Ariadne News & Events

Photo by Mathias P.R. Reding on Unsplash

REGISTER: GRANT SKILLS WEEK – FUNDING WITH A RACIAL JUSTICE LENS: What does the call for greater racial justice mean for European social change and human rights funders? How can funders help promote racial justice, even if they don’t have a dedicated funding programme on racial issues? During this Grant Skills Week on funding with a racial justice lens, we will examine what ‘structural or systemic racism’ means and how that concept might be relevant to your work, regardless of the primary focus of your funding, and we will explore the particular challenges facing anti-racism work in Europe. During the event, you will have the opportunity to hear from leading racial justice campaigners from across Europe and the UK and connect with peers who have been grappling with similar questions. This event is jointly organised by Ariadne and the Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity (PRE). Join us on Wednesday 23^rd and Thursday 24^th June. Click here to register.

REGISTER: WORKSHOP SERIES – TAKING A DEI APPROACH TO ADDRESSING DISCRIMINATION AND HARASSMENT: Drawing on the experiences of Ford Foundation and Open Society Foundations, as well as research collected by Ariadne and the Funder Safeguarding Collaborative, we are offering European foundations a peer-learning space to explore how they can address and support the prevention of harm within the philanthropic and civil society sector by better integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) values and principles into their work. Following the rise of the #metoo movement, allegations of sexual harassment with the civil society sector, including philanthropy, were brought to greater prominence. These issues were explored in Ariadne’s funder guide to preventing and responding to sexual harassment. Similarly, civil society and philanthropy are now reflecting on the racial discrimination and inequities brought to light by the Black Lives Matter movement. As these matters have come more into the open, foundations have had to respond to a growing number of allegations of discrimination and harassment, internally but also among the organisations they support. Participants will have the opportunity to work through case studies, hear from foundations that have developed comprehensive policies and procedures, and share their own challenges in a supportive environment. The third and final session, ‘Crafting your own approach’ will ask: What is our role as funders in prevention? What are best practices in prevention and encouraging DEI practices? What are internal barriers, and how can they be overcome? Click here to register to join us on Wednesday 2^nd June. If you missed the first two sessions, you can catch up here.

REGISTER: FUNDERS’ BRIEFING: THE EU ANTI-RACISM ACTION PLAN (EU ARAP): In June 2020, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced an ambitious EU Anti-Racism Action Plan (EU ARAP). For years, many voices, supported by evidence gathered by the EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA), pointed to persistent racial discrimination and inequalities in the EU. And, recently, the European Summit against Racism gathered ministers, MEPs, and various stakeholders to begin implementing the plan. So, is the EU doing all it can to solve the issue of racism in Europe? Not quite. The EU cannot of course do this alone, but its antiracism coordinator (announced in September) has not yet been appointed, and a letter signed by 45 European CSOs, which called on the European Commission to secure meaningful participation in the implementation of the EU ARAP, appears not to have been fully understood. Join this webinar to learn more about the EU ARAP. What are the next steps and the necessary conditions for its successful implementation? Is there anything missing which European philanthropy should be aware of? What do European CSOs recommend, to ensure the plan is successful? Are there any challenges related to shrinking civic space which are specific to anti-racism CSOs, and how can they be addressed? Speakers: Waltraud Heller, EU Fundamental Rights Agency; Julie Pascoët, European Network Against Racism; and Alfiaz Vaiya, Equinox Initiative for Racial Justice. Moderator: Karisia Gichuke, Open Society Foundations. Join us on Wednesday 9^th June, 16:00 – 17:00 CEST (world clock). Click here to register.

(DIGITAL POWER) OFFICE HOURS: MEET WITH MAYA: Maya Richman, the project lead of Ariadne’s digital power programme, would like to offer ‘office hours’ for the month of May/June for Ariadne members. Are you interested in discussing issues related to technology and data and the intersection of human rights? Are you looking for resources to inform your grantmaking but don’t know where to start? Book a 30-minute conversation with Maya here.

REGISTER: WEBINAR – EUROPEAN STATE OF HATE REPORT PRESENTATION FOR EUROPEAN FUNDERS: The European State of Hate Report is a new landmark piece of research that includes contributions from 34 leading scholars, researchers and activists from across the continent, as well as 32 country profiles. Through this presentation of the 2021 edition, the lead British, German and Swedish researchers will share the results of exclusive investigations into neo-Nazi organisations, QAnon and other conspiracy theories that have proliferated during Covid-19 lockdowns. They will also look at the racist backlash to the Black Lives Matter movement and the growth of eco-fascism among other increasingly digitally networked threats of particular relevance for European funders. The exchanges will be moderated by Avila Kilmurray of the Social Change Initiative (SCI), who will draw on insights from SCI research across Europe, with a spotlight on a recent study on Greece. Speakers: Simone Rafael, www.belltower.news, Amadeu Antonio Foundation; Daniel Poohl, EXPO Sweden; and Joe Mulhall, HOPE not hate. Join us on Monday 14^th June, 16:00-17:00 CEST (world clock). Click here to register.

BLOG: WHAT’S HAPPENING IN NORTHERN IRELAND AND WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT? In this blog, Martin O’Brien, Director of the Social Change Initiative (SCI), analyses the recent incidents in Northern Ireland and explores what politicians and philanthropy can do to remediate the situation.

BLOG SERIES: UPROOTING RACISM IN GRANTMAKING: In this blog series for Alliance Magazine, Paul Hamlyn Foundation’s Jane Tanner, Kamna Muralidharan, and Kate Hitchcock reflect on key learnings from some uncomfortable conversations about racism among European foundations. The authors participated in a series of anti-racism sessions last year hosted by Healing Solidarity and supported by Ariadne. In this series, they each share their experience of Healing Solidarity’s cohort learning (and un-learning) model to support development of anti-racist grantmaking practices.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT! 2021 ARIADNE FORECAST: Have you read the 2021 Ariadne Forecast yet? If no, why!? It looks at the challenges and opportunities this year might bring for grantees; how funder practice could change; which political events are likely to affect their work; what will become more important in the months ahead; and – perhaps most importantly – what to feel hopeful about. There are chapters on France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, and the UK, plus a broader, Global focus. Finding out about trends in European social change and human rights philanthropy for 2021. What’s not to like?

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

New Research, Articles and Judgements

On the human rights frontline: Human rights defenders continue to face arrest, and experience attacks, threats and repression during the Covid-19 pandemic and yet 94% of HRDs interviewed received little support from the UK government in response to attacks according to research carried out by the Centre for Applied Human Rights, Amnesty International and a range of NGOs working in the field. See also, report, ‘20 years on: Reinvigorating state implementation of the declaration on human rights defenders through a global network’ and report, ‘Artists as defenders: Disability art as a means to mobilise human rights.’

A greener, fairer future: Why leaders need to invest in climate and girls’ education: Malala Fund’s new report estimates that in 2021 climate-related events will prevent at least four million girls in low- and lower-middle-income countries from completing their education. If current trends continue, by 2025 climate change will be a contributing factor in preventing at least 12.5 million girls from completing their education each year. Yet evidence shows that closing gender gaps in education can help countries better adapt to the effects of climate change and decrease the rate and impact of global warming. A greener, fairer future outlines the origins of the climate emergency and explains how confronting issues like the legacy of colonialism, racial discrimination and gender inequality through education is key to finding a sustainable solution to the crisis. The paper introduces the Gender-Equal Green Learning Agenda, a new framework to help leaders address the climate crisis through education.

Why protesting as an immigrant feels impossible: When protesting can affect your immigration status, who really gets to have a voice, asks the author of this article for gal-dem.

New Brave World: The power, opportunities and potential of pop culture for social change in the UK: In this  report, authors Alice Sachrajda and Marzena Zukowska explore the power of cultural currents, the opportunities to harness narrative power through content on television, and they begin to shine a light on the vast, unexplored potential of pop culture for social change in the UK. The report profiles emerging and leading innovators who are using culture to build power in the movements for racial justice, migrants’ rights, LGBTQ+ equality and disability justice. The report focuses on areas of pop culture where there is momentum for narrative change, and in particular, television, film, and gaming as opportunities for exploration. It also lifts up examples of inspiration from the Pop Culture Collaborative and its ecosystem of grantees.

Our stories and visions: Gender in black immigrant communities: In response to the lack of care, attention, and acknowledgement of the Black Immigrant woman’s perspective, The Black Alliance for Just Immigration’s (BAJI) report provides a gendered perspective on the Black immigrant experience and its impact on the mental health of Black immigrant women and femmes. Through this report, BAJI is able to not only offer deeper understanding and context to the struggles of Black immigrant women and femmes, but also direction and means for healing in the long-term. The report is a testament of resilience not only to the people whose stories are told, but also a testament of determination to correct the wrongdoings that are being addressed.

