Ariadne News & Events

LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER: 360GIVING SHOWCASE: OPEN DATA FOR MORE EFFECTIVE GRANTMAKING: Join us for a funder-only showcase about 360Giving, an initiative which supports organisations to publish their grants data in an open, standardised way and helps people to understand and use the data in order to support decision-making and learning across the charitable giving sector. The webinar will be an opportunity to learn about and discuss 360Giving and the 360Giving Data Standard being used by over 25 UK grantmakers to share their grants information in a comparable way. There will also be demonstration of GrantNav, a search platform which brings together the grants data published using the 360Giving Standard, making it possible to search, explore and download the detail of who, where and how much. The webinar will be presented by Katherine Duerden from 360Giving and will take place on January 18^th, 2017 between 15:00 – 16.00 GMT. To register, please click here.

REGISTER NOW: 2017 ARIADNE FORECAST ROUNDTABLES: We invite you to join some of the best brains in the field to help us as a community create an Ariadne forecast for the year ahead. We will be holding meetings on January 26^th in London, January 30^th in Brussels, January 31^st in Paris, February 8^th in The Hague and February 14^th in Rome, with refreshments, to help us all think about major trends, in human rights and social change and in the field of philanthropy. To come to one of the 2017 Forecast roundtables, please click here.

REGISTER NOW: TELE-BRIEFING: RELEASE OF THE ‘FUNDING PLUS’ RESEARCH (IN DUTCH): More and more, funders and trusts commit to increasing the strength of their grantees. Besides grants, other tools are often used to this end. This phenomenon is known in the Netherlands as ‘Funding Plus’. January 2017 will see the launch of a report on Funding Plus in the Netherlands. Ariadne will be holding a tele-briefing with the two authors of the report, Deny de Jong, former Programme Director, Civil Society Conference and Suzanne Kooij, Director of Ars Memorandi. Deny and Suzanne will look at the study in more detail, answer questions and discuss with participants the design and development of Funding Plus. The event will take place on Thursday 26 January 2017 (TBC), 11.00- 12.00 CEST. Please register* via Hanneke.Hazeveld@ariadne-network.eu. *Note: The language of this briefing is Dutch.

SAVE THE DATE: WEBINAR: STATELESSNESS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE REFUGEE CRISIS: This webinar on statelessness in context of the refugee crisis, organised by Ariadne and the International Human Rights Funders Group, is a follow-up to the Funders’ Learning Visit to Jordan. During the webinar, we will hear from Zahra Albarazi of the Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion and Laura Cunial of the Norwegian Refugee Commission. Zahra and Laura will discuss their work as well as their new joint report and toolkit on statelessness in the Syria refugee context. The webinar will also look at grantmaker strategy for addressing statelessness. One other speaker to be confirmed. The webinar will take place on either February 2nd or February 9th, between 16:00-17:00 GMT. Registration will open shortly.

REGISTER NOW: ARIADNE PORTAL TUITION: An hour tuition session to increase your skill in using the Ariadne Portal will be held on Thursday, February 23^rd, 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 to Lori Stanciu.

REGISTER NOW: ARIADNE 2017 POLICY BRIEFING – APRIL 5^th-7^th 2017:  We invite you to register for the 8th Ariadne Annual Meeting and Policy Briefing on 5-7th April 2017 in Turin for 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.  The briefing will include a selection of visits to local sites of interest to social change and human rights funders, several breakouts and plenary sessions, networking dinners and opportunities for participants to organise informal open sessions during part of the day on Friday, 7th April. The event will include sessions for newcomers and others who want to brush up their skills in using Ariadne resources, such as the portal and Knowledge Tools, and plenty of networking opportunities. Space is limited so please register early to be sure of a place.

SUBMIT NOW: Inviting Session Proposals – Ariadne Policy Briefing 2017: The planning committee has requested fresh ideas for break-out and plenary sessions for the next Ariadne Policy Briefing in Turin. We would be delighted to receive your session proposal. The deadline for submissions is Friday, January 20^th, 2017. If you would like to send a proposal, please see here for more details.

The next Thread will go out on Thursday, February 23^rd. We would love to hear from you! Please contact Lori Stanciu by February 21^st if you would like to share announcements, events, or resources for the next issue. 

