Southern Voice

Research from the Global South for Global Development. Network of 70+ think tanks from Asia, LatAm & Africa. Getting #SDGs to work. RT ≠ endorsement.

[Southern Voice @SVoice2030]

🧭 Who shapes the stories that shape global decisions?

Something new is coming to answer that.

The Compass: Voices from the Global South is Southern Voice’s brand new vodcast series, bringing together voices from across regions to unpack narrative power, challenge dominant perspectives, and to rethink how global development is understood.

In five episodes, the series dives into how narratives influence priorities, whose knowledge is recognised, and how Global South perspectives can lead on shaping global agendas.

🎬 Watch the trailer below for a first glimpse
🗓️ Episode 01 out on April 7
🔁 New episodes every Tuesday!

🎙️ @TalkEcon_IPS @fusades @NISEROfficial @PlataformaCIPO @WATHI_ThinkTank @ipeaonline @IGD_SA @AERCAFRICA

[Southern Voice @SVoice2030]

🎙️ This might just be the perfect weekend for you to catch up with our vodcast The Compass.

We have a total of 5 not-too-long and also not-too-short episodes waiting for you, ready to tickle your brain with some bold discussions about the Global South's narrative power. They feature leadership from across our network, tackling research ownership and data gaps, how to change narratives in practice, leveraging processes such as the T20, and questioning who controls the stories we hear and repeat.

Take this vodcast for a listen over coffee, on a walk, while traveling, or on your way to change the world, and we are sure you will find a conversation that stays with you.

All five episodes out now – enjoy!

🔗 https://t.co/NX10aPQB9e

🤝 @PlataformaCIPO @fusades @IGD_SA @WATHI_ThinkTank @AERCAFRICA @ipeaonline @TalkEcon_IPS @NISEROfficial

[Southern Voice @SVoice2030]

👋 That's what you get when you have a creative powerhouse in your team. Continuing with introducing you to our Communications Team, we would like to guide you to…

Meet Charli Kasumba, Southern Voice's Communication Specialist!

Charli is the other half of the Communications Team. He helps bring Southern Voice's work to life through digital and multimedia content, leading efforts across social media, website management, newsletter and video production, making our research accessible and engaging.

💡 Charli has experience in communications as well as agency work, combining this expertise with a passion for digital storytelling and audience engagement

🎓 Education: Bachelor's degree in Commerce in Marketing Management from Stellenbosch University

📍 Location: South Africa 🇿🇦

If you've watched one of our videos, browsed our website, or engaged with our digital content, you've likely experienced Charli's creativity in all its glory. His talent for transforming complex ideas into compelling stories helps Southern Voice connect with audiences far and wide.

💬 What goes into turning research and policy discussions into engaging digital content? Better call Charli, and he has many answers to share! ⬇️

[Southern Voice @SVoice2030]

🇺🇳 If the next @UN Secretary-General is expected to represent the world's eight billion people (@1for8billion), Global South perspectives should not be an afterthought.

Our new Synthesis Report brings together research from Argentina, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Tanzania, and Tunisia on what countries want from the selection process and from the UN's next leader.

🇦🇷 @CIPPEC
🇧🇩 @cpdbd1993
🇵🇰 @SDPIPakistan
🇹🇿 @ESRFTZ
🇹🇳 @Solidartn

🔎 Read the report: https://t.co/cV2XFKgZBv

[Southern Voice @SVoice2030]

🎥 🟣 What does it take to turn evidence into action for gender equality in the Global South?

Southern Voice, in partnership with @IDS_UK and support from the @gatesfoundation, has supported innovative collaborations connecting research directly to policy and to practice. This became our Challenge Fund for Evidence Use initiative.

In the span of 12 months, teams across Pakistan, Indonesia, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, and Uruguay have designed and implemented adaptive evidence-to-action strategies to improve gender equity outcomes. Such strategies are tailored specifically to their local realities and needs, highlighting the importance of local, context-specific Southern knowledge.

The initiative brought together researchers and evidence users from our member institutions @EthosInnovacion @SDPIPakistan @cips_id @GRADEPeru @IPAR_ThinkTank @BELAB_Bissau and @FARO_org.

We placed Southern leadership right at the center of research and decision-making.

In this video, participants share some insights from the initiative and reflect on the projects they led in their respective contexts.

