illegal migration” last month. According to Todor Gardos of Human Rights Watch, a deeper reading of the bill makes it clear that the government’s intent is to impede migration by cracking down on nongovernmental organisations. The draft law requires the registration of any foreign-funded organisation deemed to be “supporting illegal migration” and would permit authorities to tax their foreign income and even restrict the movement of people associated with them. What’s more, the bill includes provisions that could lead to NGOs, even those not working with refugees and migrants, losing their public benefit status if they receive more funding from abroad than from Hungary. See also, ICNL’s 2016-2017 Annual Report, “Building Alliances, Strenthening Freedoms“.

Human Rights Watch report – World Report 2018: The new “World Report” from Human Rights Watch is the organisation’s 28^th annual review of human rights practices around the globe. The report summarises key human rights issues in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide, drawing on events from late 2016 through November 2017.

Germany averaged four anti-Semitic crimes per day in 2017, report says: In 2017, German police registered a total of 1,453 crimes that targeted Jews or Jewish institutions, according to German newspaper Tagesspiegel, citing figures from the German government. The data was compiled in response to an inquiry from Bundestag vice president Petra Pau. The paper argues that the German government expects the figures to rise even further since the data provided by the states is not yet final. See also, “UK Antisemitic Incidents Report 2017”, by UK-based Community Support Trust.

Political trends and dynamics – Gender politics in Southeast Europe: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung’s most recent briefing on “Political Trends & Dynamics in Southeast Europe” argues that both democratisation and socio-economic justice are intrinsic aspects of a larger progressive peace policy in the region, but so too are consistent threat assessments and efforts to prevent conflict before it erupts. The briefing covers fourteen countries in South Eastern Europe: the seven post-Yugoslav countries as well as Albania, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, and Moldova.

Five key battles for re-imagining democracy in a radically changed world: Writing for Open Global Rights, Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah of Civicus argues that civil society ought to be re-imagining democracy rather than reviving weakening democracies. See also, “2018 Civic Comeback: Five Ways to Turn the Tide of Global Repression,” by Innovation for Change.

Migration to the EU – Five persistent challenges: Pressing migration concerns persist despite a drop in asylum seekers in parts of the EU. This is according to the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights’ latest report on migration-related fundamental rights issues. While reviewing the situation over the past two years, it points to difficulties in border crossings and gaining asylum, inadequate reception conditions, protection gaps for unaccompanied children and immigration detention concerns. Also by FRA, see “Second European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey – Main results”.

Collecting, preserving, and verifying online evidence of human rights violations: In this OpenGlobalRights article, Enrique Piracés, Programme Manager for Human Rights Technology at Carnegie Mellon University’s Center for Human Rights Science, discusses fact-finding and evidence gathering online. He argues that the amount of digital information available online presents human rights practitioners with a valuable opportunity to document abuses and address a broad scope of issues, but collecting the right information requires specialised skills and tools.

Blogs and Other Sites of Interest

Looking back at 2017 – Human Rights in comics: With extremism and populism on the rise, lasting deadly conflicts, escalated terrorist attacks, security overplay, and primacy of economic and trade interests throughout the world, human rights are under attack, threatened, or simply relegated to the rank of nice but illusory. And yet, they resist! FIDH’s new comic strip version of its Annual Report, illustrats some of the victories and battles of 2017. Created by graphic artist Romain Ronzeau and the graphic artists from Cartooning for Peace, the artists eloquently convey the essential: in times of crises, defending human rights is more necessary than ever.

Hidden Heart – World premiere, 16^th February 2018: In 2015, Ariadne’s Winter Film Night featured Hidden Heart, a film at the time in the early production stages. It’s the story of three Muslim women in relationships with non-Muslim men, but it tells a much bigger story. It is a film which shows what it is like to grow up as a Muslim woman in Britain today, navigating relations with family, faith and community. But, it is also a film which speaks to anyone who has chosen a path different from that expected of them. Hidden Heart is now completed and had its world premiere on new digital channel, Together. On February 28^th , Ariadne will be holding its 2018 Winter Film Night in partnership with the Bertha Foundation. To find out more and to register please see the “Ariadne News & Events” section above. See also, “Suffrage on screen – Five vital films about how women won the vote”, by RightsInfo.

