Updates

Unheard Voices Are Needed to Focus the Ambitions for Haiti's Reconstruction
Source: ATD
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How Extreme Poverty Separates Parents and Children
Source: ATD
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‘Partner, not enemy': Depoliticising civic space in Nicaragua
Source: Mark Nowottny (Civil Society Index, CIVICUS) and Adam Nord (Civil Society Watch, CIVICUS)
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Haiti: Picture of a massive long-term needs
Source: The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, 29 January 2010
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Press Release:
CIVICUS urges the Nicaraguan Government to make Civil Society its partner in development
27 January 2009. Johannesburg, South Africa

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Stories from Haiti (II): Healing hearts and minds
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Stories from Haiti (I): An orphan's story
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Press Release:
Pan-African solidarity with Haiti

22nd January 2010, Johannesburg.
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Uzbekistan accuses artist of libel for her ethnographic work
Sonia Zilberman, CIVICUS' Civil Society Watch program
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CIVICUS solidarity mission to Nicaragua
Since early 2009 CIVICUS' Civil Society Watch programme has noted a serious trend of increasing threats to civil society
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The aftermath of Haiti's quake
By Anabel Cruz

Chair of the CIVICUS Board
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Join CIVICUS' Team
CIVICUS is seeking to recruit a Resource Mobilisation Manager to focus on the development of new funding opportunities for the organisation, as well as support the management and expansion of the established donor base. (Click here for details)
 
Join CIVICUS' Board
It is our pleasure to invite you to submit nominations for the upcoming CIVICUS Board elections.
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"From Political Won't to Political Will":
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ltafin.jpg The growing prominence of civil society around the world brings with it a greater public responsibility and accountability. The Legitimacy, Transparency and Accountability (LTA) Programme is committed to the enhancement of legitimacy, transparency and accountability of civil society organisations (CSOs) - as well as the public trust in CSOs - by improving their individual and collective governance.

It also builds on CIVICUS efforts to promote new, more participative and accountable models of governance and partnership. The LTA Programme, is an initiative to promote ethical practice and agreed codes of conduct for civil society organisations (CSOs), as well as for funders, governments and business.

This programme aims to build the capacity for CSOs to respond to challenges to their roots, authority, and right to speak on behalf of broader constituencies. Ultimately the programme is aimed at strengthening the influence and public standing of CSOs, and their ability to act effectively, with integrity and for the public good. It relates to CIVICUS vision of a society in which the roles of civil society in development and governance are recognised, respected and fulfilled.

"We must be the change we wish to see in this world." - Mahatma Gandhi

"Good governance is perhaps the single most important factor in eradicating poverty and promoting development." - Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations

General Objectives

The specific objectives of the programme are to:

  • Advance the international debate on CSO LTA;
  • Generate increased capacity, tools and resources to improve the quality and functioning of CSO boards and other formal CSO oversight mechanisms;
  • Promote cross-learning and knowledge sharing amongst CSOs on improving LTA mechanisms, while building on current best practices in this regard and;
  • Generate wider commitment to the principles and values of LTA.

Approach


The LTA programme provides a platform for CSOs to come together to reflect on and assess the current state of civil society's legitimacy, transparency and accountability, as well as share past experiences and aspirations for the future. By guiding and facilitating global and national consultations on LTA issues and developing capacity-building resources in regions and countries, the programme also promotes concerted responses to challenges on LT&A. CIVICUS works through its global membership base and associated networks to make a substantial contribution to improving civic engagement and the quality of citizen participation.

A full version of the LTA scoping paper "Civil Society Legitimacy and Accountability: Issues and Challenges," by Jagadananda, CIVICUS and David Brown, Center for Nonprofit Organizations.
English
French
Spanish

A chapter from the UNRISD commissioned paper, "The Evolving Politics of Global Civil Society Legitimacy," by Aruna Rao and Kumi Naidoo, 2004.

For more information, please contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .