Voices of Open Government

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.

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For any questions, please email communications@opengovpartnership.org

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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.

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For any questions, please email communications@opengovpartnership.org

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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.

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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 availab...

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.

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For any questions, please email com...

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 righ...

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 caree...

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 or...

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 g...

As governments around the world use more algorithms and AI to create and influence policy, how can government agencies ensure algorithmic transparency and accountability?

In this episode, we’ll learn what France has done to increase algorithmic transparency using citizen input while raising awareness about the use of algorithms.

Guest: Soizic Penicaud, independent researcher and consultant, former Head of Capacity and Community Bui...

Why is having citizen input so important to create impactful policy? And how do we effectively provide the spaces for citizens to participate?

In this episode, we explore how the Basque Country in Spain has worked to involve all local institutions and citizens in the policy-making process. We also tackle what “neighborhood work” means and how it led to more ambitious results.

Guest: Miren Martiarena Barkaiztegi, Open Government Dir...

How can new and diverse perspectives help us build governments that look more like the citizens they serve?

In this episode, Patrick Harvie, member of the Scottish Parliament, explains how open, participative, and deliberative approaches to decision-making help turn voices of citizens into concrete actions.

Guest: Patrick Harvie, Member of the Scottish Parliament and Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Ri...

How does increasing transparency and public participation in procurement lead to better outcomes in health and education?

In this episode, we explore how reformers in Elgeyo Marakwet County, Kenya applied open government principles to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and the importance of recognizing the people behind the reforms in government and civil society.

Guest: Timothy Kiprono, Founder and Executive Director of the Open Governa...

In Austin, Texas, the local government has taken steps to level the playing field and include historically marginalized groups, including people experiencing homelessness, in open government and policy processes.

Guest: Daniel Culotta, Acting Chief Innovation Officer of Austin, Texas and Austin Civilian Conservation Corps Program Coordinator
Co-Host: Nicole Anand, Political Economist, Participatory Designer, and OGP Civil ...

How are local leaders fighting the pandemic for their constituents?

Reynaldo Tamayo Jr., Governor of South Cotabato, Philippines, explains how the principles of transparency, participation, inclusion and accountability guided their local efforts to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and how placing citizens at the heart of policy-making can rebuild trust in government.

Guest: Reynaldo Tamayo Jr., Governor of South Cotabato

Co-Host: Y...

Is care a gendered issue? Why is the business of care a shared responsibility and how can a comprehensive care system help transform our society?

In Mexico, reformers are working to design a national policy on public care services. Through a pilot program, the policy will be monitored by citizens — enabling them to shape these services and reduce the gender inequality gap in Mexico and position the right to care in the public agend...

What can we do if citizens do not trust the justice system? How can different sectors work together to create a more transparent and accountable judicial branch?

In Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Council of Magistrates launched the Open Justice and Innovation Lab. In partnership with civil society organizations, the Lab was created to foster exchange and collaboration towards designing solutions in the judicial system.

Guest: Mariano...

How do we create safe spaces for whistleblowers?

In Latvia, the government is working with civil society organizations to increase public awareness on reporting breaches, including corruption, and the protections provided under the 2018 Whistleblowing Law. In today’s episode, we explore the systems in place to safeguard the identities of government employees, activists, civil society organizers and other individuals who blow the wh...

How do we ensure that public funds are spent efficiently and not mismanaged? In the State of Kaduna, Nigeria, the Department of Monitoring and Evaluation in the Planning and Budget Commission and Follow Taxes are working on a citizen-led budget monitoring initiative designed to track state-funded projects. The Kaduna Citizen Feedback App, housed under the Eyes and Ears project, has empowered citizens to become the eyes and ears of ...