Join us to kickstart 2025 with a renewed sense of agency and collective power to transform civil society! Get ready to Learn, Connect, Act!
Over 11th and 12th February 2025, we’ll highlight the latest learnings from the RINGO innovations, action pods and research, as well as share insights from other initiatives across the ecosystem. This gathering is more than a talking shop: the RINGO team and guest speakers will explore practical ideas to take forward in your own work in the following areas: Resource Flows; Accountability and Risk; Leadership and Governance; and Solidarity and Partnerships.
While decolonisation and locally-led development have been key talking points for a while now, tangible progress has often felt slow. This is no great surprise as this work is tricky to navigate and can feel overwhelming. But there are many innovative models, brilliant resources and systems change initiatives across global civil society that are showcasing that transformation is possible! It’s time to learn, connect and put ideas into practice!
See below for the session details and links to register!
All sessions will have live interpretation in English, French and Spanish. We have scheduled the sessions across different timezones to accommodate members of the RINGO community in different regions. All sessions will be recorded and shared after the event.
Opening Session: Harnessing our powers from the ground up
RINGO Hosts: Nana Afadzinu (WACSI) and Rebecca Freeth (Reos Partners)
Guest Speakers: Asier Hernando Malax-Echevarria (ACAPACA) plus another to be announced soon!
Tuesday 11th February, 13:00 – 14:00 GMT (plus an additional 30mins for informal discussions)
We’ll open the RINGO Gathering by taking a beat to consider the moment we are in: the wins, the obstacles we currently face and the opportunities we can embrace to shift the power. Changing the system requires energy, resources and commitment – particularly in this time of rising populism and closing civic space. However we share a common ambition to create a more equitable civil society and we each have a part to play. What is needed to shift power looks different in different contexts: priorities and approaches can vary between sectors and regions. During the session we’ll hear perspectives from various regions to identify opportunities for peer learning and support, and how we can harness our individual and collective powers towards a more equitable and just civil society.
Leadership and Governance: Prioritising equity and accountability
RINGO Hosts: Charles Kojo Vandyck (WACSI) and Rebecca Freeth (Reos Partners)
Guest Speakers: Janet Mawiyoo (Galvanizing Africa) and Jill Zelmanovits (Save the Children Canada)
Tuesday 11th February, 14:30 – 15:30 GMT (plus an additional 30mins for informal discussions)
What is the role of leadership and governance in shifting power? Join us for a deep dive into the ways we can transform leadership and governance models to overcome obstacles and prioritise more equitable practices. We’ll draw on the insights from the RINGO INGO Board Action Pod, the Decolonising Advisory Community and shine a spotlight on some practical examples of positive transformation from our community. Guest speakers will share how they are working to keep decolonisation front and centre in their organisations, address structural racism, and manage multiple accountabilities.
Resource Flows: Addressing the beating heart of the system
RINGO Hosts: Jennie Richmond (Impact Works Associates) and Rebecca Freeth (Reos Partners)
Guest Speakers: Nana Afadzinu (WACSI) and Jesse Eaves (Humanity United)
Tuesday 11th February, 16:00 – 17:00 GMT (plus an additional 30mins for informal discussions)
What can funders do differently to shift more power and resources to local actors? Drawing on learnings from the RINGO Funder Action Pod on topics such as risk, accountability and intermediaries, plus key insights from the RINGO innovations, this session invites you to explore the ways funders are changing how they work towards a more equitable civil society.
Accountability and Risk: Whose risk is it anyway?
RINGO Hosts: Nancy Kankam Kusi (WACSI) and David Winter (Reos Partners)
Guest Speakers: Alix Tiernan (Christian Aid) and Michael Merdaco (Center for Disaster Preparedness)
Wednesday 12th February, 10:00 – 11:00 GMT (plus an additional 30mins for informal discussions)
What does shifting power mean when it comes to accountability and risk? In this session we will dive into two concrete examples that emerged from the RINGO process: the Pledge Accountability and Learning Mechanism (PALM) which introduces mutual accountability frameworks between INGOs, funders and local civil society – with majority world actors taking the lead; and the ‘brave encounters’ which negotiate a more equal sharing of risks in partnerships. We’ll explore issues of trust and discuss what it will take to mainstream a new approach to accountability and risk.
Solidarity and Partnerships: Turning the system upside down: what does solidarity really look like in practice?
RINGO Hosts: Deborah Doane (Rights Colab) and David Winter (Reos Partners)
Guest Speakers: Kate Moger (Pledge for Change) Jack Kalipenta (Zambian Governance Foundation) and Daniella Hiche (AGNA)
Wednesday 12th February, 11:30 – 12:30 GMT (plus an additional 30mins for informal discussions)
What are the processes we need to ensure that INGOs are working in solidarity and in genuine partnership with those working on the frontline of global challenges? In this session we will explore practical examples of solidarity in action, including the latest learnings from the Reverse Call for Proposals innovation that is being tested in different regions. Join us to unpack and define what solidarity looks like in practice as we put local actors in the driver’s seat. We’ll find out how International NGOs can reshape themselves and what it means to be partners of genuine solidarity. We’ll offer some thoughts on how to scale this innovative response to revolutionise equitable partnerships.
Sensemaking: Learn, Connect, Act
RINGO Hosts: Jimm Chick Fomunjong (WACSI), Janet Mawiyoo (Galvanizing Africa) and David Winter (Reos Partners)
Wednesday 12th February, 13:00 – 14:00 GMT (plus an additional 30mins for informal discussions and the RINGO Gathering afterparty!)
This session offers the opportunity to make sense of what we have learned over the previous sessions. What actions can we take forward? What new alliances and partnerships need to be nurtured to support this work? In this interactive session, we will reflect and make plans to individually and collectively shift the power.
