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.