Ariadne News & Events

REGISTER NOW: 2018 ARIADNE FORECAST ROUNDTABLES: Ariadne is creating its fourth Forecast for European Social Change and Human Rights Funders. We are inviting you to join some of the best brains in the field to help us create an Ariadne forecast for the year ahead. We will be holding meetings on January 23^rd in London, January 29^th in Paris (in French), February 8^th in The Hague (in Dutch) and in Naples (in Italian), to help us all think about major trends, in both the issues and in the field of philanthropy. The four round tables 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. We will open each meeting with the results of a short survey of pivotal grant-makers in their region. Two to three senior forecasters in each location will offer expert input and then there will be an open discussion between funders. The results of all four meetings will be collated into a 2018 Ariadne Forecast for publication by the end of March. For more details and to register for the location of your choice, please click here.

REGISTER NOW: COUNTERING RACIAL AND RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION ROUNDTABLES IN FRANCE, ITALY AND THE NETHERLANDS: In 2017, the ‘Countering Hatred’ project released its ‘Seeking an Inclusive Europe’ report which revealed a lack of coordination among private donors and a shortage of funding going into addressing xenophobia and ethnic and religious bias affecting not only migrants, but also European citizens from ethnic or religious minorities. From the spike in hate crimes following Brexit to advantageous electoral results for openly xenophobic parties, recent events only confirm the urgency to tackle these issues also in Europe. But how can funders address these issues more effectively? Through a series of national roundtables in France (January 29^th in Paris), in Italy (February 8^th  in Naples) and in The Netherlands (February 22^nd  in Amsterdam), this year Ariadne (with the support of Open Society Foundations, Democracy and Media Foundation and Adessium Foundation) will work to sustain European donors’ strategic thinking, encourage greater collaboration, and ultimately generate more support for the field. For more details and to register for either Paris or Naples, please click here. To register for Amsterdam, please click here. 

REGISTER NOW: 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. 

LIMITED PLACES AVAILABLE: 2018 ARIADNE POLICY BRIEFING – 7-9^TH MARCH 2018: We invite you to register for the 9^th Ariadne Policy Briefing on 7-9^th March 2018 in Paris 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, plenaries, a grant skills workshop, networking dinners and opportunities for participants to organise informal open sessions throughout the event. Space is limited so please register soon to be sure of a place. A draft agenda is available via the Ariadne portal or you can email Lori Klos for a copy.

REGISTER NOW: ARIADNE PORTAL TUITION: An hour’s tuition session to increase your skill in using the Ariadne Portal will be held on Thursday 22^nd February 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 dates for portal tuitions, please click here.

*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

Democratising the future: How do we build inclusive versions of the future? This new article from Nesta looks at participative democracy and how this can include broader involvement from the wider community and not just restricted to expert thinkers, professional futurists and high-level stakeholders. Through its new project on participatory futures, Nesta is starting to explore where democratic futures exercises have been done well, what the value of wider engagement in building collective future visions is, and how they can support more communities, cities and countries to do this better. See also, ‘Freedom in the World 2018 – Democracy in crisis’, by Freedom House. 

Bridging the gap: Rebuilding citizen trust in the media: Journalists in many countries are experimenting with how to build trust and engage with audiences, and this new report ‘Bridging the Gap: Rebuilding Citizen Trust in the Media’, commissioned by the Open Society Foundation’s Programme on Independent Journalism examines their efforts. The study looks at organisations that are working to build bridges with their readers, viewers and listeners and deliver relevant news to local audiences. The report also includes an annotated bibliography of academic studies on media trust and media literacy and a list of ongoing initiatives as well as sidebars on past efforts to boost media credibility.