New Research, Articles and Judgements

How to be a better storyteller: Five questions social change makers need to ask: In this article for Ford Foundation, Tracy Van Slyke, Director of Culture Lab and Rinku Sen, President and Executive Director of Race Forward emphasise the importance of treating storytelling not simply as a campaign tactic for reach and impact but as a strategy that starts with asking questions. To capture and spread these lessons far and wide, they have developed a set of easy-to-use tools to help social change and media makers design their visual stories, as well as a set of questions that people working for social change should ask before they start a new project. See also, Social Entrepreneurs Putting Data at the Heart of Systems Change by Joony Moon, Skoll Foundation.

Gender Pay Gap – An interactive tool: An interactive tool that allows the public to find out the gender pay gap for their occupation was launched by the UK Minister for Women and Equalities, Justine Greening, in December 2016. This tool, created by the UK government and the Office for National Statistics, shows construction and building trades, and financial managers and directors have the highest gender pay gaps. At 18.1%, the gap in average pay between men and women, for all employees, is the lowest since records began.

INTERVIEW – World’s growing inequality is ‘ticking time bomb’ – Nobel laureate Yunus: In this interview by Astrid Zweynert, Editor, Trust.org and  published in collaboration with Thomson Reuters Foundation trust.org, Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus argues that the widening gap between rich and poor around the world is a “ticking time bomb” threatening to explode into social and economic unrest if left unchecked.

Front Line Defenders launches annual report on human rights defenders at risk in 2016: More than 1,000 human rights defenders were killed, harassed, detained, or subjected to smear campaigns and other violations in 2016, according to Front Line Defenders’ newly launched report. According to the report, 282 human rights defenders were murdered in 25 countries, 49 percent of whom were defending land, indigenous and environmental rights.

The Integration or Imitation Game? Integration is a two-way process. Simply blaming migrants for failing to integrate or learn English isn’t a viable way forward. So it’s vital that migrant communities are involved in any discussion and development of a UK-wide integration strategy argues Migrants’ Rights Network Director, Fizza Qureshi in her latest blog. See also, ‘Inclusive integration: how can progressives promote social cohesion in divisive times?’ by Policy Network.

A place to call home: the needs of refugees in Greece: In this article for Migrants’ Rights Network, Caitlin McMillan argues that in Greece’s refugee camps, as the crisis stretches into years, meeting people’s longer-term needs beyond immediate survival is now critical. She describes her experience in the Oinofyta refugee camp to look for small, concrete ways to make a difference.

New report: Domestic and Gender Based Violence in Bulgaria: A new national study by the Partners Bulgaria Foundation in cooperation with the Centre for the Study of Democracy and the Human Rights Academy from Norway confirms that domestic and gender based violence (DGBV) is an extensive problem in Bulgaria, and that the tools to deal with it are limited and to a great extent not efficient. This is the first time that the situation of DGBV in Bulgaria has been systematically mapped.

Insufficient attention paid to separated migrant children: The lack of information and specific guidance for handling migrant children who are separated from their parents but travelling with other adults hampers efforts to properly protect such children from potential exploitation and abuse. This is one of the findings from the latest summary report of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) on migration-related fundamental rights in selected EU Member States. It identifies what needs to be done to address the shortcomings in existing approaches and points to promising practices that could be used by other Member States.

It takes a movement – Reflecting on Girls Not Brides’ 5 years of progress: This Girls Not Brides’ report It takes a movement – Reflecting on 5 years of progress summarises the progress the partnership of 600+ civil society organisations has achieved and makes recommendations for what still needs to happen to realise their vision of ending child marriage within a generation.

Philanthropy and the Social Economy: Blueprint 2017: Published by GrantCraft, the eighth edition of this annual forecast by philanthropy scholar Lucy Bernholz, highlights two trends that civil society will need to address in the new year. Firstly, the blurring of boundaries between politics and philanthropy, as the civil-society norms of privacy and anonymity are used to hide political activity. Secondly, the threat to free expression and association posed by the commercial ownership and government surveillance of the digital infrastructure on which civil society heavily depends.

New book from ICTJ and UNICEF stirs debate on education, justice and peacebuilding: A new book from the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) and UNICEF examines the complicated relationship between education, justice and peacebuilding in societies grappling with a legacy of violent conflict. It offers lessons on how education can be harnessed in a divided society to overcome the past and create the conditions for peace, often under very difficult circumstances.

