Recent global events, including but not limited to the COVID-19 pandemic, have disruptive for everyone. The pandemic completely shifted the way civil society organisations (CSOs) work, showing that a different way of working is possible. At the same time, there has been a global outcry against systemic racism and colonialist practices – signalling a clear need for further inclusion and equity, feminist approaches, and accountability, among others. What we need is a power-shift. 

Accountability practices, when carried out in a horizontal, mutual, and continuous way, help organisations to redress power imbalances. Furthermore, accountability plays a huge role when it comes to tackling systemic challenges by ensuring that key values such as trust, inclusion, equity, flexibility remain at the core of organisations’ work. In this way, organisations are better placed to work towards more just and equal societies. 

To do good, organisations can no longer be reactive, they must be proactive. They must be able to understand and assess current and future challenges. Accountable Now’s Dynamic Accountability Dialogue #2: Accountable Future was an interactive workshop that brought together many organisations to identify and brainstorm on the accountability needs of organisations in 2023. 

See the outcomes here.

Accountable Now believes that to be truly accountable and to redress power imbalances where we truly work in equitable partnerships, CSOs should be driven by their values, led by promoting and fighting for the protection of human rights, ensuring that principles of do-no-harm guide their program and project work and prioritising activities by sustainability values – but more ‘radically’ by constantly questioning their ways of working and approach (how) and by becoming actively anti-racist.

For our first Dynamic Accountability Dialogues (held virtually May 23 – 25 2022) organisations, practitioners and donors came together to discuss and exchange ideas on how to continue advancing their organisational accountability in different thematic areas. Participants had the opportunity to reflect on how accountability can help tackle the different issues that CSOs are experiencing due to their inherent structures and internal dynamics.

This Peer-to-Peer meeting aimed at encouraging horizontal dialogue, sharing experiences and learning between Accountable Now Members and other CSO representatives to achieve a collective and continuous growth.

Following up on the conversations held around diversity, equity, and inclusion, we hosted a webinar ‘Being Accountable: Our Different Journeys Toward Inclusiveness, Diversity, and Shifting Power’.

Find out more and watch the video here.