Germany: Migrants ‘may have fuelled violent crime rise’: This Guardian article explores the latest research commissioned by the German government which suggests that migrants may be responsible for the recent rise in violent crime in Germany. The study used data from Lower Saxony, a state where more than 90% of the rise was attributed to young male migrants. According to the researchers, the best option to reduce violent crime among migrants was to offer more help with integration through language courses, sport and apprenticeships. The lack of women and families among the migrants also meant that those young men were deprived of a “violence-preventing, civilising force”, the study argues.

A look back on 2017 – a year of challenge and change in combating modern slavery: In this article, the UK Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner looks back on 2017 at the UK’s role in addressing modern slavery. While challenges remain, there was great progress throughout 2017 and highlights include modern slavery being made a national priority by The National Crime Agency, a significant increase in funding from the UK Government as well as a commitment from the UK Government to radically reform the UK’s system of support for victims.

International Organisation for Migration: World Migration Report 2018: The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has published the ninth report in its ‘World Migration series: World Migration Report 2018’. The report seeks to make sense of migration in an increasingly interconnected world. It compiles data on migration alongside an analysis of complex and emerging migration issues.

New FRA civil society space report: The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights’ new report ‘Challenges facing civil society organisations working on human rights in the EU’, reveals how across the EU civil society faces various threats. To address these challenges the report suggests that Member States should abide by the laws, including international standards, that recommend civil society participation in policy cycles. Due attention must also be paid to ensure that new or redrafted laws and policies do not undermine the work of civil society. Civil society funding also needs to be protected. In addition, channels of dialogue between civil society and the EU need to be strengthened to ensure their concerns are heard and addressed. This includes finding ways to collect comparable and reliable data on the challenges civil society faces, such as threats, intimidation and attacks.

Empowering language of rights underlies increasing use in HIV advocacy: In this article for OpenGlobalRights, Kristi Heather Kenyon, Research Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Security and Development argues that local HIV activists are expanding human rights discourse into health advocacy, largely due to belief in the empowering impact of rights language, not expectations of legal change. Kristi examines nine local civil society organisations selected from four countries (Ghana, Uganda, South Africa and Botswana) in three sub-regions of sub-Saharan Africa, West Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa. This breadth provides insight into civil societies operating in different contexts, and at different levels, (local, national and regional).

Iceland pledges to eradicate gender pay gap by 2022: According to The Independent, Iceland has become the first country in the world to make it illegal to pay men more than women. Under the legislation, companies and government agencies with more than 25 employees will be required to obtain government certification for their equal-pay policies. Those failing to demonstrate pay equality will face fines.

New study highlights impacts of technology and automation on inequality in the UK: The rise of the machine economy risks social disruption by widening the gap between rich and poor in Britain, finds a new study by IPPR think tank. Warning that low-paid roles are in the greatest danger, it urges ministers to head off the prospect of rising inequality by helping people retrain and share in the benefits from advances in technology. Measures called for in the IPPR report include a UK skills system to help retrain those affected by the introduction of machines into the workforce, as well as an ethics watchdog to oversee the use of automating technologies.

Blogs and Other Sites of Interest

WATCH: How does Global Fund for Women measure social change? Global Fund for Women is a grant-maker and a global advocate for women’s human rights. This short informational video explains how the organisation adapted the change matrix, from the Gender at Work Analytical Framework, to better capture and learn from the outcomes achieved by its grantee partners.

BLOG: #MeToo movement – How to take the movement’s gains out of chatrooms and into boardrooms: In this blog for the World Economic Forum, Stéphanie Thomsonn discusses the #MeToo movement, the feminist revolution that has helped draw attention to the prevalence of sexual harassment and assault. Stéphanie offers an overview of how this online protest movement can create real social change and looks at some policies that will be necessary to achieve this.

Powerful photographs depict 150 years of human migration: The travel ban, the border wall and immigration to America have constantly been in the spotlight in recent months. Meanwhile, in Europe, high numbers of migrants and refugees have arrived on the continent’s shores since 2015 in a struggle to escape poverty and war. But the organisers of a new photography exhibition, entitled ‘The Immigrants,’ are hoping to remind us that immigration has always been part of the human experience. The show’s curator, Pak So, believes that understanding the history of these mass movements can help us contextualise our current situation.