WATCH: How to put the power of law in people’s hands: In this TED talk, Vivek Maru, founder of Namati, discusses how to transform the relationship between people and law, turning law from an abstraction or threat into something that everyone can understand, use and shape. Instead of relying solely on lawyers, Namati is a global network of community paralegals, or barefoot lawyers, who serve in their own communities and break the law down into simple terms to help people find solutions. “A little bit of legal empowerment can go a long way,” Maru says.

BOOK: How 50 million women are transforming the Muslim world: Amal is Chief Happiness Officer at Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid’s innovation office in Dubai. Hawazen, based in Riyadh, works for a pharmaceutical company. In Rawalpindi, Saadia is a manager at McDonald’s. In Cairo, Amira created an online magazine, while Mozah runs a catering business. To economist Saadia Zahidi, they are all part of a cultural revolution that has taken 50 million women into the labour forces of 30, primarily Muslim countries. Yet, while interviewing them for her book “50 Million Rising: The New Generation of Working Women Transforming the Muslim World”, Zahidi found that most of them had never considered their work as part of a wider picture.

WATCH: How architecture can create dignity for all: If architect and writer John Cary has his way, women will never need to stand in pointlessly long bathroom lines again. Lines like these are representative of a more serious issue, Cary says: the lack of diversity in design that leads to thoughtless, compassionless spaces. Design has a unique ability to dignify and make people feel valued, respected, honoured and seen but the flip side is also true. In this TED talk, Cary calls for architects and designers to expand their ranks and commit to serving the public good, not just the privileged few. Watch also, “How adaptive clothing empowers people with disabilities,” with fashion designer Mindy Scheier.

WATCH: How an innovative new UK charity is training refugees to become software developers in just six months: Just over a year ago CodeYourFuture (CYF) existed in the minds of a couple of people that wanted to create the first programme in the UK dedicated to help refugees and asylum seekers. Today, CYF works with over 100 professional developers volunteering to train 60 refugees and asylum seekers in 6 cohorts in London, Manchester and Glasgow, helping them acquire jobs with employers such as the Financial Times. Its mission is to solve the lack of diversity in the tech sector by giving refugees the opportunities to code their future. In this video, Ahmed, a Syrian refugee and a CYF graduate, discusses how the organisation has helped him learn new skills and secure a job in only six months.

BLOG: Refugees, international experts, and locals come together in Serbia: German Marshall Fund’s latest blog explores ways to help integrate refugees into the community. Thousands of refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq are stranded in Serbia. Mikser House, a grantee of the German Marshall Fund’s Balkan Trust for Democracy, is helping them integrate into society with its Mikser Festival. See also, “A Rights-Based Approach to Migration on an International Scale?,” by the Migrants’ Rights Network.

BLOG: Stories of change – How a partnership with Sundance Institute harnessed storytelling for social impact: Stories of Change, Skoll Foundation’s decade-long partnership with Sundance Institute, marries the power of storytelling with the impact of social entrepreneurship. This initiative connects and engages independent storytellers with renowned social entrepreneurs, cultivates story skills, and supports the creation of compelling narratives about solutions to urgent social issues. Along the way, Stories of Change has built a community of filmmakers, distributors, funders, and partners interested in leveraging film to drive positive social change. Sandy Herz, Skoll Foundation’s Director of Global Partnerships, shares thoughts on the evolution of this collaboration, highlights over the last decade, and what she thinks about the future of storytelling for impact.

BLOG: Hope not fear – a new model for communicating human rights: This blog for human rights day is based on a talk Thomas Coombes, Head of Brand and Deputy Communications Director at Amnesty International, gave at the 19th EU-NGO Forum in Brussels at a session on “Communicating Human Rights.” Thomas discusses why human rights cannot thrive without hope.

WATCH: Reframing poverty – 8 ways to open minds: See Nat Kendall-Taylor of the Frameworks Institute’s presentation given at Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s “Talking about Poverty” event, which took place in London on 30^th January 2018. The presentation discusses how we can reframe the conversation on poverty.

WATCH: Gifting power: RSF Social Finance’s “Shared Gifting Circles” brings collaboration, transparency, and community wisdom into the grant-making process. It gives ownership, distribution and allocation authority to the recipients of gift money.

