Ariadne’s Thread – January 2015 (2 column text)

Ariadne’s Thread – January 2015 (2 column text)
January 14, 2015 david

Ariadne’s Thread is a monthly update of events, briefings and research for social change and human rights funders. 

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Ariadne News & Events

forecastSIGN UP: 2015 ARIADNE FORECAST FOR EUROPEAN SOCIAL CHANGE AND HUMAN RIGHTS FUNDERS
Ariadne invites you to join some of the best brains in the field to help us as a community to create an overall Ariadne forecast for the year ahead. We will be holding meetings early in the New Year, in Brussels (26th of January), London (21st of January) and The Hague (13th of February), to help us all think about major trends, in both the issues and the field of philanthropy. The three roundtables will focus on relevant trends in the field of social change and human rights at national, European and global levels and in the philanthropic field itself. Two senior forecasters in each location will offer expert input and then there will be an open discussion between funders. To register for any of the three events, please email Lori Stanciu at lori.stanciu@ariadne-network.eu, stating clearly which location you would like to attend. See more here.

FIVE MINUTES OF YOUR TIME BEFORE CHRISTMAS
If you can’t come to any of the Ariadne Forecasting events early next year, we would still love to have your ideas about what 2015 will bring for the world of social change and human rights. Find a cup of tea or coffee, settle down and take a few minutes to make your 2015 forecast by answering six simple questions, found in the attached document or here. When done, e-mail to lori.stanciu@ariadne-network.eu by 10th of January. Have fun!

REGISTER NOW: ARIADNE POLICY BRIEFING 9th – 11th March 2015, BUDAPEST
All Ariadne participants are invited, and registration is now open. The briefing is made up of two and a half days of networking, understanding the cutting edge issues for European funders, improving your grant-skills and having an informative and enjoyable time in the company of fellow funders and grant-makers. Space is limited so please register early to be sure of a place.

REGISTER NOW: (NL) TELEBRIEFING ‘DILEMMAS IN GRANTMAKING, WHICH CHOICES TO MAKE’
It’s a craft to balance requests and funding applications, gain insight of the context and background, analyse financial records and assess results. This telebriefing is aimed at project advisors and staff who deal with requests for funding, especially those who have worked for less than 5 years as a grantmaker or project advisor, or those who want to deepen their grantmaking skills. Ariadne is honoured to have Jan Riemersma on this telebriefing, who has a long and successful career in grantmaking and has published a ‘Handbook for grantmakers/Grantmaking staff’. Jan will share his view on how to approach dilemmas and make balanced choices, and offer a practical and efficient way to learn the craft in greater depth. To take place at 10:00-11:00 CEST on 8th of January. To register please send an e-mail to the NL coordinator at hanneke.hazeveld@ariadne-network.eu or to the Ariadne Programme Assistant at lori.stanciu@ariadne-network.eu. Read more here.

 

REGISTER NOW: HUMAN RIGHTS AND TECHNOLOGY WEBINAR (Rescheduled)
You are invited to join this webinar which will focus on the issues around strategic investments in technology to service human rights. Guest speakers will highlight the main findings of their study, Human Rights and Technology: Mapping the Landscape to Support Grantmaking, commissioned by the Ford Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Oak Foundation, and Humanity United. Speakers include Tamy Guberek, Co-Founder, PRIMA International, Romesh Silva, Co-Founder, PRIMA International, and James Logan, Program Officer, Oak Foundation (facilitator). The webinar will talk place on Monday, January 12, 2015 at 9:00-10:00 am CST, 10:00-11:00 am EST and 3:00-4:00 pm GMT. Read more and register here.

WATCH NOW: PUSSY RIOT: A BRIEFING ON THE HUMAN RIGHTS CHALLENGES IN RUSSIA
Ariadne held a lunchtime briefing with members of the Russian feminist protest art collective, Pussy Riot. Masha and Nadya were arrested in 2012 after a performance they gave at Moscow’s main cathedral which was seen as critical of Vladimir Putin. They spent nearly two years in prison before they were released in December 2013. At the briefing, Nadya and Masha shared their experiences and their understanding of the state of human rights activism in Putin’s Russia, talked about their time in prison and about their newly established NGOs. View a recording of the briefing here.