How to develop a community paralegal programme: A team of ten paralegals is supporting thousands of historically stateless people in Bangladesh to acquire identity documents. Based on the needs of a given case, they may employ such tools as mediation, community organising, education, and advocacy before formal or customary authorities. Paralegals are often linked to lawyers who provide guidance and can resort to litigation if frontline methods fail. This toolkit by Namati is for people who are designing or improving community-based paralegal programmes. It draws lessons from both grassroots experience and research.

UK Charities working internationally: making wise decisions: The Charity Commission has recently published a new blog for charities working with international partner organisations, particularly those international partners who operate in high-risk areas. It includes updated guidance on undertaking due diligence to ‘help charities to help themselves’. The guidance focuses on how to identify suspicious situations and assess risks and the Commission provides a checklist for trustees to use.

Blogs and Other Sites of Interest

Life in a refugee camp, as seen by children: Of the over 4.2 million refugees who have fled the conflict in Syria, half are children, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Syrian refugee children use photography to capture their new reality. Here is a collection of photos taken by children as part of National Geographic ‘s Exile Voices project. See also, Photo Essay: The Deadly Sea from Libya to Europe by Tom Westcott, showing the dangerous Mediterranean route for migrants and refugees pursuing a desperate dream of a future in Europe.

Podcast: Carothers and Kleinfeld on what a Trump presidency means for populism: As part of our series looking at what a Trump presidency might mean for different parts of the world, Carnegie Senior Vice President for Studies Thomas Carothers and Senior Fellow Rachel Kleinfeld discuss how the election of Donald Trump might affect global populist movements.

Give your views on NCVO’s ‘how charities work’ website: NCVO plans to launch a website to explain to the public how UK charities operate and what they do, in an effort to change negative perceptions about charities. It is looking for feedback about its test website Howcharitieswork.com. Submit your views on content, navigation etc.

2nd review of the Council of Europe Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education: As part of the preparation of the Council of Europe Report on the State of Citizenship and Human Rights Education in Europe, replies to a questionnaire were received from 40 governments and are now available online. The Report is part of the 2nd review cycle of the implementation of the Council of Europe Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education (Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)7). The conclusions of the Report will be discussed at a Conference on the Future of Citizenship and Human Rights Education in Europe, which will take place in Strasbourg on 20-22 June 2017.

Watch: What is Universal Health Coverage? The Elders have launched a new initiative to campaign for Universal Health Coverage (UHC). In this video, Jimmy Carter and Gro Harlem Brundtland explain what is meant by UHC and why it is important.

Watch: Saudi music video on women’s rights goes viral: This music video by a Saudi production company and promoting women’s rights in Saudi Arabia has been viewed more than 2.5 million times.

Cloisters column part one – Toilets and Gender Identity:  Going to the toilet is something most of us do without a second thought (unless we have a disability).  Yet, for many trans* people, using a public toilet carries a heightened risk of discrimination, harassment and even assault.  Some don’t feel safe to use public toilets at all. The toilet has, in fact, become a key battleground for trans* rights – particularly in the US. This article is part one of a two-part series on trans rights from equality and human rights barristers at Cloisters and looks at the access to public toilets for trans* people.

Watch: The Atlantic Dialogues 2016 – The Populist Challenge: In this plenary, part of the 2016 Atlantic Dialogues, Fouad Makhzoumi, Secretary General of the National Dialogue Forum in Lebanon, Yascha Mounk, Lecturer at Harvard University and Fellow at the Transatlantic Academy, Jorge Castaneda, Global Distinguished Professor of Politics and Latin American and Caribbean Studies at New York University and Miguel Moratinos, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs for Spain, talk about the populist challenge and how this phenomenon, in its various forms, is reshaping policy debates at many levels, from the local to the global.

Grant-Making

‘What do we want? Participatory grant-making!’: If community philanthropy organisations consult with communities on the challenges they need to address, projects are likely to be more focused, relevant and valuable, argues Anna Wansbrough-Jones, a consultant and Director of Stratagem International, in an article for Alliance Magazine. She mentions that placing grant and project decisions in the hands of communities is one clear step towards shifting some of the power that comes with money and grant making towards communities themselves.

New Syria Working Group on the Ariadne portal: Funders who are already supporting Syria and the neighbouring countries, or who are considering doing so, are warmly invited to join the Syria Working Group (SWG) – a new private community on the Ariadne portal. This community offers a safe space for funders to share insights and approaches to the challenges of funding in the region, and members will receive regular and reliable information about the developing situation in Syria and the response of local civil society groups. The SWG aims to inform and enable private philanthropic support for Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. It has a focus on rights-based approaches and Syrian-led civil society organisations, and also welcomes funders with humanitarian, environmental, social investment and other interests who share an interest in supporting refugee and receiving communities in the region. The SWG is supported by Asfari Foundation, is advised by the Institute for Integrated Transitions, and is Coordinated by Bushra Al-akraa at Global Dialogue. For further information and to join please email bushra@global-dialogue.eu.

The Rockefeller Brothers Fund shares results of grantee perception report (GPR): Based on a survey of grantees and declined applicants conducted by the Center for Effective Philanthropy, the report gave the fund high marks for its understanding of grantee fields and organisations and its overall relationships with grantees. However, its ratings in terms of its impact on grantee organisations dropped unexpectedly from 75% in its 2010 GPR, to 39%, among funders of a similar size, programmatic focus, and/or geography. The Fund received high ratings for its awareness of the challenges grantees are facing and use of resources to help grantees address those challenges.

Divest:Invest: With leadership from several Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts, Divest:Invest continued to pick up steam in 2016. Since divestment campaigns began a few years ago, the institutions and individuals that have committed to divesting from fossil fuels of one kind or another have assets under management totalling $5.2 trillion. Meanwhile the people behind Divest:Invest and the Australian Environmental Grantmakers Network have produced this Divest:Invest guide for funders. See also, Gender & Collectively held land by Landesa.

ERSTE supports Hungarian employment programme: 90 disadvantaged job-seekers have been able to find employment through the Incorpora Hungary programme launched by Erste Foundation and “La Caixa” Banking Foundation.

Breaking the silence: Criminalisation of lesbians and bisexual women and its impacts: The Human Dignity Trust has produced this first-ever global analysis of how laws criminalising consensual same-sex intimacy specifically impact lesbian and bisexual women.

The Future of Funding: Funding to Support a Thriving Civil Society in the Global South: This report by BOND, with support from the Baring Foundation, the Big Lottery Fund, Comic Relief and the Stars Foundation, explores the future of international funding.

MacArthur awards $5 million for documentary film fund: The International Documentary Association has announced a four-year, $5 million grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to establish a fund that supports the critical storytelling efforts of independent documentary filmmakers.

What it really takes to fund peace and security: In this article for InsidePhilanthropy, Kathy LeMay and Suzanne Bowles look at how philanthropists can join the effort to fund peace. “The key is listening, learning and remembering that these are long-term, protracted problems. But they are not intractable,” says New York City-based philanthropist Jessica Houssian, a philanthropic advisor and a trustee of her family’s foundation, the Houssian Foundation. See also, The Case for Locally Led Peacebuilding, by EU-CIVCAP, a group dedicated to improving EU capabilities for peacebuilding.

Interview with Henrik Lehmann Andersen: In this article for Alliance Magazine, Henrik Lehmann Andersen, CEO of Nordea-fonden, talks about the Foundation’s move towards more strategic grant-making as well as the role and perception of philanthropy in Danish society. He explains how, despite initial reluctance, Danish foundations are refining their practice.

Civil society organisations in the global South and disruptive change: implications for funders: Over the last year and a half or so, the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) has been working to understand how leaders of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the South experience, and engage with, disruptive change that has impacts on their organisations. A new report written by Halina Ward and Tom Bigg from IIED looks at the implications of disruptive change in Southern CSOs for funders.

Jobs and Tenders

Infrastructure Investment Fund – Barrow Cadbury Trust: Barrow Cadbury Trust is seeking a senior professional to develop and deliver the Access Foundation’s new Infrastructure Investment Fund which the Trust will be managing to strengthen and diversify the social investment market. The successful candidate will be an experienced strategic manager, used to an outward-facing promotional role.  They will have a good grasp of the social investment ‘landscape’ and familiarity with social sector infrastructure.  They will be experienced in managing budgets or funds and, above all, will be keen to build a collaborative community working within a social justice framework. Location: London, United Kingdom. Deadline for applications is 26^th January 2017.