EU public consultation on investment, research and innovation: The EU Commission has launched a public consultation on EU funds focusing on the areas of investment, research and innovation, SMEs and the EU Single Market. If you want to help shape the next generation of financial programmes for the post-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework, reply to the questionnaire here before 8^th March. See also, “Financing for Social Impact” by EVPA.

Survey: How foundations can better support LGBTQ staff and movements: Here is a survey from Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy on how foundations can better support LGBTQ staff and movements. Survey responses will be used to inform a philanthropic issue brief. Any responses you provide will remain anonymous and will help advance the philanthropic sector’s understanding of LGBTQ experiences. See also, “A new champion for LGBTI rights in Bulgaria”, by Open Society Foundations.

Grant-Making

Overview on the shrinking space in France – Inga Wachsmann, Fondation Charles Léopold Mayer: Here is a blog in English and French on shrinking space for civil society in France by Inga Wachsmann, Programme Officer at Fondation Charles Léopold Mayer, following a meeting co-organised by Ariadne, Funders Initiative for Civil Society and Fondation Charles Léopold Mayer for French speaking funders. A dedicated community on this topic in French was set up on the Ariadne portal following this roundtable to continue the conversation. If interested, please contact Emilie Dromzée.

Briefing Notes – developments and future prospects in the legal recognition and protection of HRDs: Ariadne and the Fund for Global Human Rights recently held a briefing on developments and future prospects in the legal recognition and protection of human rights defenders with Phil Lynch, Executive Director of the International Service for Human Rights. The notes from the session are now available. As this was a private meeting, please do not share these notes outside of the Ariadne network.

A view from London: three questions to answer from the Advancing Human Rights trends data: David Sampson, Deputy Director at The Baring Foundation reflects on the latest Advancing Human Rights trends data and looks at three questions for Western Europe. Why does Western Europe put so few grant dollars into litigation and legal aid? How do we meet the scale of the refugee and migration crisis? And, why are the top 25 grantmakers in Western Europe predominantly Anglophone? We will start collecting grants data for 2017 shortly and we hope to see many of you being part of the process. If you have any questions or to find out more, please contact Lori Klos.

Underwriting independent media: Writing for Alliance Magazine, Nienke Venema, Director of the Amsterdam-based Democracy and Media Foundation explains why the origin and ownership of media companies matters. According to Nienke, over the last 30 years, digital disruption has caused media business models to struggle and sometimes fail. As a result, CEOs and boards of directors are faced with decisions that might benefit revenue but not necessarily the integrity of their journalism outlet, for example, native advertising or selling user data.

Connect Fund website launches: The Connect Fund has been set up to strengthen the social investment market in England, UK to better meet the needs of charities and social enterprises. It provides grants to develop shared resources for a market that supports mission. A new website with all the information about the Connect Fund is now live. The website features information on the initiatives the Fund is funding, and how to join and contribute to the learning community.

Opportunity for grant-makers willing to fund educational poverty initiatives in Italy: International and Italian grant-makers considering funding educational poverty initiatives can now leverage their financial contribution by tapping into the recently created 10 million Euro Fund called “Fondo per il contrasto della Povertà Educativa Minorile” (Fund Against Educational Poverty in Children and Youth). The Fund is interested in making contributions from €50,000 to €1,500.000 to match grants from international and Italian grant-makers. Proposals from international and Italian funders will be considered until 28^th June 2018. For further information, read the Educational Poverty- Co-financing Initiative Call or email iniziative@conibambini.org.

When the Big Ideas are “Off Strategy”: In this article for GrantGraft, Mariella Puerto, Co-director of Climate Barr Foundation discusses how funders can be both strategy-focused and flexible. She looks at how funders can be clear and consistent about their goals and priorities, but not risk missing big ideas that may not align perfectly with their assumptions of what the levers are.

Giving outsiders more power can help grant makers solve problems: In this article for The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Cynthia Gibson and Chris Cardona discuss whether it is time for big philanthropy to let outsiders into the process of giving more often. See also, “Participatory grantmaking helps to shift power relations in Mexico,” by Fondo Semillas in Mexico.

