Voices of Open Government

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Empower Civil Society, Strengthen Democracy Apr 11, 2023

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Strengthening civil society and citizen participation is of utmost importance. Anabel Cruz, Founding Director of the Communication and Development Institute (ICD), has spent three decades doing that work.

In the last episode of Voices of Open Government, Anabel tells us how her experience fleeing her home country of Uruguay as a political refugee inspired her to work on democratic initiatives and why strengthening civil society is crucial in our current political climate.

For any questions, please email communications@opengovpartnership.org

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On A Quest to Raise Young Voices Mar 28, 2023

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Young people have become increasingly influential in the government space, pushing campaigns and leveraging powerful tools such as social media.

Ebenezar Wikina has spent his life advocating for positive change.

Today Ebenezar tells us how he has managed to engage young people in civic and governmental issues that affect their everyday lives.

For any questions, please email communications@opengovpartnership.org

Twitter: @opengovpart | Facebook: @opengovernmentpartnership | LinkedIn: @opengovernmentpartnership | Instagram: @opengovpartnership

Stand Up for Democracy: Lessons from Estonia Mar 14, 2023

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Today we’ll take a look at Estonia, a country that is successfully building open government initiatives after being occupied by Russia for over half a century.

Our guest is Taimar Peterkop, the country’s Secretary of State and he tells us how he was inspired to dedicate his life to public service after his country reclaimed its independence in 1991.

For any questions, please email communications@opengovpartnership.org

Twitter: @opengovpart | Facebook: @opengovernmentpartnership | LinkedIn: @opengovernmentpartnership | Instagram: @opengovpartnership

To Protect the Environment, Protect the Defenders Mar 01, 2023

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We are experiencing unprecedented heat waves, floods and droughts in many places around the world. The Escazu Agreement aims to address the lack of environmental democracy in the region and protect environmental defenders.

Today’s guest is Felipe Pino, an environmental lawyer based in Chile. He explains how his organization is working to implement Escazu and why this agreement is so significant to advance environmental democracy.

For any questions, please email communications@opengovpartnership.org

Twitter: @opengovpart | Facebook: @opengovernmentpartnership | LinkedIn: @opengovernmentpartnership | Instagram: @opengovpartnership

A Mission to Record and Remember Victims of Gender-Based-Violence Dec 13, 2022

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Gender-based violence and femicide are serious global problems, but they are especially acute in Latin America. The region is home to 14 of the 25 countries with the highest rates of femicide in the world, according to the United Nations. Yet, official government data on gender-based violence and femicide is often absent or incomplete.

Today’s guest is gender activist and researcher Helena Suárez Val. She created a publicly available database that compiles lethal gender-related violence cases in Uruguay . In our conversation, Helena takes us back to Latin America’s history of women’s activism and shares what led her to create her own database. We also discuss the role of the state on gender-based violence and why data is important to change public perception and policy.

If you want to learn more about Helena Suárez Val’s work visit feminicidiouruguay.net and datoscontrafeminicidio.net

For any questions, please email communications@opengovpartnership.org

Twitter: @opengovpart | Facebook: @opengovernmentpartnership | LinkedIn: @opengovernmentpartnership | Instagram: @opengovpartnership

A Lawyer’s Journey to Unmask Anonymous Companies Dec 06, 2022

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Transparency about beneficial ownership prevents companies from operating in secrecy. Yet, most countries don’t require the disclosure of beneficial owners.

Today’s guest is Andrej Leontiev, Managing Partner of Taylor Wessing in the Slovak Republic, and one of the main leaders of this movement.

You can learn more about Andrej’s work and other initiatives his law firm is working on here.

For any questions, please email communications@opengovpartnership.org

Twitter: @opengovpart | Facebook: @opengovernmentpartnership | LinkedIn: @opengovernmentpartnership | Instagram: @opengovpartnership

From Civil Servant to Global Advocate Nov 15, 2022

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The right to access information is a critical component of open government and democracy. Citizens armed with information can participate in decision-making. And they can make governments more efficient and accountable.

Aruna Roy has dedicated her entire life to ensuring citizens are empowered by public information. She is the founder of a non-party political organization that mobilizes collective action in order to secure the rights of the rural poor called MKSS.

In today’s episode Aruna tells us how she contributed to passing the Right to Information Act in India and why her fight isn’t over.

For any questions, please email communications@opengovpartnership.org

Twitter: @opengovpart | Facebook: @opengovernmentpartnership | LinkedIn: @opengovernmentpartnership | Instagram: @opengovpartnership

From Uncovering Corruption to Facing Conviction: One Journalist's Story Nov 01, 2022

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Civic space is the underpinning for open government, allowing people to - among other things - speak freely and advocate for change without fear of government reprisal or violence. Yet, it is eroding globally. According to CIVICUS–a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening civil society–only 3.1 percent of the world’s population now live in countries with open civic space.

Investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova has spent her career shedding light on corrupt practices in her home country of Azerbaijan. In this episode, Khadija shares how her reporting on government corruption led to blackmail, intrusive surveillance, and unjust imprisonment. We also learn about what we can do to create a space for journalists to hold power to account without fear of retaliation.

For any questions, please email communications@opengovpartnership.org

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We Believe in Victory, We Plan for the Future of Ukraine Oct 18, 2022

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When Russia invaded Ukraine earlier this year, the country was leading many promising open government reforms to fight corruption and give citizens a voice. Civil society reformers are meeting with government leaders to defend democratic values and plan for the country’s post-war future. Today’s guest is one of those reformers.

Viktor Nestulia is the Head of Eastern Europe and Central Asia at the Open Contracting Partnership, an organization that ensures public contracts are open, fair and efficient. In this episode Viktor talks about the democratic history of Ukraine, how the war has impacted his family and community. And importantly, about need for open government values to lead the country’s reconstruction.

For any questions, please email communications@opengovpartnership.org

Twitter: @opengovpartFacebook: @opengovernmentpartnershipLinkedIn: @opengovernmentpartnershipInstagram: @opengovpartnership

Democracy in Afghanistan: Past, Present, and Future Oct 04, 2022

Show notes

In October 2021, I traveled to Skopje, North Macedonia to meet with open government reformers who had managed to escape Afghanistan just a few months earlier.

Today, we speak with Erfan Erzaz, one of the activists who have now resettled in Canada. We speak about the reasons why Afghanistan’s democracy fell and look back to the country’s history to provide context. On the show, we also discuss the contributions of open government work and the lessons we can all learn from Afghanistan’s democratic efforts.

For any questions, please email communications@opengovpartnership.org

Twitter: @opengovpartFacebook: @opengovernmentpartnershipLinkedIn: @opengovernmentpartnershipInstagram: @opengovpartnership

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