Programme Specialist – Open Society Foundations: Open Society Foundations is seeking a Programme Specialist for its Economic Advancement Programme, which seeks to influence systemic change on regions, industries, value-chains and capital flows in ways that contribute to building open and socially just societies. The successful candidate will identify high potential new partners, assess organisations in the field, design grants, and assess grants and portfolios. Location: London, United Kingdom. Deadline for applications 19^th January 2017.

Project Head – Open Society Foundations: Open Society Foundations is seeking a Project Head for its Contested Spaces Initiative. The initiative focuses internally on the professional development and intellectual enrichment of Open Society staff. At its centre is a weeklong trip that explores contested ideas and practices in a specific site-based context. The Project Head’s overall mandate is to design the learning trip and the activities of the broader initiative including selection and post-trip cohort learning. Location: New York, United States of America. Deadline for applications is 20th January 2017.

Director of Programmes – Global Action for Trans* Equality: Global Action for Trans* Equality is seeking a Director of Programmes to lead its global advocacy and programmatic work. Reporting to the Executive Director, the successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring the successful development and implementation of GATE’s programmes, including project management, team member management, programme delivery, and quality control and evaluation. In this new leadership role, the Director of Programmes will manage a growing staff of policy officers working in the fields of HIV/AIDS advocacy, movement building, and UN advocacy. Location: Flexible, New York preferred. Deadline for applications is 31^st January 2017.

Trustee – Trust for London: Trust for London invites applications for the position of Trustee from people with skills in property investment and financial management. Candidates should be passionate about promoting effective approaches to tackling poverty and inequality in London. The Trust is committed to ensuring that its work at all levels reflects the diversity of London. The Trust is keen to have board members with experience of poverty in addition to the relevant skills. Location: London, United Kingdom. Deadline for applications is 20^th January 2017.

Interim Communications Associate – Mama Cash: Mama Cash is looking to hire a temporary Communications Associate to contribute to increasing and improving the (online) visibility of Mama Cash and its partners. The Interim Communications Associate will support the communications team in preparing and implementing campaigns, events and (online) publications.  Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Deadline for applications is 15^th January 2017.

Atlantic Fellows Programme, Economics and Social Inequality – London School of Economics and Political Science: Applications have opened for the Atlantic Fellows programme in Economics and Social Inequality, based at LSE. The programme invites applications from experienced activists, academics, policy makers and practitioners to explore the causes of inequalities wherever they are found and to challenge them with innovative, multi-disciplinary approaches. Interested candidates can apply for either the Atlantic Residential Fellowship, where they will undertake the MSc in Inequalities and Social Sciences, or the Atlantic Non-Residential Fellowship, which will involve a 12-18-month programme of week-long workshops and project work. Location: London, United Kingdom. Deadline for applications is 22^nd January 2017 for projects taking place before September 2017, or 8^th March 2017 for projects taking place between September 2017 and August 2018.

Executive Director – Initiative Sankofa d’Afrique de l’Ouest: Initiative Sankofa d’Afrique de l’Ouest is an activist-led fund dedicated to strengthening and supporting a West African movement for gender diversity and sexual rights by adopting a flexible approach to grant-making and building a culture of philanthropy committed to equality and social justice. The Executive Director will be responsible for the administrative set-up involved in establishing a new fund and will provide strategic leadership for all of the fund’s core functions: grant-making, resource mobilisation, communication, capacity building, networking and alliance building, as well as for developing the fund’s internal operating systems. Location: Francophone West Africa. Deadline for applications is 31^st January 2017.

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

Public Meetings

ATHENS

June 18^th – 24^th
6th Stavros Niarchos Foundation International Conference on Philanthropy – Creativity, Imagination and the Activation of Public Spaces: The Stavros Niarchos Foundation invites you to save the date for its annual conference, which seeks to present best practices and provide a space for the exchange of ideas and discussion on developments within the wider field of philanthropy. Each year’s theme varies depending on current challenges, keeping at its core the four programme areas of the Foundation: Arts and Culture, Education, Health and Sports, and Social Welfare. The event will take place between 21^st and 23^rd June, 2017 in Athens, Greece.

