From 3 to 7 October, in Quito, Ecuador, the Innovation for Change Network (I4C) organized its third Interregional Retreat – the networks main global event gathering activists and CSOs from the 7 regional I4C hubs. Under the theme “Brave Spaces for Collective Action”, #IRR2022 brought together over 70 participants from around the world to address relevant issues, such as the power of collective action, internal skills and capacities for resilience, the inter-regional model to combat civic space restrictions, facing authoritarianism, the role of digital space, and technology in supporting democracy, among other. Representing the Western Balkans, Anja Bosilkova-Antovska from BCSDN and Maja Stojanovic from Civic Initiatives also participated at the event to represent the region and strengthen the cooperation with the I4C network.
Through interactive exercises and ensuring in-depth connection among participants, challenges and trends related to people power around the world were discussed. The IRR offered a safe space for participants to reflect on the I4C journey thus far, sharing their stories of impact, experiences and skills inspiring action and solidarity. By applying a design thinking methodology – experiential learning of co-design – participants explored ways to strengthen inter-regional coordination between CSOs activists, donors and other stakeholders, and together to generate and develop inter-regional solutions. The IRR offered an invaluable opportunity for people to meet and learn from each other, and get inspired to improve their work and contribute to the strengthening of civic space in their region.
The I4C main objective is to nurture a global network of activists and civil society organizations (CSOs) working together to support, strengthen and sustain civil society. Through its network of 7 regional Hubs, I4C is working to implement innovative ways to combat restrictions on the civic space across the world, by focusing on these 5 Themes/Pillar Impact themes:
- A civil society led innovation ecosystem for cross-sectoral collaboration
- Influence the civil society narrative and hold power-holders accountable for keeping civic space open
- Regional platforms for knowledge generation, cohesion and solidarity
- Accelerated and sustainable change by experimentation and capacity strengthening
- Sustainable activism and expand digital and physical spaces for civil society resilience
A video reflecting the event, transporting the viewer to the 2022 IRR experience is available here.
Read more about the network here: https://innovationforchange.net/