WATCH: Communities take action to address poverty: This set of short films from The Guardian focuses on communities in Stoke on Trent taking action to address poverty after being labelled as the ‘Brexit capital of Britain’. This is part of the 100 Resilient Cities initiative by the Rockefeller Foundation, which helps cities around the world become more resilient to the physical, social, and economic challenges that are a growing part of the 21^st century.

Empowering women through theatre: Armenian Human Rights NGO, Logos, with the support of the Prague Civil Society Centre, have developed an interactive travelling theatre production to inspire and empower women in rural Armenia to engage in the political process. Each theatre performance aims to educate and inspire women in the rural villages of Shirak region to engage in the political process and take part in local elections as candidates and voters. Not just targeted at women, the theatre also engages male members of the audience and invites them to reconsider their assumptions about women and politics.

WATCH: New Russian LGBT Network report on the persecution of LGBT people in the North Caucasus: A new report from the Russian LGBT Network in collaboration with the special Novaya Gazeta correspondent Elena Milashina, discusses the persecution faced by the LGBT community in Chechnya and points out the role of the Chechen authorities in these campaigns. The report is accompanied by an animated video of victim testimonies.

Corporations need to fight gender inequality: Gillian Tans, Chief Executive of Booking.com argues, in this article for The Guardian, that government-enforced gender quotas could lead to fewer women reaching senior roles. She urges the tech sector to help more women secure top-level positions. Her comments come after the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report showed the disparity between men and women had worsened, with the average gap increasing to 32 per cent compared to 31.7 per cent last year.

Five human rights hopes for 2018: With the UK split over Brexit, Trump’s first year in office and the rise of the far right across the world, the Grenfell fire, the Rohingya genocide and a series of terrorist attacks across the UK, human rights campaigners have had a busy 2017. In his new blog for Rights Info, Adam Wagner offers five human rights hopes he has for 2018 and discusses why human rights are important in protecting us against current threats.

New Right to Remain toolkit: Regularly updated, the Right to Remain toolkit is intended to help migrants and their supporters understand the UK immigration and asylum system. The toolkit will allow anyone facing an immigration case to ensure they are themselves up to speed with procedures and requirements.

Do you have a great blog post, case study or podcast you’d like to contribute? We would love to feature it. Email Lori Klos at lori.klos@ariadne-network.eu.

Grant-Making

Ending violence against women in Europe: An exploration of philanthropic giving: Ariadne is delighted to share its latest report ‘Ending violence against women in Europe: An exploration of philanthropic giving’. This is the first-ever research into philanthropic funding for work to end violence against women in Europe and addresses both donors’ and recipients’ perspectives on current activities and funding priorities in this field. Its goal is to enable foundations active in promoting social change and human rights across Europe to better understand their position in the context of the larger funder community. The report, written by Ariadne members Karin Heisecke and Karen Weisblatt, identifies avenues for further reflection and engagement and discusses the potential role that foundations can play moving forward. We thank all Ariadne members who contributed to the report, through responses to the survey, agreeing to be interviewed and providing feedback to the initial findings. Additional resources are also available on the portal community, Ending violence against women – towards a new strategy.  If you are not a member of this community and would like to join, please contact Lori Klos.

Predict-a-palooza: Civil Society Forecast 2018: In this Digital Impact  webinar, Ariadne Director Julie Broome shares her personal predictions on what the coming year holds for civil society around the globe. She discusses trends in philanthropy, technology and public policy together with representatives from the Digital Civil Society Lab, The Libra Foundation, Inside Philanthropy, and the Minnesota Council on Foundations.