BARCELONA

April 23^rd – 29^th
2017 Just Giving Conference – Re/Organising Power for Systems Change: This conference will build on EDGE’s recent work around Just Transition, and explore the question of system change through the lenses of power, privilege and emancipatory struggles. The experience of Spanish and Catalonian social movements, particularly strong and dynamic in building systemic alternatives, will be woven into the conference design. Just Giving 2017 will seek to discuss how citizen action and system change philanthropy might re-organise power to build the new and overcome the extractive economy. Based on the pillars of people power, systemic alternatives and progressive philanthropy, the Just Giving programme will be designed to engage participants into deep debates about the systemic challenges the world is facing today and how to overcome them. The event will take place between 25^th and 28^th April, 2017 in Barcelona, Spain.

BRUSSELS

February 6th – 12th
LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER: Consultation/ Learning exchange on communicating on migration in Europe: Funders who are interested in funding strategic communication on migration in Europe will meet on Wednesday, 8 February in Brussels to exchange ideas and discuss coordination. The event will include presentations by Purpose Europe, IMiX the Migration Communications Hub (UK) and EPIM’s pilot project in strategic communications. A facilitated afternoon discussion, open only to funders, will feature discussion of the Atlantic Philanthropies/SCI multi-year funding initiative on communications, and explore future steps and collaborations. This event is open to funders interested in strategic communication on migration in Europe. Register with denisa.ticusan@epim.info. To see the agenda, please click here. The event will take place on 8th February in Brussels, Belgium. 

March 26^th – April 1^st
RightsCon Brussels 2017: Access Now invites you to attend its sixth RightsCon, which seeks to shape the conversation about how to keep the internet open, free and secure. RightsCon Brussels 2017 will gather the global digital rights community in the heart of European politics and policymaking to attempt to tackle the most pressing issues at the intersection of technology and human rights. The event will take place between 29^th and 31^st March, 2017 in Brussels, Belgium.

January 22^nd – 27^th
Roundtable – Big Data and Human Rights: The application of big data for social change represents a relatively new trend. The major ICT corporations view big data as a critical driver to generate new insights across a range of fields, from health care to environment and education. At the same time concerns around big data focus on tracking and targeting consumers. This roundtable, hosted by Microsoft, will provide an opportunity to discuss challenges, solutions and policy recommendations on the topic of Big Data and human rights to shed light on how big data can be used for social good. The event will take place on 27^th January, 2017 in Brussels, Belgium.

January 29^th – February 4^th
Migration: A Driver of Economic Growth? IMF’s latest research finds that immigration significantly increases the GDP per capita of host economies, mostly by raising productivity. Both high- and low-skilled migrants can contribute to raise productivity, in part by complementing the existing skill set of the population. These gains from immigration appear to be broadly shared across the population. Florence Jaumotte, a senior economist at the IMF, will present her research on the link between immigration and economic growth. Her presentation will be followed by a discussion and a short introduction of CEPS’ “Mercator Dialogue on Asylum and Migration,” a research project that deals with pressing issues in EU migration and asylum policy. The event will take place on January 30^th, 2017 in Brussels, Belgium.

March 12^th – 18^th
Social Impact Measurement – The Fundamentals: The European Venture Philanthropy Association argues that social impact measurement is a fundamental part of the work of each social investor, regardless of sector, as it enables better use of resources. This one-day workshop will seek to help practitioners get started with impact measurement, and navigate the maze of existing methodologies. Participants will gain: a practical understanding of impact measurement frameworks and their implementation; a dedicated and exclusive resource pack of guides, templates, and practical examples; a new network of peers and like-minded professionals across sectors; and the EVPA Training Academy participation certificate. The event will take place on 16^th March, 2017 in Brussels, Belgium.

February 12^th – 18th
The Situation of Refugees and Migrants with Disabilities: This public hearing, organised by the EESC and its Permanent Study Group on Disability Rights, will focus on the situation of refugees and migrants with disabilities. The first part of the meeting will look at the situation in Greece and will present the report and recommendations from the EESC visit to Lesbos and Athens in October 2016. The second part of the meeting will look at the bigger picture and consider what the EU and civil society can do to tackle the crisis facing vulnerable refugees and migrants. The event will take place on February 14^th, 2017 in Brussels, Belgium.