EPIM Call for Proposals on advising long-term EU funding on migrant inclusion and community cohesion: Civil society’s experience with successful and promising inclusion policy and practices across Europe, as well as their experience with EU funding, can support these processes with valuable input for more efficient and impactful EU funding. Projects can run for a timeframe of up to 24 months starting in May 2018. Projects can be proposed for a grant of up to €200,000 to be awarded under this call for proposals. Project proposals can be submitted online until 16^th March 2018.

Shifting the Power – Women’s voices at the centre of global justice conversations: Messages about the power of women’s leadership, and the fact that they are being repeated so broadly is uplifting, but this isn’t a new phenomenon and more can be done. Speaking to crowd at Global Affairs Canada event in Ottawa on 25^th January 2018, Urgent Action Fund Executive Director, Kate Kroeger, asks the Canadian government to translate feminist commitment to impact and explains what that means.

New venture fund launched to invest in innovative solutions promoting transparency and responsible supply chains: Humanity United has partnered with leading brands, foundations, and impact investors to launch a $23 million venture fund aimed at leveraging innovative technology solutions to promote responsible supply chains. Working Capital is supported by the C&A Foundation, the Walmart Foundation and Walt Disney Co, amongst others, and receives additional funding from the UK’s Department for International Development. The fund focuses on solutions in areas such as product traceability, worker engagement, sourcing platforms, risk assessment, and ethical recruiting tools in order to address the need for transparency and protection for vulnerable workers in supply chains.

Philanthropy in Russia: an insider’s view: Following publication of the recent working paper by CAF Russia and WINGS, Maria Chertok, Director of CAF Russia, reflects on the changing state of philanthropy in Russia. Also by WINGS, see “The Global Landscape of Philanthropy” and “Russia’s Presence in France Goes Deeper Than RT,” by the Open Society Foundations.

Enlarging the space for European philanthropy: The Donors and Foundations Networks in Europe and the European Foundation Centre have launched the study “Enlarging the Space for European Philanthropy.” The report shows how the operating environment for institutional philanthropy in parts of Europe is under threat, jeopardising the essential work of more than 140,000 European donors and foundations.

Jobs and Tenders

Programme Manager, Syria Working Group – Global Dialogue: The Syria Working Group (SWG) aims to inform and enable private philanthropic support for Syria and the neighbouring countries. After a successful pilot year, the SWG is seeking an experienced Programme Manager to devise and deliver a programme of publications, events and other activities to support the grant-making of members of the Group, and to promote collaboration between members where appropriate. Location: London, United Kingdom. Deadline for applications is Noon (GMT) 5^th March 2018.

Programme Manager, Thomas Paine Initiative – Global Dialogue: The Thomas Paine Initiative (TPI) is a donors’ collaborative, established in 2012, which is transforming the landscape of human rights promotion in the UK. TPI is recruiting a Programme Manager to help lead communications and outreach to the TPI network and support efficient day-to-day operations. Location: London, United Kingdom. Deadline for applications is Noon (GMT) 5^th March 2018.

Director, Women’s Rights Programme – Open Society Foundations: The Women’s Rights Programme (WRP) supports efforts to: (a) strengthen women’s rights organisations and movements; (b) advance sexual and reproductive rights and justice, specifically by linking attacks on these rights to broader challenges of closing civic space; and (c) promote economic justice, with a focus on mobilising the political power of women in the informal sector. The current strategic plan includes three portfolios of work in varying degrees of development in the areas of economic justice, sexual and reproductive rights, and strengthening women’s organisations and movements. The WRP Director will be expected to guide and grow these areas of work or engage in new ones as the needs in the field develop. Location: New York, United States of America. Deadline for applications is 5^th March 2018.

Senior Officer for Women’s Funds – Mama Cash: Mama Cash is seeking a Senior Programme Officer (SPO) for Women’s Funds. The successful candidate will lead a flagship programme area at Mama Cash; developing and implementing the programmatic policy for the women’s funds strategy through grantmaking, accompaniment, fundraising and influencing the donor community. They will oversee the review, management, and prioritisation of requests from women’s funds seeking funding from Mama Cash, and strategise with women’s funds individually and collectively to strengthen the financial sustainability of the women’s funds movement. Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands (flexible). Deadline for applications is 28^th February 2018.