New data reveal 44% growth in funding for human rights over five years: Our project partners, Human Rights Funders Network and Foundation Center, have released the biggest undertaking in our joint Advancing Human Rights initiative: a five-year analysis of trends in the field of human rights philanthropy. Human rights and social justice funding grew by nearly 45% from 2011-2015. Funders can now explore trends in their area of interest on the Advancing Human Rights research hub, which shows funding breakdowns and intersections by region, issue, population, and strategy supported.

Evaluating coalitions and networks: Frameworks, needs, and opportunities: This new report written by Mona Younis for the Center for Evaluation Innovation, explores developments in evaluating coalitions and networks, and points to challenges and opportunities to assess their effectiveness and impact. It looks at what makes coalitions and networks different from standalone organisations, and the implications for evaluation. It reviews five selected evaluation frameworks, highlighting their advantages, limitations, and applicability and offers a set of lessons and opportunities related to coalition/network evaluation based on real-life experiences, along with insights for funders on how best to support evaluation of the coalitions/networks they support.

Insights from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation’s environment and food funding: Esmée Fairbairn Foundation has published a new report, ‘Insights From Our Environment and Food Funding.’ The report is a summary of what the foundation has been learning about how best to support the work of the environmental sector. It highlights the sector’s need for more core support and resources to support collaboration.

Reclaiming Civic Space – a special collaboration of FGHR and Conectas: The Fund for Global Human Rights has collaborated with Conectas to produce ‘Sur 26: Reclaiming Civic Space,’ the 26^th edition of Sur, International Journal on Human Rights. This is a special edition of the journal, authored by activists for activists. It documents the resistance of human rights groups during a time of increasing repression and restrictions on civil society, and offers key insights on the strategies frontline activists are using to reclaim civic space. This collaboration with Conectas is a component of the Fund’s Enabling Environment for Human Rights Defenders Programme, a global initiative that supports human rights activists to resist the shrinking of civic space. See also, ‘Enlarging the Space for European Philanthropy’, by The Donors and Foundations Networks in Europe (DAFNE) and the European Foundation Centre, which undertakes a scanning of the horizon of philanthropy’s operating space and explores possible future policy avenues that may exist to facilitate philanthropy in Europe.

Detention immigration reform in the UK: In partnership with the ACF IBN on refugees and asylum seekers, the Migration Exchange funder network organised a phone briefing to enable funders to hear from Detention Forum, Refugee Council and Liberty on influencing opportunities on immigration detention, in light of Brexit. The recording can be accessed via the Ariadne portal (funder-only).

Study on funding for human rights defenders: ProtectDefenders.eu has released a new report on funding for human rights defenders. The objective of this study is to assess the volume of funding available for Human Rights Defenders (HRD) and to identify trends. Data has been collected from the grants database of 10 public and 13 private donors, and covers the period 2013-2017. All grants containing key words related to HRD and all grants allocated to 20 NGOs considered as key supporters of HRDs have been accounted for.

The fight against ‘fake news’? In this article for Alliance Magazine, Jessica Clark, Research Director for Media Impact Funders assesses how ‘fake news’ is impacting trust in the media and how this lack of trust may be affecting philanthropy. Clark writes, ‘Platforms can only do so much to filter or label false information. Ultimately, people need to trust the information they get in order to act upon it and foundations are supporting new ways for outlets and reporters to engage audiences and build trust.

New report on women and girls affected by slavery: Women and girls are disproportionately affected by slavery, comprising some 70% of victims around the world. In its new report, ‘Her freedom, her voice’, the Freedom Fund draws on insights from its last four years working in countries with a high rate of slavery. The report identifies promising approaches to tackle this scourge, and highlights priorities for further research and investment.

Visionary resistance – Inside the rapid-response model of The Emergent Fund: In 2016, The Women Donors Network, Solidaire, Democracy Alliance, and Threshold Foundation created a rapid-response fund, The Emergent Fund, to help organisations in crisis. Following its first year of existence, the group of funders has released a report written by TCC Group to assess the model’s structure, share learnings with the field, and understand the Fund’s impact to date.

