Corruption is typically seen as an amorphous force, or a sum of improprieties perpetrated by unconnected individuals, a supporting act to the depredations of, say, transnational criminal organizations. This talk with Sarah Chayes, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, will explore how corruption is better seen as the organizing principle of sophisticated networks that tie together members in the public, private, and criminal sectors.

RSVP HERE.

Join the Reel Hubbers (the Hub's film group) and friends for this month's movie showing of Persepolis.

Persepolis is an animated film based on the best-selling graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi about growing up in revolutionary Iran in the 1970s and 80s. The film chronicles her growing up admidst this environment, in which family members were detained, and then moving to safety in France, only to find the world is even more complicated.

RSVP HERE

For over two decades, the population of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has faced a protracted armed conflict. Within this complex environment, Mercy Corps' IMAGINE program, a four-year, £37 million program, is working to increase access to water, sanitation, and hygiene services for nearly 1 million people in eastern DRC. In support of this goal, IMAGINE’s governance approach focuses on building accountability between consumers, service providers and government to ensure equitable, sustainable and responsive water provision.

RSVP HERE

Please join Claire Espey, IMAGINE’s Governance Manager, as she shares lessons from IMAGINE's work to build the capacity of public service providers, support greater accountability in service provision, and increase community participation in water system governance. Claire will also discuss how IMAGINE has incorporated social network analysis research to better understand relationships between organizations involved in governance of water service provision at local, municipal and provincial levels.

Join Hub Member Thousand Currents Communication Director and co-editor, Jennifer Lentfer, for a conversation and celebration. Jennifer will be talking about the lessons from this book, which will be followed by drinks and appetizers to celebrate.

In this new volume of 30 essays, 22 authors explore how responsive grantmaking, focused on grassroots wisdom and close connections, can make a lasting impact in the Global South.

RSVP HERE

Small Media Foundation , a not-for-profit organisation based in London launched Iran Open Data in November 2016, with the aim to make Iranian government data accessible.

We are hosting a talk on the 20th of June and invite you to join us to discuss open data, with a specific focus on closed societies and restrictive environments.

We are inviting organisations and individuals interested in data journalism, open data and transparency, and/or those who would like to introduce their organisation and contribute to the discussion.

Space for participants is limited and we anticipate strong interest in the event. Therefore, if you are interested in attending the talk, we would appreciate if you could please RSVP to shokoufeh@smallmedia.org.uk by 18/June/2017.

This event is being organized by Hub Members Forum One.

Just what is Virtual Reality (VR)? What aspects of VR bring out empathy in users and help promote understanding? Can VR be an effective way to get users to take action?

Join us for a compelling talk-show style discussion about VR and how it can be applied to promote cause-driven missions. Experts and users in the field of VR will explain the various branches of the technology, the many applications of this new medium, and how the booming industry of VR hardware is driving prices down and accelerating technological advances for the field in leaps and bounds. We will also have the opportunity to watch Beyond the Fence, the award-winning VR short film produced by the Nexus Fund.

RSVP HERE

Please join the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network (MFAN) for a panel discussion on U.S. aid transparency with a focus on collective successes and addressing the challenges ahead.

In the spirit of data use and action, we’ll also ask you to roll up your sleeves and join one of several interactive breakout sessions, hosted by the Department of State, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, Development Gateway, and the Humanitarian Data Exchange. Please plan to bring your laptop (or share with a partner) to get practice using some innovative new tools! 

RSVP HERE

OpenGov Hub's Reel Hubbers want to explore the lighter side of films for this month's feature.

WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS is a mock-umentary that chronicles the adventures of four vampire roommates trying to get by in a modern world that's not always hospitable to the undead.

RSVP HERE

Open Data Watch, as a collaborator with Open Data for Development, is pleased to invite you to have a conversation with Fernando Perini and learn more about the network.

This event is an opportunity to speak with Fernando Perini and to learn more about OD4D and its initiatives. Shaida Badiee, Managing Director of Open Data Watch, will provide opening remarks for this event. Following a short presentation from Fernando Perini, participants will have an opportunity to ask questions and engage in discussion.

RSVP HERE.