Over the coming weeks, we will also be spotlighting each project individually, so you can learn all about closing the evidence to action gap - the Global South way.

Read more on the Challenge Fund initiative here:
🔗 https://t.co/y4VW2JFgqH

[Southern Voice @SVoice2030]

👋 The spotlight is on the Communications Office this week! They are the storytellers, strategists, and content creators who help amplify Southern Voice's work. If you are even reading this now, it is because our Comms team has put narrative and design together in action. And we start the introductions with…

Meet Giovanna Z. Rinaldo, Southern Voice's Communications and Media Specialist!

Gio is one half of the Communications Team. She is responsible for bringing much of Southern Voice's work to audiences around the world, leading our social media presence, shaping multimedia content across platforms, and helping transform our work into engaging narratives.

💡 Gio has supported communications and international initiatives across a wide range of fields, including development, democracy, migration, gender equality, sports, and global affairs.

🎓 Education: Bachelor's degree in Journalism, and Master's degree in International Relations

📍 Location: Brazil 🇧🇷

In any new publications, campaigns, newsletters, events, or social media posts, Gio has had a hand in making it happen. Her communications and geopolitics skill combination help ensure Southern Voice's work reaches the audiences it deserves.

💬 What makes you curious about the communication work in an international organization? Ask away, and Gio can share her views! ⬇️

[Southern Voice @SVoice2030]

🇺🇳What does Bangladesh’s experience tell us about the future of @UN leadership?

Three decades of women in top political leadership show that representation matters, but does not automatically remove barriers to power.

A new @cpdbd1993 brief, produced with Southern Voice as part of the @1for8Billion campaign, explores what this experience can tell us about leadership, legitimacy, and access to power as the UN prepares to select its next Secretary-General.

📘https://t.co/nYcraKkz8E

📖 Read the other policy briefs, and our full campaign Synthesis Report: https://t.co/bfu2KuVqk5

[Southern Voice @SVoice2030]

🇩🇪 That's a wrap for this year's Hamburg Sustainability Conference!

Over the past two days, more than 10 Southern Voice members joined us in Hamburg, bringing Global South evidence and perspectives to key conversations shaping the future of sustainable development.

On Day 1, we contributed to discussions on protecting academic freedom as a foundation for sustainable development, strengthening trust between science and society, and advancing multilateral reform for a more effective and representative global development system.

On Day 2, we hosted two sessions. One explored priorities for a global sustainability framework beyond 2030, drawing on Global South perspectives to inform the next chapter of the global agenda. The other focused on effective partnerships for climate action, examining how to strengthen locally led approaches, better connect climate and development priorities, and ensure local actors have a greater voice in decision-making and financing. We also contributed to discussions on reimagining development cooperation, sharing insights on how a renewed system can be more effective, inclusive, and responsive to today's global realities.

Pieced together, these exchanges reinforced and strengthened something we deeply believe in. Addressing today's interconnected global challenges requires stronger partnerships, more inclusive decision-making, and evidence that reflects the realities and priorities of countries across the Global South.

Our sincere thanks to the Hamburg Sustainability Conference for inviting Southern Voice to contribute to and lead so many important conversations throughout the event. We are equally grateful to our member institutions for their expertise, engagement, and strong presence in Hamburg, and to everyone who joined our conversations and shared their perspectives. Looking forward to continuing these conversations through our initiatives, engagements, and partnerships for many months ahead!

📸 Photo credits: Hamburg Sustainability Conference

[Southern Voice @SVoice2030]

👋 The Global Policy Office keeps collecting stars. Today we introduce you to the second member from this office…

Meet Valeria Colunga, Southern Voice's Policy Officer!

Vale supports the development of policy initiatives and strategic engagements, helping ensure that the knowledge generated across our network reaches the spaces where it can make the greatest impact.

💡 Valeria's experience also spans global youth leadership, international diplomacy, and advocacy for gender justice

🎓 Education: Bacherlos’ degree in Latin American Studies, and Master's degree in Global Governance and Diplomacy

📍 Location: Mexico 🇲🇽 and United States 🇺🇸🤠

Vale brings amazing energy, insight, and a strong commitment to inclusive global governance. She helps ensure that Southern Voice remains connected to key global conversations.

💬 Ever wondered how Global South research can influence international policy agendas? Leave questions to Valeria, if you have them! ⬇️

[Southern Voice @SVoice2030]

🟣 In Indonesia, gender gaps in STEM education continue to shape who enters the jobs of the future.

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are central to building a future-ready workforce and advancing the country’s “Golden Indonesia” vision. Yet, women remain underrepresented in these fields and careers, driven by cultural expectations, limited early exposure, and persistent perceptions that these spaces are male-dominated.

Working to shift these dynamics, our network member @cips_id is taking action.

Through the project “Designing Curriculum Pathways for Indonesian Girls in STEM,” CIPS is supporting more girls to pursue and succeed in STEM education. The project engages schools, teachers, local governments, and gender experts to identify barriers and develop gender-sensitive teaching approaches that foster girls’ interest and achievement in STEM subjects.

This is part of the Challenge Fund for Evidence Use, implemented with the Institute of Development Studies. The initiative supports Global South teams to lead evidence-to-action strategies and directly connect research with policy and practice. Six teams across Africa, Asia, and Latin America are advancing gender-equity outcomes through locally grounded, adaptive approaches, placing Southern leadership at the center of change.

Stay tuned to learn more about other projects in the coming weeks!

Learn more about the full initiative here:
🔗 https://t.co/ZXjqQEdd24

Project Participants: Anton Rizki, Sharfina Fitri Indrayadi, Paramita Iswari, Aqilah Annaya Putri

[Southern Voice @SVoice2030]

A new month means a new edition of ✨Members Spotlight✨! Here's a look at some of the key milestones, publications, opportunities, and events shared by members and partners across the Southern Voice network during June:

💡 @cips_id joined the Consortium for Agricultural Policy Research Initiatives (CAPRI), strengthening collaborative, evidence-based agricultural policy research across Southeast Asia
💡 @SDPIPakistan launched the Pakistan Climate Action Hub, a national digital platform showcasing climate solutions and innovations that advance inclusive, resilient, and sustainable development
💡 @PlataformaCIPO hosted its 2026 Global Policy Dialogue in Salvador, Brazil, bringing together discussions on climate implementation and the future of upcoming COPs
💡 @AERCAFRICA held a five-day Impact Evaluation Training Workshop in Nairobi for officers from Kenya's National Treasury and the State Department for Economic Planning
📕 @GLOCEPS1 Fellow Steven Nduvi wrote for the @LSEnews about how aid securitisation is reshaping global policy priorities. Read here: https://t.co/QLGEGJPJDJ
📕 @EPRC_official published new research examining the socio-economic impacts of illness on employment outcomes in Uganda. Read here: https://t.co/BtwoOQWZWe
📕 @CSTEP_India released a handbook to guide school administrators in transitioning to electric school buses. Access now: https://t.co/yJ5mx79xXB
📕 @AsuntosDelSur published a new piece exploring digital sovereignty, democracy, and AI regulation, examining the balance between infrastructure investment and demand-side approaches in development. Read here: https://t.co/tcfhkCLJDG
📕 The @ScienceBoard_UN released the second episode of its Science Forward podcast, exploring the idea of creating life from mirror versions of molecules found in nature. Listen now: https://t.co/KDxeh85G5i
📢 @AERCAFRICA opened the call for papers for the 2027 CSAE Conference on Economic Development in Africa. Submissions are open until September 13. More info: https://t.co/7GG7VeyoGU
🗓️ On July 13–14, @PolicyCenterNS will host the 4th Africa Economic Symposium in Rabat, Morocco
🗓️ On September 10–11, @NkafuPolicyInst will host the 2026 Central Africa Think Tank Forum in Yaoundé, Cameroon

[Southern Voice @SVoice2030]

🇺🇳 Beyond campaign promises: would candidates commit to integrity?

As part of the @1for8Billion campaign, six candidates for @UN Secretary-General (@rafaelmgrossi, @mbachelet, @Macky_Sall, @RGrynspan, @mfespinosaEC, @CarolynRB1) were asked whether they would endorse a set of Integrity Principles covering:

💰 Financial disclosure
🤝 Civil society engagement
🔍 Transparency
⚖️ Independence
🚫 Conflicts of interest

🎥 Watch their responses!

Note: Grossi expressed support for the Principles but explained he could not formally endorse them while serving as head of a UN specialised agency.

#1for8Billion #GlobalSouth #MadamSecretaryGeneral #MadamSG #SGselection #NextSG

[Southern Voice @SVoice2030]

🇩🇪 We are in Germany today for the second day of the Hamburg Sustainability Conference!