Participatory grantmaking – Power to the people: In its latest article for Nonprofit Chronicle, Marc Gunther looks at participatory grantmaking and how it fits the current political moment. It reflects a populist distrust of elites and experts that, among other things, fuelled the Trump and Sanders campaigns, as well as Brexit, anti-intellectualism and the idea of ‘fake news’. Thus, Gunther argues, the practice of giving more power over philanthropic spending to the people that it is supposed to help is not only the right thing to do but the smart thing to do.

Lankelly Chase, 360giving and foundation transparency: Lankelly Chase has joined the growing group of charitable foundations who have made the spending data more open, accessible and understandable through the 360giving platform. A more curious approach to the grantmaking data at our fingertips may lead the sector to ‘explain or reform’ itself, says Oliver French of Lankelly Chase in its latest blog.

The next Thread will go out on Thursday 22^nd February. We would love to hear from you! Please contact Lori Klos by 20^th February if you would like to share announcements, events, or resources for the next issue. 

Jobs and Tenders

Grants Officer – The Fund for Global Human Rights: The Fund for Global Human Rights is seeking a Grants Officer to join its Grants Management team – the backbone of support for getting resources to frontline activist organisations, managing all administrative aspects of incoming grant proposals and outgoing grant awards, and providing critical support to their assigned programmes. The successful candidate will report to the Manager of Grantmaking Operations to support the Fund’s India portfolio and thematic initiatives (Children in Armed Conflict, Corporate Accountability, Migrant’s Rights, and Enabling Environment for Human Rights Defenders). Location: London, United Kingdom. Deadline for applications is 21^st January 2018.

Research and Projects Officer – Paul Hamlyn Foundation: The Paul Hamlyn Foundation is recruiting a Research and Projects Officer (maternity cover) to work with the Foundation’s evidence and policy functions. The successful candidate will assist the Foundation and the organisations it supports to work effectively and secure impact in its priority areas. They will help the Foundation to deliver a coordinated and proactive approach to work in its key fields of strategic interest. They will work collaboratively with colleagues and external partners and provide information and analysis to help the Foundation to develop new ways of working. They will work on briefings to support the Foundation’s communication and advocacy work. Location: London, United Kingdom. Deadline for applications is 23^rd January 2018.

Director, Fair by Design Programme; Assistant Manager, Connect Fund & Programme Officer, Connect Fund – Barrow Cadbury Trust: Barrow Cadbury Trust is seeking a Director for its Fair by Design Change Programme, which seeks to end the ‘poverty premium’ in 10 years. The poverty premium is a term for people in poverty paying more for goods and services, such as energy, insurance etc., than those with higher incomes. The Trust is also seeking an Assistant Manager and a Programme Officer for its Connect Fund programme; a £3m fund which supports intermediaries and infrastructure organisations to make social investment work better for a wider range of charities and social enterprises. Location: London, United Kingdom. Deadline for applications is 30^th January, 12^th February and 31^st January 2018 respectively.

Programme Officer – Open Society Foundations: The London office of the Open Society Foundations seeks a Programme Officer passionate about the economic advancement of marginalised economic actors. The successful candidate will have a deep understanding of the landscape of civil society actors engaging the Private sector and Government to deliver women’s economic empowerment. The role will work globally, focused on change in Africa, the Middle East and potentially Asia. Location: London, United Kingdom. Deadline for applications is 14^th February 2018.

Associate Programme Officer and Programme Officer – CS Mott Foundation: The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation is hiring an Associate Programme Officer for Education and a Programme Officer for Advancing Afterschool. The former will work in close collaboration with colleagues on the Education team and across the Foundation, to assist in implementing, monitoring and evaluating Education grantmaking activities. The latter will work in close collaboration with colleagues on the Education team and across the Foundation, to assist in developing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating the Advancing Afterschool grantmaking portfolio. Location: Flint MI, United States of America. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the position will be open until filled.