LISTEN NOW: REPRODUCTIVE AND LGBT RIGHTS UNDER PRESSURE GLOBALLY
Europe, Africa, and Latin America are all witnessing an increase in attacks on LGBT and reproductive rights, much of it cloaked in the language of “traditional family values” and “religious rights.” This telebriefing looked at news from the field in these regions, and then considered current attempts to respond. Strategies included creating broad-based coalitions and alerting progressive religious and family-based funders and organizations. Listen to the telebriefing here.

FEATURED COMMUNITY: Middle East and North Africa
This community explores the state of human rights and social justice in the Middle East and North Africa, stretching from Morocco to Afghanistan, and from Turkey to Yemen. It has a number of members who are community affiliates who are US-based funders. They are all interested in funding in this region and many of them participated in the first joint Ariadne-IHRFG Funders Learning Visit to the Arab Region in May 2012. The community is moderated by Emilie Dromzée (UK), Lorena Stanciu (UK), and Anne-Sophie Schaeffer (DK). Learn more and join the community here.

NEW PORTAL MEMBERS
Ariadne welcomes Annemarieke Hollanders from Cordaid (NL), Roxanne Nazir from Open Society Foundations (ES), Vivien Brassoi from Open Society Foundations (HU), Juliet Valdinger from Paul Hamlyn Foundation (UK), and Balazs Denes from Open Society Foundations (HU). If you are an Ariadne member and would like to join the Portal too, please contact Community Host Kenneth Hill.

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New Research, Articles and Judgements

Still from a public service announcement made by a Hungarian police department that blamed women for ‘inviting’ sexual violence.

Still from a public service announcement made by a Hungarian police department that blamed women for ‘inviting’ sexual violence.

“It takes broken bones”: authoritarianism and violence against women in Hungary
Online journal Open Democracy has written on violence against women in Hungary, making the connection between authoritarianism and gender repression. As the article highlights, authoritarianism is never good news for women – as citizens or as the structurally more marginalised gender – and Hungary’s continued shift away from democracy and upholding human rights under the right-wing Fidesz government is mirrored by its regressive backsliding on gender equality. For example, Hungarian feminist groups recently spoke out to condemn a public service announcement made by a Hungarian police department that blamed women for ‘inviting’ sexual violence. Read more here.

2013 Hate crime reporting is now available
The new hate crime figures in Europe for 2013 have been issued by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE/ODIHR). Thirty-six participating States submitted information, along with 109 NGOs covering incidents in 45 countries. ODIHR highlighted that under-reporting remains a key challenge; many victims do not come forward to report hate crimes, for reasons ranging from language barriers to mistrust in the authorities or fear of reprisals. ODIHR works closely with civil society to overcome this challenge and promote and assist co-operation between civil society and governments. Read more and access the report here.

 

Q&A: The Mubarak trial verdict – What just happened?
An Egyptian judge recently ruled that the charge against Mubarak for the killing of protesters during the 2011 Egyptian Revolution was inadmissible, and dismissed the charge on procedural grounds. ‘What happened’ by Hossam Bahgat explains the legal technicalities of this emblematic case, and illustrates the judiciary challenges currently facing Egypt. Bahgat answers three key questions: ‘Does Mubarak walk out now?’, ‘Was Mubarak acquitted of the charge of killing protesters?’, and ‘Is this the end?’. Read more here

“USA must now remedy what went wrong and act decisively on Torture Report”
The Human Rights organisation Redress has issued a statement saying that the US Senate Intelligence Committee report makes it clear beyond dispute that the USA repeatedly breached its obligations under the UN Convention against Torture, and therefore it must now remedy what went wrong. Redress underlines that the USA is obliged to properly investigate all the incidents of torture and to hold all those responsible to account, as well as to provide adequate justice and reparation for the victims. Read more here.

