Uncategorized – Page 4 – Philanthropy for Social Justice & Peace

Thinking and Working Politically: A Way Forward on SDG 16

Posted on May 18, 2017May 18, 2017 by PSJP

By Debra Ladner SDG 16 recognizes that peace, justice, and accountable institutions are critical to sustainable, transformative, and inclusive development. It sets out ambitious targets on a range of issues from reducing violence and corruption, to combatting trafficking and organized crime, to ensuring legal identity for all. In doing so, SDG 16 provides a long-awaited…

May 17, 2017

The story of grassroots activism in Northern Ireland told by Avila Kilmurray

Much has been written about the history of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, but one story remains untold: that of the grassroots activism that maintained local communities in the face of violence. Community Action in a Contested Society: The Story of Northern Ireland, by Avila Kilmurray published in 2017 available now from Peter Lang Publishers, speaks through the voices of the activists themselves, drawn from both sides of a divided society.

Foundations and Risk: Webb Memorial Trust

Posted on May 16, 2017May 16, 2017 by Barry Knight

By Barry Knight In 2012, I conducted research for the European Foundation Centre into foundations and their attitude to risk. The main finding was that foundations are confused about risk. They commonly hold two opposing ideas in their minds. On the one hand 94% of our respondents agreed with the statement that ‘foundations have a…

Northern Ireland – peace, resilience and community activism

Posted on April 24, 2017May 16, 2017 by Avila Kilmurray

By Avila Kilmurray A recent study of community activism in Northern Ireland highlights resilience as a key outcome of the contribution of community action during times of both violence and tentative peacebuilding. In situations of protracted conflict, where abnormality becomes the norm, community-based organisation can create the necessary space for activists to articulate concerns and…

Challenging the Globalization Agenda

Posted on February 19, 2017 by PSJP

By Sarah Bahn and Manuel Montes In the 1980s and 1990s, the pressure on developing countries to embrace economic liberalization was overwhelming. They were bullied by global aid and trade organizations, such as the World Bank, into adopting reforms whose benefits were questionable and many argue hurt the poorest. Through its International Economic…

A Leap of Faith for Serious Change

Posted on January 31, 2017February 19, 2017 by Stephen Pittam

By Sarah Bahn and Stephen Pittam Five years ago the term ‘stranded assets’ was unknown; now it is central to financial markets thinking about the value of fossil fuel holdings. This is due to the work of the Carbon Tracker Initiative, funded in its early stages by grants from a handful of…

WINGS interview with Avila Kilmurray, author of ‘Funding in conflict-affected environments’

Posted on January 31, 2017January 31, 2017 by PSJP

“The economic and financial cost of conflict and violence in 2014 has been estimated to be US$14.3 trillion, or 13.4% of the global economy. Yet it is the human cost that is most devastating, rendering conflict the biggest obstacle to human development. . .Every day in 2014 conflicts and violence forced approximately 42,500 people to…

Can Physically Distant Funders Catalyze Local Leadership? (They Can!)

Posted on December 19, 2016February 19, 2017 by Atallah Kuttab

By Sarah Bahn and Atallah Kuttab Mission drives foundation work, and it can often point towards grassroots efforts. We know that local leadership is key to these efforts, but it can be challenging to navigate alignment of foundation practices with the execution of a local agenda from a distance. Fikra, a Brussels-based foundation created…

Challenge to philanthropy’s power – unshackled!

Posted on December 3, 2016 by Chandrika Sahai

Never before have I attended a philanthropy gathering of this scale where the conversations have been so open and honest about things that are wrong with mainstream philanthropy and ODA. The Global Summit for Community Philanthropy is a truly remarkable event that has moved the needle on the our understanding of philanthropy’s role in society…