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

Public Meetings

ATHENS, GREECE

June 17^th – 23^rd
The 7th Annual Stavros Niarchos Foundation International Conference: This annual conference brings together speakers from the fields of academia and science, as well as representatives of other foundations and institutions. The aim of the conference is to present best practices, and become the ground for the exchange of ideas and discussion on the developments within the wider field of philanthropy. Each year’s theme varies depending on current challenges, keeping at its core the four program areas of the Foundation: Arts and Culture, Education, Health and Sports, and Social Welfare. The event will take place between 21st and 23rd June 2018 in Athens, Greece.

BERLIN, GERMANY

March 18^th – 24^th
2^nd European ChemSex Forum: Building on the 2016 European ChemSex Forum, a preliminary intelligence gathering and networking event, the 2nd European ChemSex Forum will call for concrete actions at the local level to provide strategic resources to ChemSex responders. Working together, participants will develop a platform to engage in international, cross-sector, multi-disciplinary dialogue around ChemSex – defined by the use of specific drugs (“Chems”) in a sexual context – and facilitate coordinated responses to ChemSex issues in locales where ChemSex related harm is a problem, regardless of its size and impact. The event will take place between 22^nd and 24^th March 2018 in Berlin, Germany.

January 21^st – 27^th
Tricky Business – Space for Civil Society in Natural Resources Struggles: Based upon research in India, Mexico, South Africa, and Philippines, the study Tricky Business: Space for Civil Society in Natural Resource Struggles, prepared by ECCHR and the Heinrich Böll Foundation, uncovers patterns and dynamics of shrinking civic spaces in the natural resource arena and elaborates on response strategies. The authors of the study Carolijn Terwindt and Christian Schliemann will present and discuss the findings at this joint event. Another panel, with human rights lawyer Kranti L.C., Executive Director of the Human Rights Law Network, will focus on India; reflecting on the current situation, dilemmas and tentative ways to respond to multiple forms of pressures. The event will take place on 24^th January 2018 in Berlin, Germany. To register, please email event@ecchr.eu.

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM

January 21^st – 27^th
Fighting Populism in Antwerp and Beyond: Populism is becoming widespread. The danger of this backward-looking nostalgia for an idealised past, half-truths and fake news pose a threat for free and open societies. How can and should democracies respond? How can liberal messages be better communicated? In what way can we bring big ideas and visions to citizens? What solutions tackling populism have already worked on the local level? Antwerp, amongst the most diverse cities in Europe, with a similarly diverse political landscape, will be the point of departure for this event’s discussion. It will ask, what can Europe learn from Antwerp and what can the city learn from others in terms of tackling populism? The event will take place on 27^th January 2018 in Brussels, Belgium.

January 21^st – 27^th
Journalism and Truth in the Time of Fake News: Young Professionals in Foreign Policy and FNF invite you to their event ‘Journalism and Truth in the Time of Fake News.’ While the extent of the influence of fake news on politics and security are still uncertain and difficult to evaluate, it does appear to be a major tool of manipulation and an emerging threat to democracy and pluralism.  This event will ask: How can and should governments act on this? What is the role of the EU in this context? What developments can we anticipate in the future? Speaker: Jakub Kalenský is a political reporter from Czech Republic and a member of the newly established East StratCom Task Force at the European External Action Service. Here, Jakub leads on awareness raising of the pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign and improving the EU’s response to this campaign. The event will take place on 22^nd January 2018 in Brussels, Belgium.

LONDON

February 4^th – 10^th
Academic Freedom and the New Populism: A new ‘populism’ is evident in a variety of countries. Experts and expertise are attacked as standing in the way of the popular will.  Universities are under new pressures from populist politicians. How should these pressures be resisted? Speaker Professor Michael Ignatieff was born in Canada, educated at the University of Toronto and Harvard, and is a university professor, writer and former politician. He is currently the Rector and President of Central European University in Budapest. The event will take place on 8^th February 2018 in London, United Kingdom.