Head of Grantmaking South & 3 x Grant Managers – Lloyds Bank Foundation of England and Wales: Lloyds Bank Foundation of England and Wales is hiring a Head of Grantmaking South as well as a Grant Manager – South Central, a Grant Manager – Yorkshire and Humber and a Grant Manager – North West England. Location: Flexible. Deadline for applications is 26^th February 2018.

*For more jobs, see the ‘Career Opportunities’ section on the landing page of the Ariadne portal.

Public Meetings

BARCELONA, SPAIN

June 3^rd – 9^th
The fundamental course on venture philanthropy and impact investing: This training course is specifically designed to offer participants who are new to the sector the fundamental tool-kit to practice venture philanthropy and impact investing. The training is designed for practitioners with less than two years of experience. The course targets professionals from foundations, impact investing funds, banks and financial institutions, public administration, NGOs and corporations with an interest in developing an impact-centric funding approach. The event will take place between 4^th and 5^th June 2018 in Barcelona, Spain.

BERLIN, GERMANY

June 10^th – 16^th
Herrenhausen Conference – Transparency and Society – Between Promise and Peril: The Herrenhausen Conference will debate discourses and practices as well as borders and ambiguities of transparency in the context of broader social and cultural change, particularly regarding publicity, open government, institutional environments, the individual and the digital age. The conference aims to promote a deeper understanding of transparency and identify approaches to handle the different and diverging demands and expectations on transparency within society. Ultimately, it will contribute to the question of how a socially accepted balance between security and freedom, between public interest and private sphere can be achieved. The event will take place between 12^th and 14^th June 2018 in Berlin, Germany.

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM

March 11^th – 18^th
Social impact measurement and management training: EVPA and Social Value UK will use their knowledge of the practice of social impact measurement and management to help participants learn how to maximise the impact they are generating. This course is especially designed to support funders, venture philanthropy organisations and social investors to understand how to measure and manage impact at the portfolio level. The event will take place between 15^th and 16^th March in Brussels, Belgium.

May 27^th – June 2^nd
EFC Annual General Assembly 2018 – Culture Matters – Connecting Citizens and Uniting Communities: Taking place during the 2018 European Year of Cultural Heritage, the 29^th EFC AGA and Conference will be a cornerstone of Philanthropy Week – a series of exhibitions, topical sessions and thought-provoking site visits. Brussels, a city synonymous with diversity, will be both host and gateway into an exciting world of culture – artistic, linguistic, architectural and much more besides – to celebrate its intrinsic value and the zest that it brings to life. The event will take place between 29^th and 31^st May 2018 in Brussels, Belgium.

February 24^th – March 4^th
A Step towards European Cyber Security? The European Debate on Encryption: The German Institute for International and Security Affairs (Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik) and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom will hold an expert conference on European cyber security and encryption in February. An inadvertent worldwide alliance against encryption seems to be emerging as China recently introduced regulation of encrypted virtual private networks. Meanwhile, many Western countries debate exceptional access mechanisms to encrypted messaging apps for crime investigations or intelligence operations. While law enforcement professionals indeed need tools to monitor suspects, technical experts tend to agree that lawful access schemes threaten the vital functions of encryption, endanger cyber-security of users and produce higher costs than benefits. Therefore, alternative instruments to keep wrongdoers under surveillance without degrading privacy and software security of the entire society need to be discussed. This expert conference aims at discussing the current state of the political debate and elaborating on next steps forward for European policy-making and the private sector. The event will take place on 27^th February 2018 in Brussels, Belgium.

BUCHAREST, ROMANIA

Until 31^st March
SAVAGED pINK. A History of 90s Gay Media: Using Adrian Newell Păun’s personal archive, this exhibition sheds light on different attempts to build a gay press in an era when homosexuality and ‘homosexual propaganda’ were criminalised in the Penal Code. In 1992, Adrian Păun placed an ad in widely circulated local newspaper Evenimentul Zilei, announcing the creation of a gay pen club. The first public presentation of this archive of correspondence offers an exceptional insight into the private life of Romanian gays in those years. The exhibition will be open until 31^st March 2018 in Bucharest, Romania.