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Blogs and Other Sites of Interest

Members of the Gulabi Gang (Pink Gang), a group of women in rural India who strive for social justice and fight for women’s rights. Photograph: Manpreet Romana/AFP/Getty Images

Members of the Gulabi Gang (Pink Gang), a group of women in rural India who strive for social justice and fight for women’s rights. Photograph: Manpreet Romana/AFP/Getty Images via The Guardian

Human Rights Day: what do you want to ask campaigners?
Human rights activists often face threats of violence, intimidation and imprisonment and women campaigning for their rights can face further challenges as they battle against gender stereotypes and opposition to their roles as leaders. To mark Human Rights Day, The Guardian newspaper is hosting a live chat with three human rights defenders who will answer questions on their campaigning work and the challenges they face. At 13:00 GMT, in association with Mama Cash and the Association of Women’s rights In Development, the Guardian will put questions to Dinara Yunus (Azerbaijan), from the Institute for Peace and Democracy; Christina ‘Tinay’ Palabay (Philippines), of Karapatan, a human rights organisation monitoring and documenting violations in the Philippines; and Alejandra Ancheita (Mexico), of the Mexico City-based ProDESC (project of economic, cultural and social rights). See more here.

 

Article: An Immigration Lawyer Reviews Paddington
Colin Yeo, a barrister specialising in UK immigration law in London who founded and edits the Free Movement blog, has written about the new film Paddington Bear, reviewing Paddington as a client. Yeo claims that Paddington is a “walking, talking, ursine pin-up” for humanising the work of immigration lawyers. He gives a legal analysis of Paddington’s situation, looking at Paddington as an illegal entrant, Paddington in relation to the Refugee Convention, and at ‘Human Rights for Bears’. Read more here, and listen to a short radio clip of Yeo on this topic here.

Video: Whoever you vote for, big business gets in
The High Pay Centre, an independent UK think-tank, has published a collection of essays on corporate power, entitled ‘Whoever you vote for, big business gets in’. According to the Centre, the views of big business have had huge sway at Westminster in recent years – often driving the political agenda on to territory that is at odds with the views of the voting public. They claim that there are numerous policy issues from taxation to relations with the EU to immigration to cutting the gap between rich and poor where business has an agenda that is different from public opinion. You can read a blog by High Pay Centre’s Director Deborah Hargreaves on the Barrow Cadbury Trust’s website here, and watch a short video on this subject here.

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Jobs and Tenders

 A full list of jobs can be found on the Ariadne Portal. Here are some of the highlights:

Rosa logoExecutive Director – Rosa, the UK fund for Women and Girls
Rosa, the UK Fund for Women and Girls, mobilises resources to support women’s rights and gender equality. They are seeking to appoint an Executive Director who can support their next stage of growth – broadening their funding base and further developing their areas of expertise, to drive the most meaningful impact for women and girls in the UK. This role will require a minimum of 4 days per week, and includes line management of 3 part-time members of staff and the use of freelance personnel and volunteers. Candidates must have ambition, enthusiasm and a can-do attitude, as well as senior management experience in a national voluntary organisation, and a track record of delivering strategic targets. Closing date for applications: 7th January 2015. Location: London. Read more here.

Director – International Higher Education Support Programme, Open Society Foundation
The Open Society Foundations seek a director for the Higher Education Support Program, a grantmaking program that supports institutions of higher education and initiatives within them that strengthen open society, principally in societies experiencing major political transitions. The director of HESP leads a team currently consisting of 25 professionals based in London and Budapest, and manages a grantmaking budget that in 2014 is $23 million. The successful candidate will be a respected leader and authority in the field of higher education, knowledgeable about the roles that universities have played in recent times of political transition. Closing date for applications: until filled. Location: London or Budapest. Read more here. Please email your CV and cover letter with salary requirements to: recruitment@opensocietyfoundations.org

 

Consultant – Gender Audit – Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust
The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust is seeking a consultant to work with staff and trustees on a gender audit. The audit will cover the Trust’s strategy and mission, governance, grant-making programmes, investments and external alliances. The consultant should be a gender specialist with substantial experience of assisting organisations in the voluntary sector to apply a gender lens across a range of activities, both external and internal. Experience of working with grant-making foundations would be desirable. The deadline for submissions of Expressions of Interest is Friday 9th January at 17:00 GMT. Read more here.

Assistant Director, Enterprise – The Rank Foundation
The Rank Foundation is a grant-giving charitable trust which aims to improve the lives of people and their communities across the UK by encouraging and developing leadership, promoting enterprise and innovation, and caring for the disadvantaged and the marginalised.