Europe: Increase in pre-trial detention rates erodes rule of law: A new briefing from Fair Trials shows that pre-trial detention increased across Europe in 2020 despite the serious health risks created by detaining people during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a number of Member States, including Poland, Hungary and France, the number of people being held in prison while waiting for a trial has increased steadily over the past five years. This increase is a sign that the rule of law continues to decline across the European Union, and Fair Trials are calling for the European Commission to include pre-trial detention in its current discussions with Member States in preparation for the 2021 Rule of Law monitoring report.

Regulating border tech experiments in a hostile world: We are facing a growing panopticon of technology that limits people’s movements, their ability to reunite with their families, and at the worst of times, their ability to stay alive. Power and knowledge monopolies are allowed to exist because there is no unified global regulatory regime governing the use of new technologies, creating laboratories for high-risk experiments with profound impacts on people’s lives, writes Petra Molnar in this article for the EDRi network.

EU’s AI law needs major changes to prevent discrimination and mass surveillance: The European Commission has launched its proposed regulation on artificial intelligence (AI). As governments and companies continue to use AI in ways that lead to discrimination and surveillance, the proposed law must go much further to protect people and their rights. This article from the EDRi network shares a deeper analysis and includes some initial recommendations for change.

Blogs and Other Sites of Interest

DOCUMENTARY: Makana, women on the frontlines fighting the extractive industry and climate change: Nancy Burneo and Melissa Moreano have released a beautiful documentary (en español) about indigenous women against extractivism.

PLATFORM: Hive Mind: In today’s digital world, our freedom of information is being challenged by sophisticated misinformation and disinformation tactics. The HIVE MIND platform from TechSoup is here to assist your grantee partners in their journey of digital transformation and to support these freedoms by building media literacy skills throughout civil society and in communities where people come together to form trust and social ties.

SITE: name.pn: These days we do a lot of our communicating electronically. We can see a person’s name a dozen times and: never learn how to pronounce it the way they want it to be pronounced; not know what pronouns to use when talking about them in the third person; want to address them formally but not know what title to use (or even if they want to be addressed by a title); or hear them being called by a shortened version of their name and not know if they actually like it. name.pn was created to give each person a short URL that you can put in your email signature and your social profiles that gives people all the information they need to address you correctly, including a chance to hear you pronouncing your name in your own voice.

PROGRAMME: Leading Beyond Borders, Emerging Leader 2021: Clore Social Leadership is inviting applications for a (free) intensive six-month online programme designed for emerging leaders operating in the Migration and Refugee sector who seek to enhance and refine their leadership capabilities and make a real and lasting impact within the sector and the communities they serve.

PODCAST: ‘We are witnessing a crime against humanity’: Arundhati Roy on India’s Covid catastrophe: It’s hard to convey the full depth and range of the trauma, the chaos and the indignity that people are being subjected to. Meanwhile, Modi and his allies are telling us not to complain, says Arundhati Roy in this episode of The Guardian Long Read podcast.

SERIES: The Imagined Futures Series: In the spirit of thinkers such as Stuart Hall, Angela Davis, Franz Fanon and Claudia Jones, the ‘Imagined Futures’ series seeks to forge a space wherein the language of possibility can be nurtured. Stuart Hall Foundation asked a number of artists, writers and thinkers to draw links between resistance and the imagination; between life as it is lived and the world of ideas; between past struggles, instances of resistance and emancipatory futures. The result is a collection of thoughtful articles that speak to the conditions of the contemporary moment in order to assert that other worlds are possible.

TOOL: DEI Data Standard: The DEI Data Group is an independent working group convened by Fozia Irfan and Josh Cockroft and includes a range of foundations and funders from across the United Kingdom. The key thread that connects these foundations is the understanding that without an effective framework to capture DEI data there can be no effective action to identify and target funding to address structural inequalities. This led to the creation of the DEI Data Standard.

BLOG: Persons with disabilities need to be included in the climate conversation, and how philanthropy can help make that happen: In this blog for Alliance Magazine, Peter Kostishack, Vice President and Director of Programs at the Global Greengrants Fund, writes how, while climate justice movements have been a platform to amplify the voices and power of a diverse group of communities including women, people of colour, and Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities continue to be disproportionately underrepresented in the climate conversation.

MAGAZINE: +972: Looking for a good source of independent journalism from Israel-Palestine? Take a look at +972 magazine. Other organisations monitoring the situation include Gisha and Al Mezan.