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

February 12^th – 18^th
2017 Human Development and Capability Association Conference: The hosts of the 2017 HDCA Conference have released a call for papers on the theme of the conference: ‘challenging inequalities: human development and social change’ or on any HDCA theme. The annual event seeks to bring together people from all over the world from different disciplines and fields interested in human development and the capabilities approach. The deadline to submit proposals is 15^th February, 2017. The event will take place between 6^th and 8^th September, 2017 in Cape Town, South Africa.

GENEVA

February 19^th – 25^th
The 9^th Geneva Summit for Human Rights & Democracy: On the eve of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s main annual session, the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy assembles each year dissidents and survivors of human rights abuses, activists, diplomats, journalists and student leaders to shine a spotlight on urgent human rights situations that require global attention. Human rights practitioners, activists and former political prisoners from China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Venezuela and other countries will testify about their personal struggles for human rights, democracy and freedom, and join together to plan action strategies. The event will take place on 21^st February, 2016 in Geneva, Switzerland.

LONDON

January 29^th – February 4^th
Human Rights in the UK Under Review: A Symposium: In 2017 the UK will enter its third UPR examination, and much work has been taking place across the country to gather evidence from civil society on the human rights situation. This symposium, held by Queen Mary University of London Human Rights Collegium and The British Institute of Human Rights, will discuss the role of international accountability for human rights and the UK’s engagement with the UN’s UPR mechanism. Following contributions from speakers providing insights from academia, civil society and policy-makers, the floor will be opened-up for an interactive discussion session. The event will take place on January 31^st, 2017 in London, United Kingdom.

February 5th – 11th
The Article 50 ‘Brexit’ Appeal: The Rule of Law After Miller: The Supreme Court is expected to hand down its decision in the Miller case in January. In deciding what role, if any, Parliament has in triggering Article 50 and the UK’s departure from the EU, the Court will deliver one of the most important constitutional law judgments in decades. This event will provide an opportunity to hear leading experts consider the constitutional and rule of law dimensions of the Supreme Court’s judgment, and to reflect on the path ahead and the consequences of the decision for the UK. Bringing together panellists who have expressed a wide range of views about the High Court’s decision of 3 November 2016, this event will be an outstanding opportunity to hear expert analysis of the Supreme Court’s much-awaited decision. The event will take place on February 6th, 2017 in London, United Kingdom.

January 29th – February 4th
Rainbow London: Illuminating, Celebrating and Supporting Diverse LGBT Lives in London: In support of the LGBT Consortium’s ‘Still Out There’ report funded by Trust for London, the HEARLondon and Policy and Campaigns projects will hold an event to highlight the intersectional lives of London’s LGBTQI+ community. The all-day event will provide a space for the voluntary and community sector to look for ways to work together to improve the lives of LGBTQI+ people. Participants will hear from the Micro Rainbow Choir, and will also be able to visit pop-up exhibition ‘Twilight People: Stories of Faith and Gender Beyond the Binary.’ The event will take place on 30^th January, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. To register email hear@reap.co.uk stating your name, organisation name, organisation postcode and any access or dietary requirements.

February 19^th – 25^th
Inclusive Practice in Careers Provision: How to Improve Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance for Young Disabled People: Disability Rights UK Disability and Skills Unit is holding a free workshop on ‘Inclusive Practice in Careers Provision: How to Improve Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance for Young Disabled People.’ The event will take place on 21^st February, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. For more information contact Rabia Lemahieu at rabia.lemahieu@disabilityrightsuk.org.

February 5^th – 11^th
The End of the Deterrence Paradigm? Future Directions for Global Refugee Policy: The International Refugee Law Seminar Series, sponsored by the Refugee Law Initiative at the School of Advanced Study, University of London, provides a public space for discussion, promotion and dissemination of research between academics, practitioners, students and others with an interest in the refugee and forced migration field. Thomas Gammeltoft-Hansen will be the speaker at this event. He is Research Director at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law and adjunct Professor of Law at Aarhus University. His research focuses on international refugee law, human rights, and the relationship between international law and politics. The event will take place on February 9th, 2016 in London, United Kingdom.