February 18^th – 24^th
Lessons from Grenfell Tower – inequality and housing need, the Giant that still divides us: The crucially important role of social housing has been recognised following the Grenfell Tower disaster, which also laid bare the disconnect between the ‘elites’ and the most disadvantaged in society. This event will explore the link between inequality and housing, evidenced by the growing demand for low cost rented housing among those on the very lowest incomes. Unless the voices of communities and residents are heard and taken seriously, there is a risk that gaps in society will widen even further. Speakers: Danny Dorling, Professor of Human Geography at the University of Oxford; Lynsey Hanley, author of ‘Estates: An Intimate History’ and ‘Respectable: Crossing the Class Divide’; and Anne Power, Professor of Social Policy at LSE and Head of LSE Housing and Communities, a research group based within the Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion. The event will take place on 23^rd February 2018 in London, United Kingdom.

February 18^th – 24^th
International Trends in Philanthropy: This event, organised by Philanthropy Impact and STEP Philanthropy Advisors, will explore international trends in philanthropy to help advisors stay on top of the latest perspectives across different regions. An expert panel will examine the latest trends in international philanthropy and highlight the significance in the advice given to international clients. Regions to be covered include the UK, USA, Nordic countries and the Middle East. The event will take place on 21^st February 2018 in London, United Kingdom.

February 25^th – March 3^rd
Dispossession: The Great Social Housing Swindle: In 2017, housing rose to the top of the British political agenda for the first time in a generation. But, despite the media spotlight, few stories examined the catastrophic long-term failures that resulted in a chronic shortage of social housing in the UK. The International State Crime Initiative at Queen Mary University of London School of Law invites you to a screening of Dispossession: The Great Social Housing Swindle, followed by a panel discussion. The film explores the agenda behind the neglect, demolition and regeneration of council estates in the UK over the past thirty years. It reveals how individuals and communities are fighting against the state and private developers, as they try to save their homes from demolition, while investigating the decisions that turned a crisis into a tragedy. Dispossession is the story of people who know that housing is not an expensive luxury, but a fundamental human right. The event will take place on 28^th February 2018 in London, United Kingdom.

February 25 – March 3
Bond Conference and Awards 2018: The Bond Annual Conference brings together diverse organisations and thinkers to examine the biggest and most pressing issues, trends and challenges facing the development and humanitarian sectors. Whether you’re concerned about the future for NGOs, adapting to global changes, funding and alternative financing, current issues affecting policy and advocacy, strategic partnerships and effective leadership there is something for you in the wide-ranging programme. Join 1,000 INGOS, sector leaders, funders, government, private sector, academics and think tanks. Book using code ARIADNE15 for 15% off the nonmember rate. The event will take place between 26 and 27 February 2018 in London, United Kingdom.

April 22^nd – 28^th
Risk, Rights & Reputations – Challenging a Risk Averse Culture: Index on Censorship, What Next? And Cause4 invite you to a half day training for CEOs and Chairs of Trustees to support arts and cultural organisations to handle difficult subjects and sensitive stories to deliver the best work possible. Navigating the rights and responsibilities of art that explores socially sensitive work can appear daunting, risky and time-consuming; the prospect of controversy, protest, police intervention and possible closure or cancellation because the work is provocative, or the funder is controversial, can be powerful disincentives. And yet great art has always fuelled controversy, and experimentation and risk taking are integral to achieving excellent, relevant art. The training will support participants to: deepen their understanding of the legal and rights framework supporting artistic freedom in the UK; explore the impact on freedom of expression of BME artists of recent controversies in the arts; explore the dilemmas thrown up by ethical fundraising; and support organisations to understand when and how to build a relationship with the police in relation to controversial work. The event will take place on 25^th April 2018 in London, United Kingdom.