Grant-Making

Booska paper: Booska paper exposes structural racism in the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector and explores the impact of the pandemic on funding attitudes in the UK. It highlights the issues that need to be addressed to help us create a more just and racially equitable society where all communities can flourish. Booska paper amplifies the voice of black and minoritised community leaders in the sector echoing what is being said in other quarters and has been said over many years. See also, blog, ‘The true takeaway of UK’s race report is the anti-racism work that remains. Here’s what funders can do.’

Philanthropy and the case for reparations: Organised by Decolonizing Wealth Project and Liberated Capital, the online event explored how to address the ‘racial wealth gap’ and argues for reparations as the way forward. Recordings of part one and part two are available online.

Core grants: the long and winding road to transformative funding: This paper, jointly developed by Laudes Foundation and INTRAC, examines the use of core grants – a flexible funding mechanism with a unique set of advantages and disadvantages. In it, author Rod MacLeod defines the core grant concept, how such grants are used, and their strengths. The paper then examines their weaknesses and seeks to explain their limited adoption. It concludes that core grants, if properly deployed, can have a transformative impact on recipient organisations. They can enable both donors and recipients to achieve their objectives more effectively. Such successes depend, the paper argues, on a courage to take risks, to accept reduced control, to take a broader view about measuring impact, and to be honest about potential downsides. See also, blog: ‘Core Grants: Why isn’t everyone doing them?’

Funder Collaboration Toolkit: The Funder Collaboration toolkit has been specifically designed for foundations, trusts, and philanthropists – large and small – as well as government bodies who are interested in starting a new funder collaboration or are developing an existing one and are looking for practical resources to make that process an easier one.

Shifting the Field: Philanthropy’s role in strengthening child- and youth-led community rooted groups: There’s a growing recognition that many of the gains of the last quarter century, particularly for the most vulnerable and marginalised children, are at risk of stagnation or reversal. Increasingly, we understand that shifting money to the grassroots level, particularly for work led by children and youth themselves, holds significant potential to transform our level of impact. This new report from Elevate Children Funders Group maps current practice in philanthropic support for child- and youth-led work at the community level and offers strategic advice to donors on how to strengthen their funding modalities to achieve greater impact. The report provides practical recommendations to funders who want to #ShiftThePower to child and youth-led work at the community level and ensure their practices have real impact.

Funder commitment on climate change: Year 1: The Funder Commitment on Climate Change is a holistic, high-level framework for foundations – whatever their size, mission, or area of benefit – to play their part in tackling the causes and impacts of climate change. It was launched in November 2019, and since June 2020 has been hosted by the Association of Charitable Foundation (ACF). This UK initiative has inspired foundation networks in France and Spain to develop parallel commitments, and there are also plans for national commitments in other states and a global version. One year on, this report shares the progress made so far.

The knowledge capsule – Exploring new ways to communicate local philanthropy: In this blog for dafne (Donors and Foundations Network in Europe), Alina Porumb of INSPIRE shares how the COVID-19 pandemic allowed them to explore new ways of communicating community philanthropy.

Re-imagining feminist philanthropy in Poland: Feminist movements face growing hostility in Poland due to political unrest and shrinking civic space driven by the rise of ultra-right authoritarianism. In this blog for Alliance Magazine, Bethan Cansfield and Chiara de Luca from Sigrid Rausing Trust look at FemFund, which is re-imagining feminist philanthropy in Poland.

The next Thread will go out on Thursday 17^th June. We would love to hear from you! Please contact Hannah Stevens by Tuesday 15^th June if you would like to share announcements, events, or resources for the next issue.

Jobs and Tenders

Consultancy – Global Dialogue: Global Dialogue is looking to commission an independent consultant or consultants to research and report on the infrastructure needs of the antiracist movement in the UK. The consultant/s will co-design a method of inquiry that is accountable and thorough, using interviews, existing funder movement research and other tools to gather the information that will ultimately be written up into the report. The report will be shared widely as a resource for the antiracist organisations and movement actors, as well as Global Dialogue partners and funders. Location: Flexible/remote. Deadline for applications is 2^nd June.