January 22^nd – 28^th
Economic and Social Rights – A Human Rights Approach to Social Justice Training: Access to housing, education, health and food are globally recognised as human rights. The UK has ratified several international treaties that say so, the most important of which is the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Last June the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights issued a damning report on the enjoyment of these rights in Britain, and made some detailed recommendations. International human rights law benefits civil society groups working on issues as diverse as welfare, child rights, non-discrimination, mental health and workers’ rights. This training session on economic and social rights will be held by HEAR and JUST FAIR. The event will take place on 23^rd January, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. To register email hear@reap.co.uk stating your name, organisation name, organisation postcode and any access or dietary requirements.

January 15^th – 21^st
Cities and Communities – Alternative Approaches to Combating Race and Religious Hate: This seminar seeks to examine approaches cities and communities can take to prevent hate crime, increase reporting of incidents and better protect victims. Speakers will include a community advocate from Northern Ireland, a police commissioner from Antwerp, a Director of a community organisation, as well as representatives from big and small cities. UKREN’s annual general meeting will form part of this event. The event will take place on 17^th January, 2017 in London, United Kingdom.

MALTA

January 22^nd – 28^th
Lost in Migration: Working Together in Protecting Children from Disappearance: Missing Children Europe and the Maltese President’s Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society invite you to join the discussion at “Lost in migration: Working together in protecting children from disappearance.” The conference will bring together key stakeholders concerned with the issue, to take stock of the situation and develop forward looking proposals for the protection of children in migration. It will address the need for a comprehensive child protection approach to effectively prevent and respond to disappearance. The event will take place between 26^th and 28^th January, 2017 in Attard, Malta.

PARIS

February 12^th – 18^th

Réduire les inégalités: une exigence écologique et sociale? Défis écologiques inédits, explosion des inégalités: faut-il choisir son combat? La planète ou les pauvres? La Revue Projet et ses partenaires refusent ces oppositions simplistes. Réduire les inégalités est une nécessité pour permettre à chacun de bien vivre dans les limites de notre planète. Mais comment y parvenir? C’est tout l’objet de ce colloque. Du 16 au 18 février, 2017 à Paris, France. 

THE HAGUE

January 22^nd – 28^th
IDFA Documentary: Those Who Jump: Malinese migrant Abou Bakar Sidibé operateshe camera in Those Who Jump, conveying an unpolished image of the hard life of migrants. A large group of African migrants are camp under severe and primitive conditions on a hill in Northern-Morocco. Every day they can see the Spanish enclave Melilla and the Mediterranean Sea behind it. They dream of a new life in Europe and make plans to cross the border illegally. However, this border is formed by a high fence that is guarded by cameras day and night. Behind this fence police officers are ready to stop those who jump by force. Only few accomplish crossing the border; others are caught, give up or must pay for the jump with their lives. Estephan Wagner, Moritz Siebert and Abou Bakar Sidibé give a voice to the usually invisible central figures of European migration in this film. The event will take place on January 22^nd, 2017 in London, United Kingdom.

VIENNA

April 2^nd – 8^th
Debating Europe – The Age of Populism: Not only in many European states, but worldwide, populists and populist parties are on the rise, as shown by the success of Donald Trump in the US elections. These developments bring about new questions: When are politicians populists? How do their activities influence a democratic society? How to deal with populists in a “democratic manner”? What is the difference between right-wing populism and left-wing populism? This panel discussion will seek to answer these, and other, questions. The event will take place on April 2^nd, 2017 in Vienna, Austria.

WARSAW

May 28^th – June 3^rd
EFC AGA and Conference: Courage to Re-Embrace Solidarity in Europe – Can Philanthropy Take the Lead? The 2017 EFC AGA and Conference will focus on the theme of ‘courage for solidarity’ and specifically how philanthropy should be involved in fostering, supporting and promoting it. It will offer an opportunity for delegates from around the world to reflect on their own work, learn from their peers, and discover how, by finding the courage to re-embrace solidarity, they can help shape a brighter future. The event will take place between May 31^st and June 2^nd, 2017 in Warsaw, Poland.

WASHINGTON

January 29th – February 4th
Freedom in the World 2017 – Populists and Autocrats: The Dual Threats to Global Democracy: At this event Freedom House will launch ‘Freedom in the World 2017’ –  the latest edition of its annual assessment of the state of freedom around the world. The panel discussion will be moderated by Michael Abramowitz, incoming president of Freedom House. The event will take place on January 31^st, 2017 in Washington DC, The United States of America.