Month: March 2024

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Novedades

Our Members: FUSA for Comprehensive Health with a Gender and Rights Perspective Civil Association

Recently, we had the pleasure of meeting with the team from FUSA, an organization committed to comprehensive and quality health. During our visit, we discussed their projects, achievements, and challenges for the upcoming year. We also collaborated in co-creating strategies and actions to strengthen networking and coordination with other development actors.

FUSA has an experienced team in interdisciplinary work with people of all ages and gender identities in the field of health. Their main goal is to improve people’s quality of life through the promotion, prevention, and comprehensive health care from a gender and human rights perspective.

In addition to providing safe health spaces, FUSA works on important issues related to sexual and reproductive health, such as combined HIV and STI prevention, comprehensive sexual education, and the introduction of contraceptive methods.

Learn more about their work by visiting their website.

Thank you for having us!

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Novedades

CAF Shares Findings from Its Research: What the Public Thinks of Charities Using AI

A survey conducted by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), involving over 6,000 individuals across 10 countries, reveals the opinions of donors and the general public regarding the use of AI by charitable organizations.

The study unveils both concerns and opportunities. While the majority sees more opportunities than concerns, there are worries about potential risks such as workforce reduction within organizations and data gaps. The vast majority (70%) believe significant or some effort should be made to make AI accessible to charities of different sizes, while only one-fifth (21%) believe no additional effort should be made.

Despite the concerns, the public recognizes AI’s potential to enhance disaster response and broaden the reach of humanitarian aid. However, there is a clear preference for initiatives that have a direct impact on those in need.

There is also a demonstrated need for transparent communication for greater reliability by stakeholders. When asked, “If a charity you support were using AI, how much attention would you pay to what they publicly say about how they are using it?” only 13% said not much or none at all.

This study marks the beginning of a deeper analysis of AI’s implications for charitable organizations. Although AI presents challenges, such as the risk of biases, there is clear potential to enhance the efficiency and impact of charitable organizations. Transparency and communication will be key to gaining public trust and ensuring ethical and effective use of AI.

You can read the full report here.

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Novedades

Foreign Aid Reaches Record Level in 2022

In a significant increase, foreign aid from the members of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) surged to a historic high of $211 billion in 2022. This substantial increase, representing a 17% real-term rise compared to the previous year, underscores a renewed commitment to drive economic development and well-being in developing countries.

The increase can be attributed to higher spending on processing and hosting refugees within donor countries, as well as extensive support provided to Ukraine amid its current challenges. This uptick in aid exemplifies a collective effort among DAC members to address urgent global issues.

Key figures and trends:

  • Spending on refugee costs “between donors” reached a substantial $31 billion, accounting for 14.6% of official development assistance (ODA).
  • Excluding these costs, ODA still increased by an impressive 7.3% compared to 2021.
  • DAC member countries collectively contributed $17.8 billion in ODA to Ukraine in 2022, with a significant portion allocated to humanitarian aid.
  • Multilateral organizations, particularly EU institutions, played a crucial role by providing $10.8 billion to support Ukraine.
  • Specifically, four DAC members (Germany, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden) reached or exceeded the 0.7% ODA/GNI target, reflecting a firm commitment to global development.

Official development assistance (ODA) is a vital lifeline that channels resources to countries and territories in need, with a primary focus on promoting economic development and well-being. ODA excludes military aid and initiatives solely aimed at promoting donors’ security interests.

You can access the full report here.

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Novedades

OECD Presents Report on Strengthening Civil Society

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released the report on “Strengthening Civil Society,” highlighting the crucial role they play in promoting the Agenda 2030 and democratizing access to rights. This report emphasizes the importance of creating favorable environments for civil society to enhance its effectiveness and continue driving positive changes, especially in the realm of international development and humanitarian assistance.

NGOs are vital agents of change, amplifying the voices of marginalized communities and promoting inclusive development processes. However, they face challenges such as limited resources, legal restrictions, and accountability issues.

The OECD report underscores the need to create environments that respect, protect, and promote civic space, empowering NGOs to maximize their impact. By fostering dialogue, supporting capacity-building efforts, and aligning funding mechanisms with policy objectives, stakeholders can unlock the potential of civil society in driving sustainable development.

Key recommendations:

Respect, protect, and promote civic space. Support and collaborate with civil society. Incentivize effectiveness, transparency, and accountability of NGOs.

The report also highlights practices for measuring success. Strengthening civil society can be measured by the presence of policies supporting NGOs, steps taken to respect and protect civic space, and active participation of NGOs in policy formulation and implementation processes. Furthermore, success entails ensuring that administrative and financial requirements are proportionate, emphasizing learning and adaptation in results management, and promoting transparency and accountability within NGOs.

The OECD’s “Strengthening Civil Society” report urges governments, donors, and civil society actors to prioritize creating conducive environments that empower NGOs.

You can access the full report here.

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Novedades

We’re making progress in RACI’s Strategic Planning!

At RACI, we are committed to strengthening ourselves as a team and as a network at the national, regional, and international levels. Therefore, we have been working on our strategic planning to build a more solid and collaborative future.

During this process, we explored innovative ideas and key directions that will enable us to face the challenges of the constantly changing environment in which we operate. From creating collaborative spaces with network members to thoroughly analyzing the complex context in which we operate, we have been committed to identifying the best practices and strategies to advance towards our common goals.

Additionally, we have dedicated time to review and define the areas of work that will guide our actions in the coming years. We are happy to share these advancements and hope that we can continue building a stronger and more effective network.

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Get to know the current situation of NGOs in Argentina

Since 2019, we have been part of the “Civil Society Network for Consolidating Democracy” (Sociedad Civil en Red), a project co-financed by the European Union that seeks to strengthen the participation of Argentine civil society in the creation and implementation of public policies.

In this second stage of the project, we are conducting research on the current situation of organizations throughout the country, with the active participation of over 500 organizations.

To achieve this, we first worked on the creation of five regional nodes formed by our networks and partner organizations. These nodes are: Center, Patagonia, NEA, NOA, and Cuyo.

This detailed analysis is crucial for understanding the demands and needs of Argentine civil society.

We believe that this valuable diagnosis will guide our actions to strengthen the voice of organizations in the creation of public policies.

Civil Society in Network is a multi-stakeholder space formed by FEDEFA, Red Encuentro, GDFE, Foro del Sector Social, Red Banco de Alimentos, and RACI, which seeks to strengthen democracy.

Learn more about SCR and access the full report.