“Umoja Wetu ni Nguvu Yetu”: Our Unity Is Our Strength

In these trying times for civil society, our unity is strength

Civil society around the world is under pressure. Funding is drying up. Civic space is shrinking. Authoritarians are learning new tricks and recycling old ones. In such moments for civil society, it’s easy to feel like you are swimming against the tide.

But here’s the truth: civil society is still here. Still organizing. Still watching. Still pushing for a world that could and should be better, more inclusive.

You don’t need us to tell you that this is a hard time to be a civil society leader with an independent voice. I (Steph) am an Open Government Partnership (OGP)  Steering Committee member who has tirelessly worked in various roles to promote people-centered, accountable, responsive and inclusive societies. And I (Aidan) led Twaweza through some challenging times as we worked to enable citizens to exercise agency and governments to be more open and responsive in East Africa. Now, in our leadership roles at OGP, our message to civil society leaders worldwide is: Take heart. What you do really matters. 

Governments will not be able to (re) build trust on their own. As leaders, you must help them become more open by flexing your muscles together. Not sure where to start? Here are six strategies to push forward during this difficult time.

1. Ask for information and evidence 

TransparencyAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, transparency occurs when “government-held information (including on activities and decisions) is open, comprehensive, timely, freely available to the pub... More is not freely granted. It must be claimed.

In Nigeria, the International Centre for Investigative Reporting has made dozens of information requests, turning up spotty road contracts, environmental crime, and human rightsAn essential part of open government includes protecting the sacred freedoms and rights of all citizens, including the most vulnerable groups, and holding those who violate human rights accountable. T... abuses. 

When public officials make lofty speeches or government agencies publish plans without the data to back them up, you ask: Where is the evidence? When policies are rushed through without scrutiny, you should continue to demand documentation, auditsInstitutional and legal frameworks are necessary for providing assurance of the integrity of financial information and of compliance with budgetary rules and procedure. Technical specifications: These..., contracts and reports.

Keep asking. Keep probing. Because information is power, and you are helping return it to the people.

2. Put the people you serve at the center of your efforts

In a world where government-sponsored participation can feel performative, your role involves building authentic, effective channels for citizen voice — through listening sessions, community monitoring, local organizing, and storytelling.

In Morocco, CSOs helped channel rural women’s experiences into national policy debates at the local and national levels. In more than seven countries in sub-saharan Africa, CSOs are helping local communities to track medicine delivery.

Your legitimacy comes from your constituents and your mission of service to them. You represent the public interest. You work alongside people. You amplify what they already know, feel, and demand.

3. Keep following the money

You are refusing to let public funds disappear quietly into mansions and private jets. Corruption doesn’t start with bad people, it starts with secrecy. 

You’re tracing budgets, checking in on public contracts, and connecting the dots between financial decisions and daily life. You’re helping people understand why the clinic wasn’t built, why the road collapsed, why the textbooks never arrived. And you’re raising the flag when politicians splurge on an overseas shopping spree.

BudgIT in Nigeria has made public finance accessible to millions. I Watch in Tunisia has shone a light on campaign financing and lobbyingLobbying transparency allows the public to ensure that there is diversity of participation and contribution to public decision-making. Technical specifications: Policies and actions affecting lobbying... practices. These aren’t purely intellectual exercises; they are laying and strengthening the foundations of public trust.

So, keep following the money. Demand the data. It strengthens accountability.

4. Keep speaking out, loud and clear

You know the policies. You’ve done the analysis. You have a position. So make it known.

In Kenya, civil society organizations have pushed for an end to anonymous companies and the taxPlacing transparency, accountability, and participation at the center of tax policy can ensure that burdens are distributed equitably across society. Technical specifications: Commitments related to c... evasion that comes with them. 

You show up to consultations. You submit draft comments. You publish fact-checks, op-eds, and community petitions. When others choose silence, you choose substance. Your voice may not always be welcome. But it is always necessary.

5. Keep building unlikely alliances

It would be too easy to shout into an echo chamber of like minded organizations. But that’s not where change comes from. It comes from finding common ground — especially with those you don’t always agree with.

In Sierra Leone, civil society built coalitions with local councils and religious leaders to stop corruption in school fee programs. In Jordan, disability advocates partnered with urban planners to reimagine access to public spaces and public policy.

You’ve worked with reformers in government, ethical business leaders, faith groups, unions, technologists, and bureaucrats who believe in public service. Not because you agree on everything, but because you’re united in the belief that better is possible.

That’s not compromising your values. It is the principled pragmatism that balances your strong ethical commitments with a flexible, practical approach to achieving collective goals. It is collaborating to get things done.

6. Keep defending and expanding civic space

Civic space shrinks when it is not used. On the other hand, civic space expands when you claim your rightful space in the newspapers, online, in the courts, or at a protest. When you use and defend that right, you create space for others.

In Uganda, CSOs challenged repressive digital laws. In Burkina-Faso, civil society groups involved in OGP continue to work for the best despite very difficult times. These are not easy places to work, which is why bravery matters even more.

Civic space is not a gift. It is a right that you protect every day by speaking, organizing, challenging, and dreaming out loud.

Your work is worth it

Open government isn’t just for technocrats. It is for the mother who wants clean water for her children. The farmer who wants to know where the funds for the road went so he can get his product to market. The youthRecognizing that investing in youth means investing in a better future, OGP participating governments are creating meaningful opportunities for youth to participate in government processes. Technical ... More activist who has something to say and wants to be heard.

Your presence is vital to shaping what comes next. Continue showing up to co-create action plans and initiatives with your governments. Your ideas, insights, and experiences are essential to creating policies that reflect people’s real needs.

You are the pulse of open government. You are the frontline against disinformation, the abuse of power, and the exclusion of communities. You are showing that trust can be rebuilt through collaboration, principled action, and solidarity.

In many places around the world, the forces are against you. But you are not without power. 

At OGP, you have a seat at the table. Keep showing up every single day. And we will too, together.

Umoja Wetu ni Nguvu Yetu: Our Unity is Our Strength.