In this brown bag lunch, Esri’s team will show you what AGOL is and how it interacts with your work. Learn how to host content and services in the cloud easily and securely. Explore content access and restrictions with named users. This event is rich with live demonstrations, so you’ll walk away more confident in configuring app templates, managing organizational tools, and conducting easy online spatial analyses. Reimagine what your GIS can do for you.

RSVP HERE.

This brownbag will be focusing on some of the following questions to inform the discussion:

- Why do INGOs (International Non-Governmental Organizations) and CSOs (Civil Society Organizations) need to think about power?
- Why are citizens critical sources of power, and what does this mean for INGOs and CSOs?
- What's the difference between sustainability and impact for CSOs?
- Is the "confrontation versus collaboration" dichotomy for citizen-state engagement misguided? What's the alternative?
- As civic space is under threat both in non-democracies and democracies, are such hybrid civil society organizations potentially better suited to "weather the storm"?

RSVP HERE.

Join us as we get a demo from Wistla, a new social network that reaches beyond the static isolation bubbles of the status quo. Wistla is looking for constructive feedback on those who work with citizen engagement and grassroots mobilization.

They want to know:

• How important is Digital humanism when designing mobile first products?

• How can we scale “human" interaction?

RSVP HERE

Challenges are plentiful regarding the political, economic, and security situations in Iraq.

How do the Iraqi parliament and political parties perform? Are the Iraqi parties willing to solve Iraq's critical issues? Even if they are, are they even able to?

How do development and aid organizations operate in this context? How do they partner with the local organizations in Iraq, as well as help with the reconciliation process?

And lastly, how can the US help?

We'll be discussing these questions and more, so RSVP here.

Join the Reel Hubbers (the Hub's new film group) and friends for this month's movie showing, Leviathan.

Originally banned in its home country of Russia, Leviathan is a seering portrait of corruption, power, and money. The lessons contained within this film reach across all borders.

Leviathan has earned 40+ nominations - including the Academy Award's Best Foreign Film - and 30+ wins, including the Golden Globes, as well as a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

RSVP HERE.

Your organization is at the forefront of social change — but are you building upon a solid legal foundation? Benjamin Overton of TrustLaw will be joining us to share more about how you can gain free legal assistance and multiply your impact through the pro bono legal resources of TrustLaw. Participants will learn about top legal issues and common pitfalls for social impact organizations, as well as tools and resources for gaining pro bono assistance to protect your organization and focus on your mission. We'll be sure to leave half of the session for question and answer.

RSVP HERE.

Join us on April 26th for a co-created workshop on collaborative culture and non-hierarchical organizing. We combine storytelling and participation to learn together about democratic, bottom-up organizing at different scales: from co-ops, to networks, cities and nations. We'll offer some practices and tools that have helped us, and discover the intelligence in the room too.

RSVP HERE

The Peoples March for Climate, Jobs, and Justice on Saturday, April 29th is fast approaching. Find out how you can plug in, why we mobilize, and what the larger frontline climate justice movement is doing in DC for this week of actions. This brownbag lecture will be hosted by The Climate Justice Alliance, a member of the OpenGovHub, who is on the Steering Committee for the Peoples Climate Mobilization organizing the march.

RSVP HERE.

This event will feature a series of several Ignite-style lightning talks (exactly 5 minutes, with 20 slides that auto advance every 15 seconds) about some of the latest exciting projects from OpenGov Hub member organizations, including Open Data Watch, the Natural Resource Governance Institute, Global Integrity, and more!

RSVP HERE.

The passion that people who work for nonprofits feel for their work is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, that fervor helps them keep going in the face of difficult challenges, especially in the early stages of their careers. On the other hand, they can be so driven they don’t stop to refuel or smell the proverbial roses or even notice they are experiencing symptoms of burnout.

RSVP HERE

Based on her new book, The Happy Healthy Nonprofit: Strategies for Impact without Burnout, Beth Kanter will present an interactive workshop where participants will:

- Take a self-assessment to determine burnout symptoms and opportunities to create self-care habits

- Share tips and methods for self-care activities that go beyond physical health

- Share strategies for bringing a culture of wellbeing into your nonprofit workplace

This report launch and panel discussion will focus on Global Financial Integrity's new report, Transnational Crime and the Developing World.

