The global funding landscape for civil society movements is changing, and is increasingly faced with policies that restrict funding streams, limit philanthropic work, and silence critical voices. These are not incidental shifts but part of a broader pattern that erodes the support for those international networks and movements under the guise ‘necessary financial cuts’, ‘aid reform’ or ‘efficiency’.
and Kyra Pohlan
In today’s interconnected world, international forums play a pivotal role in shaping policies and strategies that impact communities and the environment worldwide. These gatherings, whether they focus on climate change, water resources, or biodiversity, are critical venues where decisions are made that affect the lives of billions of people and species. However, for these decisions to be truly inclusive and effective, they must be informed by the voices of those most affected by climate change and environmental degradation.
In order to contribute to countering dryland degradation, 14 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) from all over the world joined forces in 2007 to form the Drynet network. Drynet understands that to effectively counter degradation, local organisations and communities living in drylands should be at the heart of the effort. Unfortunately, their involvement in the national and international arenas of decision-making is often very marginal. By directly linking with local groups and engaging them in broader debates, Drynet seeks to redress the current imbalance.