LONDON

March 4^th – 10^th
360Giving Data Tools Session: 360Giving invite you to join their Open Data Day 2018 Celebrations. Their Data Surgery will explore visualisation tools to unlock the potential of data. During this Show & Tell session participants will discover easy-to-use tools that can enhance their own data use, and learn how to map, analyse and showcase their data. The presentations will be followed by a hands-on session working with the tools, with data experts and 360Giving team ready to take questions and help solve practical problems. Participants should bring their laptops and data, and by the end of this session they will have acquired a new skill. The event will take place on 5^th March 2018 in London, United Kingdom.

March 4^th – 10^th
From Transitional to Transformative – justice for conflict-related violence against women: Conflict-related violence against women is often understood to mean sexual violence, specifically rape used as a weapon of war. But this is only one part of a broad continuum of gender violence which must be understood and addressed within and across conflict settings. In her new book, Conflict-Related Violence Against Women: Transforming Transition, Aisling Swaine examines the contexts of Liberia, Northern Ireland and Timor-Leste to identify a spectrum of forms of gender violence. She analyses their occurrence, and the relationship between them, within and across different points of pre-, mid- and post-conflict. Swaine proposes that a transformation rather than a transition is required in the aftermath of conflict, if justice is to play a role in preventing gender violence. This event marks International Women’s Day 2018. The event will take place on 8^th March 2018 in London, United Kingdom.

March 11^th – 17^th
Our Voices, Our Environment – The State of Funding for Women’s Environmental Action: How much funding really goes to women’s environmental leadership? Who are the biggest funders? What issues get the most funding? What can we learn from existing approaches, and where are the gaps? Global Greengrants Fund and Prospera: International Network of Women’s Funds invite you to the launch of the first-ever benchmarking of funding at the intersection of women’s rights and environmental action. Participants will learn more about funding levels and existing philanthropic initiatives in support of women and the environment and find out what practical steps funders can take to promote women’s work on resource and land rights. The event will take place on 12^th March 2018 in London, United Kingdom. RSVP to henriette@globalgreengrants.org.uk by 1^st March 2018.

March 18^th – 24^th
TECH, digital ability and growth for good: Digital technology, AI, and associated disruptive activities are having a positive impact for society.  However, there are potential disruptions that could lead to increased income disparity and associated social problems. This event will address how social investors, philanthropists and professional advisers to (U)HNWI can address issues related to constant change. How will they cope with and proactively create, lead and inspire the creation of a society that ‘we want our children and grandchildren to inherit’? The event will take place on 20^th March 2018 in London, United Kingdom.

LEEDS, UNITED KINGDOM

February 25^th – March 3^rd
Do we still need a women’s movement? 2018 marks the centenary of the Representation of the People Act, in which the first women first won the right to vote in the UK. One hundred years on from this historic victory for women’s rights, has gender equality now been achieved or is there work still to be done? The event will bring together academics in gender, education, and the world of work to discuss the position of women in 21st Century Britain and ask whether we still need a movement for women’s rights. The event will take place on 28^th February in London, United Kingdom.

MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM

Until 28^th May
Syria – A Conflict Explored: Gain an understanding of the origins, escalations and human impact of the ongoing Syria conflict in Syria: A Conflict Explored, a season of exhibitions and events – part of the Imperial War Museum’s Conflict Now programming strand. Sergey Ponomarev: A Lens on Syria will be exhibited as part of the season. This features more than 60 photographs selected from two bodies of work by Ponomarev and is presented in two sections, Assad’s Syria and The Exodus. Assad’s Syria offers a rare insight into what life was really like for people living in Government-controlled areas of Syria in 2013-2014. The Exodus captures the determination, endurance and suffering of people from Syria and elsewhere who sought asylum and better life in Europe in 2015-2016. The exhibition will be open until 28^th May 2018 in Manchester, United Kingdom. 

MINNEAPOLIS, UNITED STATES

May 14-20^th
2018 Peace and Security Funders Group Annual Meeting: The Peace and Security Funders Group will hold its 2018 Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, United States. This year’s meeting includes a welcome from Trista Harris of the Minnesota Council on Foundations, a dinner discussion with Jamila Raqib of the Albert Einstein Institution as well as sessions on supporting movements, innovative grantmaking for a new political environment, and designing and supporting effective convenings. There will be opportunities for working group meetings and a breakfast session on diversity, equity, and inclusion. The event will take place between 15-17^th May 2018 in Minneapolis, United States.

