Day 02. Activating Civic Futures
Civil Society: Facilitating Futures for All!
Tuesday June 23, 12:00pm EDT
🔌 Talk, 45 minute session
We have been asking ourselves, what does "futures for all" look like if we truly want inclusiveness? For “futures for all” we need to be hyper-intentional and action-oriented to facilitate the inclusion of all. Who is better placed than civil society to take this on? Might civil society be at the helm of this transformation? In this session, we want to give a voice to some of the perceptions, hopes, and desires of civil society from the global south on inclusive futures, bringing in experiences of civil society organizations from Africa and Latin America. We’ll share preliminary results of a futures research project that digs into what civil society practitioners consider futures for themselves, their context and countries. We want this session to be a conversation, we want YOU to bring in your own examples of civil society in your own country and context.
Here’s a taste of what we’ll be exploring during our chat:
Futures for all means *inclusive* futures.
Today was not designed to be inclusive. Our governance systems have created inequalities that continue to worsen.
The failings of these systems prompted the emergence of a third sector: civil society. From non-governmental organizations, media, and philanthropists.
Historically, civil society has been responsible for holding power to account and increasing social and political justice in our society. Traditionally, the role of civil society has been to facilitate inclusive societies as watchdogs, ethical guardians or advocates for the marginalized or under-represented.
Today, civil society is busy working towards this more just society for all. While they lack the resources to fight inequality, they have honed the skills and gained the trust to facilitate inclusiveness. It sometimes feels like they are constantly playing catch up, without reaching their full potential.
Looking forward, civil society is increasingly being invited to participate in the design of more inclusive futures. Still, they are facing a tension between their work on an inclusive today versus inclusive futures. They are bogged down by limitations particular to the civil society sector, locking them into a that is playing catch-up with inclusiveness.
What might resolving that tension require and look like in these times?
Nonso Jideofor
Co-Founder and Co-Director, Agency
I am the Co-Director and Co-Founder of Agency, a south-by-south organization that works to advance the resilience and future-preparedness of civil society. I have extensive experience supporting civil society organizations, coalitions, and networks in the global south, particularly in Sub Saharan Africa, using mixed methods from design thinking, design research and ethnographic research. As a systems thinker and human centered designer, I have worked with government agencies, civil society organizations and coalitions on diverse projects and programs, ranging from public health systems, service delivery, public procurement, open data, open government, media development and civic technology. As the Sub-Saharan Regional lead at The Engine Room, I supported many transparency and anti-corruption organizations across the region to leverage data and tech for their advocacy and engagement goals, from Kenya, Nigeria, Malawi, South Africa, Uganda, and Sierra Leone to other countries in Eastern Europe and Latin America. At social impact firm, Reboot, I led program management in West Africa, for media development, open government and open data. Prior to working in international development, my background is in business administration and started a few business and social enterprise’s. Through The Engine Room, Reboot and Caerus Associates, I have worked on several World Bank, the UN and DFID projects .I am from and based in Abuja, Nigeria.
Anca Matioc
Co-Founder and Co-Director, Agency
I'm the Co-Founder and Co-Director of Agency, a south-by-south organization that works to advance the resilience and future-preparedness of civil society. Over the last ten years, I’ve allied with dozens of civil society across the global south, particularly in Latin America, to help them with their organizational growth and strategy in their work as advocates and activists. Through design methods, facilitation, and intensive needs-based direct support, I have been able to strengthen civil society organizations, coalitions and networks working on issues ranging from anti-corruption, transparency and accountability to human rights. Formerly the Latin American and later Global lead of Matchbox at The Engine Room, I worked with dozens of nascent and well established advocacy organizations to strategically integrate data and tech into their projects and organizations in a holistic, impactful way. At the Chilean Ciudadano Inteligente, I co-founded and led Desarrollando America Latina, the regional network of 16 organizations in 12 countries working to open data related to social change and AbreLatAm, the annual open data and open government event from the region. I'm a political scientist with a MPA in Development Studies from Columbia University. I'm originally from Romania, grew up in the States, lived in Chile, and am currently based in Mexico.