Senior Programme Officer (Community Resources) – Wikimedia Foundation: Wikimedia Foundation is seeking a Senior Programme Officer to co-design and implement a grantmaking strategy to grow the Foundation’s communities of volunteers, empower their existing communities to be more effective in their work, and ensure that community investments are made more equitably around the world. The successful candidate will make grants to Wikimedia affiliates and free knowledge ecosystem partners and individuals, with an emphasis on those who are organising seedling efforts to sprout communities in emerging parts of the world. Location: Remote, preferably USA. Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Programme Associate (Sexual Health and Rights) – American Jewish World Service: American Jewish World Service seeks an entry-level Programme Associate to provide largely administrative and some programmatic support for the Sexual Health and Rights department. The successful candidate will help maintain systems, support the collection of budget and programme data, and communicate key information about AJWS programmes for internal and external use. The Programme Associate will also provide broader administrative and logistical support to the department and to the Programmes Division. Location: New York, USA. Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Grants Administration Officer – Mama Cash: Mama Cash is recruiting a Grants Administration Officer with a love for figures and feminism and understands the needs of grantee-partners and donors alike. The successful candidate will have a hawk eye for accuracy and detail without losing sight of the bigger picture, find pride in flawless administration, and know how to read a budget and a financial report. Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Deadline for applications is 2^nd June.

Head of Regional Funding (Yorkshire and Humber) – The National Lottery Community Fund: The National Lottery Community Fund is recruiting a Head of Region, who will maximise the impact of funding and lead the strategic direction and management of the Yorkshire and Humber regional portfolio. The successful candidate will be accountable for all aspects of strategic and operational management within the region, including local prioritisation, grant budget management, operational excellence, and key stakeholder management. Location: Leeds, UK. Deadline for applications is 6^th June.

Director (Climate Justice) – Open Society Foundations: Open Society Foundations is seeking a Director of Climate Justice to act as the principal strategist for the organisation’s engagement on climate change and environmental justice issues globally. The Director will leverage the new draft strategic frame that OSF is building on climate change, focused on supporting just, low-carbon and resilient transformations, particularly in the global south, to build a centre of excellence and thought leadership that steers and guides how campaigns and initiatives on climate are deployed across the network. Location: Berlin, London or New York. Deadline for applications is 6^th June.

Programme Officer (Housing and Homelessness Programme) – Oak Foundation: Oak Foundation is looking for a Programme Officer who will take responsibility for developing and managing a portfolio of national organisations in the UK and the US. The successful candidate will have extensive experience of working in relevant sectors such as housing and homelessness, race equity, anti-poverty, and across policy and practice. They will also be adept at making connections between policy and practice; committed to engaging with grassroots movements; and value the process of involving people with lived experience. Location: London, UK. Deadline for applications is 7^th June.

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

Public Meetings

ONLINE

May 24^th
Civic space after COVID: A global conversation on emergency powers, fundamental freedoms, and the way forward after the pandemic: The International Center for Not-for-Profit Law and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency are hosting a high-level virtual conversation on emergency measures, fundamental freedoms, and revitalising civic space in the wake of COVID-19. The 2-hour interactive session will bring together experts from civil society, governments, international organisations, and more to discuss practical ways these sectors and allies can work together to ensure emergency measures are extinguished as soon as possible. Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in Arabic, French, Russian, and Spanish. The online event will take place on 24^th May.

May 25^th
Taxation, philanthropy and implications for practice: The relationship between taxation and philanthropic giving poses a number of fundamental questions:  What is the goal of tax relief for donations, and is it justified? Are tax incentives designed in a fair and efficient manner? Is taxation a macro factor that can be influenced by individual organisations and is collective action needed? Based on the findings of the OECDs Taxation and Philanthropy report, Dr Giedre Lideikyte Huber and Hanna Surmatz will answer these questions and more. The online event will take place on 25^th May.

May 25^th
Voices of Uyghur camp survivors: A conversation with Gülbahar Jalilova: Over a million Uyghur and Turkic Muslim people are held in internment camps in the Uyghur region, exposed to harsh detention conditions, sexual violence, and the suppression of culture and religious practice. Gülbahar Jalilova was arbitrarily detained for sixteen months: now in exile, she’s decided to speak out on what she’s been through as a woman detainee. Last February, ten UN independent experts wrote to the Chinese government about her case, raising grave concern about violations of international human rights and requesting explanations. This event will explore the impact of this letter and what the UN can do to push for greater documentation, accountability, and justice for victims. The online event will take place on 25^th May.

May 26^th
Human rights in times of crises: Resistance and concrete utopias: Human rights are a concrete utopia worth defending. But in times of profound global transitions, how to defend them must be reinvented. Human rights actors need to refer to prevailing inequalities and must include decolonial, feminist and environmental perspectives.  This seven-part event series will bring together social movements, human rights activists, and scholars to rethink and discuss how to reshape our alliances in the face of global human rights struggles. The first online event of the series will take place on 26^th May.