Transnational crime is a business, and business is very good. Money is the primary motivation for these illegal activities, activities that not only line the pockets of the perpetrators but also finance violence, corruption, further criminal activities, and other abuses. These crimes undermine local and national economies, destroy the environment, and jeopardize the health and wellbeing of the public. Transnational crime will continue to grow until the paradigm of high profits and low risks is challenged.

RSVP HERE.

The International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie) and the OpenGov Hub are pleased to invite you to a conversation on open data and its uses in international development. The panel features representatives from donors, international organizations and 3ie, who will provide insights on how their organizations use and encourage open data. The event will kick off with a presentation by Felipe Castro, Director of SINERGIA / National Planning Department (DNP) in Colombia, bringing a government perspective on potential uses of open data.

Please contact Scott Neilitz at sneilitz@3ieimpact.org to RSVP and with any logistical questions. Please share this invitation with any colleagues or acquaintances you feel would be interested in this event.

Now, as data sets and other information sources have already begun to disappear under the new administration, how might American activists and organizations leverage the Open Government Partnership - and other international mechanisms that the US participates in - to preserve domestic open government reforms that may soon come under threat?

In light of Sunshine Week 2017, the OpenGov Hub is convening this timely brown bag discussion.

RSVP HERE.

This event will feature brief remarks from Nathaniel Heller (Executive Vice President for Integrated Strategies aesults for Development and OGP Steering Committee Member), and Sean Moulton (Open Government Program Manager a the Project on Government Oversigh).

USAID and the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie) are hosting a seminar to launch 3ie’s new evidence gap map on state-society relations. 3ie evaluation specialist Daniel Phillips and research associate Chris Coffey will take us through the interactive map showing the existing evidence base of impact evaluations and systematic reviews. They will also identify areas where there are research gaps.

Morgan Holmes, evaluation methodologist at USAID and Michael Jarvis, executive director, The Transparency and Accountability Initiative will be the discussants.

RSVP HERE.

MappingWorlds is a small team, based in Amsterdam, who specialize in creating data visualizations based on geographic relationships. They have created data portals for the World Bank, IMF, IEA, and UNESCO, among others. Desmond Spruijt will give a demonstration of their work and discuss the elements of effective data visualizations in this Brownbag Lecture.

RSVP HERE

For at least the last ten years there has been growing support for the idea that greater government transparency and evidence-based policy making will improve the lives of citizens. This is now under threat. In a post-truth world, where experts are dismissed and authoritarianism is on the rise, how do those of us that support openness in government fight back? How can the open data movement work to defend the gains made to date and continue to make our institutions deliver for us?

RSVP HERE. 

This event is being hosted by General Assembly at OpenGov Hub.

This event series is for you if you want to apply your strengths and talents to do work that matters to you, whether that means changing careers or taking the leap to self-employment. Each event, you will hear from a DMV-based career switcher and you'll learn how to overcome common obstacles, connect authentically with the right people, and get (or create) the perfect job by translating your unique strengths, skills, and experiences into the language of your new field.

RSVP HERE

A growing number of developing countries—in Asia, Africa, Latin America—have adopted open data policies and are publishing new sources of open government data. This global trend toward data-driven policy making and development begs the question: What is open data's impact on developing economies?

Join USAID's Global Development Lab, mSTAR and GovLab t the OpenGov Hub  for coffee, pastries and the launch of the new report, The Impact of Open Data in Developing Economies. Take part in the discussion with a panel of diverse contributors on the value of open data for development interventions, or follow along on Twitter with #OpenDataImpact.

RSVP HERE

Voatz is an award-winning blockchain-based platform that enables citizens to vote in all kinds of elections or voting events via smartphone or tablet. Past attempts at internet based voting have failed or not gone mainstream due to fundamental concerns around security, auditability and voter anonymity. With Voatz, using biometrics for security and the blockchain for irrefutability, we are able to tackle all these challenges and significantly streamline the process of voting and identity verification. 

Voatz aims to:
1) increase voter turnout, 
2) increase the transparency of elections, and
3) combat electoral fraud.

RSVP HERE.