January 28^th – February 3^rd
The Library of Performing Arts Open: This Library of Performing Arts Open event will focus on The Official Unofficial Voting Station: Voting for All Who Legally Can’t, a project by artist Aram Han Sifuentes. There are 91 million people in the United States and its territories who cannot legally vote. Han Sifuentes and collaborators created Official Unofficial Voting Stations across the US and Mexico, which welcomed everyone to vote and offered spaces for the discontented and disenfranchised. In the face of Brexit, this LPR Open event asks what it means to create work in response to Article 21 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the fact that the will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government. Whose vote counts more and why? Han Sifuentes will talk about their work which will be contextualised with contributions from Amit Rai, academic and organiser, and Áine O’Brien, co-founder and co-director of Counterpoints Arts, whose research explores migration, human rights and creativity. The event will take place on 29^th January in London, United Kingdom.

NEW MEXICO, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

October 7^th – 13^th
International Funders for Indigenous Peoples’ 2018 Global Conference: The IFIP invites you to attend its Global Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which will highlight the vibrancy and challenges faced by Indigenous Peoples globally and by the local tribes and Pueblos. A day-long gathering of Indigenous-led Funds, will kick off the pre-conference activities, an opportunity to connect Indigenous funders, engage in peer learning, and advance opportunities for Indigenous Peoples. The conference will also include a funders’ retreat; a space only for funders to come together to reflect on the issues as peers, build relationships, and form collaborations. The event will take place between 7th and 10th October 2018 in New Mexico, United States of America. To join the planning committee, please email Ashley Hernandez at ashley@internationalfunders.org.

NEW YORK, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

April 8^th – 14^th
International Funders for Indigenous Peoples’ Learning Institute: IFIP is launching its inaugural Learning Institute in New York just before the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, and its faculty includes local and global prominent Indigenous leaders. The Learning Institute is a programme for funders, new and seasoned, who would like to grow their knowledge and experience on how to partner with Indigenous leaders, organisations, and communities in ways that respect their rights, cultures and self-determined development. The event will take place between 11th and 13th April 2018 in New York, United States of America.

OAKLAND, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

February 11^th – 17^th
Affinity Equity Summit and Solidarity Defence & Action Funder Briefing: In partnership with several affinity groups across different sectors, Human Rights Funders Network invite you to the Affinity Equity Summit on 12^th February and Solidarity Defense & Action Funder Briefing on 13^th February. The event will bring funders together across a multitude of sectors to connect and build a shared context on threats and opportunities in this challenging moment. The event will take place between 12^th and 13^th February 2018 in Oakland, CA, United States of America.

ONLINE

January 28^th – February 3^rd
Progressive Philanthropy Needs to Spur System Change: EDGE Funders Alliance invites you to register for the Just Transition Collaborative webinar series: “Progressive Philanthropy Needs to Spur System Change.” Participants will discuss frameworks for understanding systemic alternatives approaches around the world, and ways colleagues in philanthropy are incorporating these concepts and understanding into their daily work. Speakers will include: Arianne Shaffer, Indie Philanthropy and EDGE GEL; Pablo Solón, Fundación Solón; Connie Malek, True Costs Initiative; Kiti Kajana, Open Society Foundations; and Sofia Arroyo, Sacred Fire Foundation. This webinar is for funders only. The event will take place online on 30^th January 2018.

January 28^th – February 3^rd
Financing for Social Impact: how to better support social purpose organisations: This webinar will be an opportunity for participants to find out more about the latest EVPA report: “Financing for Social Impact – The Key Role of Tailored Financing and Hybrid Finance”. EVPA will discuss together with experienced practitioners of the VP/SI sector how tailored financing and hybrid finance can promote a more efficient and effective deployment of resources in the space, and represent a way to solve the existing funding gap that prevents social purpose organisations from gaining access to the capital needed for achieving self-sustainability and for scaling. Speakers: Anne Holm Rannaleet, IKARE Ltd; Johann Heep, Erste Group Bank; and Laura Kromminga, Ashoka UK. The event will take place on 31^st January 2018 online.