ONLINE

February 25^th – March 3^rd
Mapping Human Rights Funding to Children and Youth: HRFN and Elevate Children Funders Group’s Children and Youth Rights Working Group invite you to see what HRFN’s Advancing Human Rights research and tools say about funding for children’s and youth rights. This webinar will include a funder-only tutorial on Foundation Maps: Human Rights, the interactive map of human rights grantmaking, providing members with an opportunity to visualise grants data and see what gaps and opportunities exist around funding for children and youth rights. The map and research hub are part of HRFN and Foundation Center’s Advancing Human Rights: Knowledge Tools for Funders initiative. Please RSVP by 23^rd February. The event will take place online on 27^th February 2018.

PARIS, France

Le 4 mars – Le 10 mars
1er Acte Saison 4 : Venez découvrir le talent des 15 jeunes apprentis comédiens du programme Ier Acte lors d’une soirée de restitution mise en jeu par Stéphane Braunschweig et Claude Duparfait. Le programme Ier Acte, soutenu par le Théâtre national de Strasbourg, l’Odéon – Théâtre de l’Europe, leFestival d’Avignon, les Fondations Edmond de Rothschild et la Fondation SNCF, a pour objectif de promouvoir une plus grande diversité sur les plateaux de théâtre. Il s’adresse à des jeunes acteurs ayant, dans leur parcours artistique, professionnel ou personnel, été confrontés à des situations de discrimination. Tout au long de ce programme, ils bénéficient de master class, conçues par Stanislas Nordey et dirigées en collaboration avec Olivier Py et Stéphane Braunschweig. L’événement se déroulera le 5 mars à Paris, France.

ROTTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS

April 22^nd – 28^th
2018 Nexus Europe Summit: The 2018 Nexus Europe Summit will bring together 100+ young philanthropists, impact investors, successful social entrepreneurs and inspiring social change leaders. Participants should expect an interactive and diverse programme of panels, workshops, and social activities, which will explore philanthropy, impact investing, and social entrepreneurship. Topics to be covered include: ‘How Cities and Technology can be Platforms to Drive Positive Change’ and ‘Family Legacy-It’s More Than Just Inheritance.’ The Summit will connect the financial, intellectual, creative and social capital of a generation in an action-oriented, solutions-focused community. The organisers seek to create a safe space to learn and share the challenges of wealth stewardship, finding purpose and family dynamics. The event will take place between 24^th and 26^th April 2018 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

TURIN, ITALY

April 15^th – 21^st
Research Forum Workshop – Innovative Forms of Achieving Research Goals – Beyond Grants: With increased competition for funding, philanthropic organisations are continually looking for new and innovative ways to ensure that resources can go further. Blending loans with grants is one form of funding that foundations are currently exploring. With foundations’ independent status and freedom to experiment more, the philanthropic sector is in a good position to explore new ways of funding their programmes. This workshop will first explore this issue from a researcher’s perspective asking what innovative forms of funding are being explored, what role it can play and why it is beneficial to researchers. Participants will then hear from the European Investment Bank on how new forms of funding and how these developments might be incorporated into the upcoming FP9, and what the possibilities are of partnering with foundations. Finally, foundations will share their experiences so far with blended funding, looking at how this can be incorporated into funding strategies in different ways. The event will take place on 17^th April 2018 in Turin, Italy.

VIENNA, AUSTRIA

March 18^th – 24^th
Debating Europe – Does digitalisation threaten democracy? Whether on smartphones, in the car or at work, man and machine are in a very close relationship – and often the machine is controlled by artificial intelligence. Our lives can be simplified and improved, but artificial intelligence can also influence opinions, manipulate elections and direct political decisions. Cybersecurity is becoming an ever-growing topic. How does artificial intelligence affect our coexistence? What are the pitfalls and which new opportunities are opening up? Which challenges arise for politics and citizens? Erste Stiftung invite you to a discussion with Martina Mara, Key Researcher/RoboPsychology, Futurelab – Ars Electronica; Thomas Ramge, Technology Correspondent for business magazine brand eins; Mario Kunasek, Austrian federal minister for national defense and others. The discussion will take place in German, and will be moderated by Eric Frey, Der Standard. The event will take place on 18^th March 2018 in Vienna, Austria.