May 26^th
‘Violent extremism’, gender and human rights: This conference invites critical dialogue on the security measures which seek to address violence deemed ‘violent extremism’ and ‘terrorism,’ particularly as enacted under the security architecture known as ‘Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism’ (P/CVE). Throughout the conference, a variety of experts will offer inputs on the phenomenon of P/CVE, the impact of the pandemic on security and the rise of violent extremist ideologies, and the importance of intersectional approaches to the development and enactment of violence prevention. The online event will take place on 26^th May.

May 26^th
The impact of COVID-19 on human trafficking in Sudan: This event will discuss the findings of a research project investigating the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on modern slavery and human trafficking in Sudan. The event will also launch the project report, ‘The Impacts of Covid-19 on Human Trafficking in Sudan: A Case Study of Transition.’ The online event will take place on 26^th May.

May 27^th
‘Linguistic expectations’: Putting the right words into practice: Building on the findings and suggestions from the recent ACF blog ‘Linguistic Expectations’, this workshop will bring together funders from a range of backgrounds to explore and design practical solutions to barriers facing applicants with English as a second or third language. Funders who have already started to change policies and practices will share their experience, and participants will obtain new ideas for changes to back to their organisation. The online event will take place on 27^th May.

ONLINE

May 27^th
Celebrating 20 years of The Sunday Times Giving List: Women in philanthropy: Women giving to causes they care about is nothing new. But shining a light on their progressive approach is. Female philanthropists have questioned, collaborated on, and supported a broad spectrum of issues. In this event, Big Win Philanthropy Chair and President Jamie Cooper, The Sunday Times Giving List editor Alastair McCall and other leading voices will discuss the enormous impact women have made in philanthropy over the last 20 years. The online event will take place on 27^th May.

May 27^th
#ShiftThePower: What power and how far has it shifted? Large international aid agencies have not made a difference in developing countries, in spite of their imposing size and budgets. Instead, local communities have begun to turn to indigenous forms of support and small grassroots NGOs to provide the amenities and services they require. In this event, panellists will answer questions including: To what extent has the concept of #ShiftThePower been proved? What are the implications for bigger funders where local development has taken hold? What will it take to really shift power? The online event will take place on 27^th May.

May 28^th
Attacks on civil society in Egypt – WHRD perspectives: Azza Soliman is an internationally renowned human rights defender and lawyer and former fellow on the Protective Fellowship Scheme at the Centre for Applied Human Rights, University of York. In this talk. Azza will discuss the current state of civil society in Egypt, where numerous human rights lawyers have been threatened, persecuted and detained in the past few years. What is the future outlook for civil society actors and human rights defenders in Egypt? What are their hopes? The online event will take place on 28^th May.

June 8^th
Open House: Climate action intersectional peer groups for foundations and funders: The impacts of climate change are putting philanthropic missions at risk everywhere and in every field. The next 10 years are decisive, and philanthropy has great potential to become a leading force in supporting and accelerating the necessary transformational changes needed in our societies, economies, and politics. Dafne invites foundations and funders active in health, disadvantaged groups and arts and culture to join the Open House event when these peer exchange opportunities will be launched. The online event will take place on 8^th June.

June 10^th
LitTalks: Global Challenges for Europe: HRFN LitTalks seek to bridge the gap between activism and philanthropy by bringing together global perspectives from the field to discuss solutions to the issues of today. This webinar will explore various European topics such as the rise of the far-right, the impact of Brexit and COVID-19 and the future relationships with Russia and the United States. The online event will take place on 10^th June.

June 15^th
The Guardian at 200: Humanitarian issues and the power of the media: This event will ask how media reporting on humanitarian issues has changed over the past 20 years, how it could become more progressive and how the Western media can utilise its power to better the lives of vulnerable people. Annie Kelly, an award-winning human rights journalist for the Guardian and Observer, will chair a panel including Lindsey Hilsum, international editor for Channel 4 News and Waad Al-Kateab, Syrian journalist, and creator of the BAFTA-winning documentary For Sama and Professor of Cultural History and executive director of the Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute, Bertrand Taithe. The online event will take place on 15^th June.

June 16^th
COVID-19 and domestic abuse: A year in reflection and what’s next?  Pre-COVID-19, local Women’s Aids and schools provided a safe space for women and children away from their abuser. COVID-19 has exacerbated levels of domestic abuse. With lockdown restrictions and many people working from home, women and children are trapped in the home with the abuser. In this session, speakers will discuss the challenges and opportunities of the lockdown and women and young people will share their experiences. The online event will take place on 16^th June.