Better Preparedness: Funding Resilience – Learning and Codesign Lab Series

Learning Labs Week, 13th-16th November

How do we move money where it’s needed most? As funders, what kind of early warning systems could help us be better prepared for crises? Who is shifting the power in decolonizing grant-making? Could AI impact human rights for the better?

During the HRFN Learning Labs Week, we heard from leaders working on the latest solutions to these complex challenges, and considered as a community how we can apply their insights to improve the coordination of funding for civil society facing acute human rights crises and entrenched civic space challenges.

We were joined by knowledge holders from the human rights, humanitarian and technology sectors as we exchanged hard-learned lessons and shared impactful solutions in four bite-sized 60 minute Learning Labs. 

Learn more information on the sessions and speakers below. 

Learning Lab: Early Warning Systems

Monday 13th November
8am PST / 11am ET / 4pm UTC / 5pm CET / 11pm ICT 

From technology enabled, community-powered networks to humanitarian synthesis reports, what kinds of early warning systems could help us ring the alarm for human rights crises and take early, coordinated action? Speakers included Isabelle Arradon, Head of Research, Crisis Group, Ryan Schlief, Executive Director, International Accountability Project, Sofia Marcia, Programs and Grantmaking Co-Director, Urgent Action Fund- Latin America and the Caribbean, and Jeremy Springman, Senior Research Associate, DevLab, University of Pennsylvania.

Register here.

Watch the recording of the session here.

Learning Lab: Legal and banking solutions 

Tuesday 14th November
8am PST / 11am ET / 4pm UTC / 5pm CET / 11pm ICT

How do we overcome barriers to moving money where it’s needed most? This Lab looked at a range of solutions from the humanitarian and human rights sectors including digital currencies, cashing out via informal money markets like Hawala, as well how banks are de-risking and what all of this means for our compliance models. Speakers included Federico Motka, Head of Humanitarian Portfolio, Vitol Foundation and Abi Knipe, Deputy Director, Funders Initiative for Civic Space. Due to the sensitive nature of the topic, this Lab was a private session.

Please register here and we will confirm your participation.

Learning Lab: Decolonizing and localizing grant-making

Wednesday 15th November
8am PST / 11am ET / 4pm UTC / 5pm CET / 11pm ICT

At the policy level, how could the localization agenda accelerate the decolonization of grant-making, and at the frontline how is participatory grant-making shifting the power? This Lab looked at the changes being made across our field to ensure that civil society is the reference point in shaping our strategies and practice. 

Speakers included Helena Hofbauer Balmori, International Program Director for Civic Engagement and Government and Director for Mexico and Central America at the Ford Foundation, Anisha Chug, Executive Director of Women’s Fund Asia, and Degan Ali, Founder of DA Global . The session will be moderated by Heba Aly, CEO at The New Humanitarian.

Register here.

Watch the recording of the session here.

Learning Lab: AI and human rights

Thursday 16th November
8am PST / 11am ET / 4pm UTC / 5pm CET / 11pm ICT 

What are the present and what could be the future impacts of AI on human rights, movements and civic space? In such a huge, rapidly changing field, how can we go about forecasting and what positive solutions could AI offer?

Speakers included Jac sm Kee, Chief Cartographer and Co-Founder of the Numun Fund, Daniel Leufer, Senior Policy Analyst, Access Now, Paola Mosso, Co-Executive Director at The Engine Room, and Daniel Walmsley, Principal Architect for AI at Automattic.

Register here.

Watch the recording of the session here.