The Rank Foundation will launch a new strategy and is recruiting for an Assistant Director, Enterprise to take on the responsibility for its delivery. The strategy will embrace Leadership, Enterprise and Care and will include leading, delivering and evaluating grants policy and operations in the Enterprise Programme, and contributing to the achievement of the Foundation’s overall strategy. Skills and experience required will include knowledge and, preferably, experience of the social sector including social enterprise, sound project management, strategy and policy development. Closing date for applications: Friday 19th December. Location: London. Read more here.

Foundation Director – The Swarovski Foundation
The Swarovski Foundation supports charitable projects to promote wellbeing and human rights, by supporting initiatives on women’s empowerment, access to health and education and assisting the advancement and development of young people and communities. They are currently seeking a Foundation Director. The purpose of this role is to work closely with the Board of Trustees to develop its visions and strategies through all aspects of an integrated giving program. This includes relational networks, grantee consultation, grant management and project leadership. The ideal candidate will have substantial experience within this arena, and excellent written and spoken English. Spoken and written German would be highly beneficial. Closing date for applications: until filled. Location: London. Read more here.

Grant-Making

Report cover: Understanding Alternative FinanceUnderstanding Alternative Finance
Nesta, a UK based innovation charity, has released a new report which examines the growth, trends and dynamics within the UK alternative finance sector. This large scale study includes an analysis of crowdfunding and peer to peer lending. According to the report, the sector is set to reach £1.74bn by the end of the year and more than double in 2015. Find out more, and view a breakdown of individual platforms that make up the alternative finance sector, here.

 

Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) World Giving Index
CAF have recently released their World Giving Index, a unique study of global generosity, showing that the UK and Ireland are leading the way in Northern Europe when it comes to acts of generosity. Overall the index found that the United States and Myanmar drew as the most generous countries in the world, with Canada third, Ireland fourth and New Zealand fifth. The next five most generous countries were Australia, Malaysia and the UK (in joint seventh), Sri Lanka and Trinidad and Tobago respectively. Yemen was bottom of the World Giving Index with Venezuela just above them. Read more here.

Travelling Toward Greater Impact
Julie Broome, of Sigrid Rausing Trust, has written on the value she sees in the maps and analysis of human rights grant-making, developed by the International Human Rights Funders Group, the Foundation Center, and Ariadne. She highlights how this tool can help those in the field of human rights philanthropy establish where they are and think critically about where they are going. A particular point which struck Julie whilst reading the most recent report was the incredible importance that donors not normally considered “human rights funders” can have in the human rights space. As the report notes, a one-year commitment by Google.org of $11.5 million nearly doubled the amount available in 2010-11 to combat human trafficking and end slavery. Julie writes, “That one funder could have such an impact demonstrates the amazing resources large corporate donors are able to bring to the table”. See more here.

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Public Meetings

map of SyriaBARCELONA
January 19th – January 23rd
Effective Philanthropy for Syria: Envisioning an organised philanthropic response to a complete or partial transition out of armed conflict
The Ford Foundation, the Gerhart Center for Effective Philanthropy in Cairo and the Institute for Integrated Transitions are organising a special interactive round table for international and regional human rights donors, which will be looking to create an advance plan for an effective and measured philanthropic response to a transition in Syria whenever it comes. The round table will address the role that global philanthropy can play under different potential scenarios for civil society in Syria. There will be a detailed write-up of the highlights of the discussion that will be published in the winter 2015 issue of Alliance Magazine to bring attention to the meeting’s conclusions. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to Ms Cale Salih at csalih@ifit-transitions.org. Friday 23rd January. Location: Barcelona. Read more here.

 

LONDON
December 8th – December 12th
‘Everyone is entitled…’ The global struggle for women’s human rights
A panel at the London School of Economics will discuss the ongoing struggle for the realisation of women’s human rights worldwide, 66 years since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights stated that everyone is entitled to the same fundamental rights and freedoms without distinction. Speakers will include Professor Fareda Banda, Téa Braun, Jane Gordon, Gisela Robles Aguilar, and Professor Christine Chinkin (Chair, and Professor of International Law at LSE). The talk will take place on Thursday 11th December 18:30-20:00 GMT. Location: Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building, LSE, London. Read more here.

December 15th – December 19th
Lunch time briefing: Torture Rehabilitation
Torture rehabilitation services vary in design, model, service components, methods and emphasis. They also vary depending on context and setting. The Oak Foundation invites you to a lunch time briefing on what donors can do to assure high quality services for torture survivors and their families wherever they are. Dr Nimisha Patel is Executive Director of the London based International Center for Health and Human Rights, and will present new ICCHR guidelines for donors active or interested in this field. All Ariadne members are welcome. To book a place please RSVP by close of business on 12th December to juliet.mcdermott@oakfnd.org Tuesday 16th December 2014, 12:30 – 14:00. Location: 43 Palace Street, London SW1E 5HL.

 January 19th – January 23rd
Defending Human Rights in Russia
An unprecedented number of laws have been adopted in Russia over the past two years which dramatically restrict the activities of all independent non-governmental organisations, and particularly those working for civil and political rights. A panel of human rights advocates and experts will provide a first-hand insight into the difficulties of working under such conditions, and propose what can be done to stop the further erosion of human rights in Russia. Speakers will include Pavel Chikov, Dmitri Makarov, Roman Udot, Dr Mary McAuley, and Professor Margot Light (Chair). The talk will take place on Wednesday 21st January 2015, 18:30-20:00 GMT. Location: Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building, LSE, London. Read more here.

February 2015
Call for contributions – Beyond 2015: shaping the future of equality, human rights and social justice
The Equality and Diversity Forum (EDF) and EDF Research Network are calling for contributions to ‘Beyond 2015’ – a cross-sector and multidisciplinary project about equality, human rights and social justice in the UK supported by the British Academy and the Nuffield Foundation. The project consists of a two-day conference in London in February 2015, an edited publication that will be available in printed and electronic formats, and online resources. For more details see here.

PARIS
December 8th – December 14th
Reflect and act for human rights in an intercultural framework
L’Agence de développement des relations interculturelles pour la citoyenneté (ADRIC) is organising a debate on acting for human rights in an intercultural framework. It aims to debate the main thematic issues of ADRIC, including the fight against discrimination, equality, reception of and support for foreigners, support for parents, and the fight against violence. Speakers will include Chahla Beski and Jacqueline Costa-Lascoux, and the meeting will take place on Friday the 12th of December at 14.00 – 18.30. Location: À la Bellevilloise, au 19-21, rue Boyer 75020 Paris. To register please contact adric@adric.eu

 

SAN FRANCISCO
January 26th – January 30th
IHRFG’s San Francisco Conference
The International Human Rights Funders’ Group (IHRFG) have announced a Save the Date for their conference in San Francisco, which will take place from the 27th – 28th of January, 2015. The conference will be preceded by a daylong institute on Monday, January 26th. See here for the call for session proposals. Location: San Francisco.

 

THE HAGUE
December 8th – December 14th
Everyday Rebellion
This film looks at the fact that non-violent protest is more effective than violent protest. Citizens across the world are rising up in creative forms of solidarity; from the Occupy movement to the Spanish ‘Indignados’ to the Arab Spring and from Iran to Syria to the Ukraine, everyday people are expressing themselves through nudity, performance, silence, sound, creation and community. Humanity House is showing this film to draw attention to these important issues. Speakers TBC. Thursday 11th December. Location: Humanity House, Prinsegracht 8, 2512 GA The Hague. See more here.

 

TRIER, GERMANY
December 8th – December 12th
ERA Annual Conference on Rights of Persons with Disabilities – Focus on Legal Capacity
This Annual Conference will explore the key principles and concepts of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in relation to legal capacity. It will focus on the challenges related to reforming legal capacity regimes within the EU, and tools for preserving the autonomy of persons with disabilities and protecting their rights. 11th – 12th of December. Location: ERA Conference Centre, Metzer Allee 4, Trier, Germany. More details.

January 2015

Ariadne is supported by Adessium Foundation, The Atlantic Philanthropies, Barrow Cadbury Trust, Ford Foundation, Oak Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Sigrid Rausing Trust and Zennstrom Philanthropies.

Ariadne is also supported by voluntary contributions from its participants

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