You can tune in to the event's livestream to watch our participation, and all other dialogues here: https://t.co/EMCdqRjNVa

Today we are hosting our two sessions: “Beyond 2030: Forging Alliances for the Future of Global Sustainability” and “Effective Partnerships for Climate Action: Priorities and Ways Forward.” Our Executive Director @MargaritaGomez_ is also speaking at the session “Testing the Emerging Principles: Reimagining Development Cooperation for a New Era,” discussing five principles for effective development cooperation.

Yesterday was a full day, with participation in conversations about academic freedom under pressure, and on how to align global reform efforts to reinvigorate multilateralism.

🏛️ Academic Freedom: It is highly acknowledged that the connection between the public and science needs to be strengthened, for more effective action, but also to rebuild trust. The role of research institutions, such as think tanks in the Global South, is critical for reinforcing these bridges. They can connect communities with national-level policy-making, and with broader international decisions.

In the age of mass AI use, they could play a key role in rebuilding public trust by becoming trusted sources, countering misinformation, and guiding young people toward constructive engagement.

🌍 Global Reform: We brought three takeaways from recent discussions on the future of international development cooperation. 1) For a model of IDC fitting for today's context, development cooperation needs to be better connected with local actors, communities, and civil society. 2) Development cooperation efforts should align with countries’ long-term plans and strategies – both to have more coherent and coordinated approaches, but also as a matter of shifting away from donor-driven agendas. 3) We need a future of IDC in which countries and actors of the Global South co-create IDC agendas, and governance structures reflect the world as it actually is.

These are some of the questions to which we are contributing, with concrete proposals grounded in Southern-led dialogue and in cross-regional case studies, and through our flagship initiative Southern Voice on Global Development (SVGD).

More insights from Hamburg coming soon!

[Southern Voice @SVoice2030]

🇺🇳 What happens behind closed doors in the race for the @UN's top job?

A new report from the @1for8billion campaign, supported by the Robert Bosch Stiftung, examines how informal promises and political bargaining can shape the selection of the UN Secretary-General.
Based on 40+ interviews and extensive documentary research.

These questions resonate with findings from Southern Voice's recent research across the Global South, which found strong demand for a more transparent, accountable, and representative selection process.

📘 Discover the backroom deals behind the race for the UN's top job: https://t.co/UyxrcgfRCv

#1for8Billion #GlobalSouth #MadamSecretaryGeneral #MadamSG #SGselection #NextSG

@PlataformaCIPO @CIVICUSalliance @UNAUK @GqualCampaign @CIPPEC @SDPIPakistan @Solidartn @ESRFTZ @cpdbd1993

[Southern Voice @SVoice2030]

👋 This week, we have the pleasure of introducing you to our Global Policy Office! This team has a sharp eye for key policy moments and events, and makes all our engagements with international fora possible. They are also responsible for positioning Southern Voice and the Global South in these spaces. And we could not even begin to describe this office without talking about…

Meet Tracy Mamoun, Southern Voice's Director of Global Policy!

Tracy helps guide our engagement with global policy processes, ensuring that the perspectives and evidence generated across our network help shape international conversations on sustainable development and global cooperation.

💡 Since joining Southern Voice in 2019, Tracy has played a key role in strengthening the network's influence through her work across communications, network engagement, and policy strategy

🎓 Education: Bachelor's degree in Criticism, Communications and Curation: Arts and Design

📍 Location: France 🇫🇷

If Southern Voice is contributing to any major global policy discussion, Tracy is the one who made it happen. Her vision and leadership help ensure Global South voices are heard where decisions are being made.

Fun fact: Trace was once part of our Communications Office, before moving to Global Policy!

💬 What questions do you have about bringing evidence and research into global policy debates and decision-making spaces? ⬇️

[Southern Voice @SVoice2030]

🇺🇳 This year's @ScienceBoard_UN retreat has ended, but we are more energized than ever to continue to champion more inclusive and representative scientific processes.

After two days of exchanges with a remarkable group of experts and institutions working at the forefront of the science-policy interface, we are eager to carry these conversations forward.

Our Executive Director @MargaritaGomez_ co-hosted the session “Youth and Global South Perspectives on Inclusive Science” with Global Youth Academy's Yensi Flores Bueso. In it, we explored how to go beyond just granting access, in the process of including youth and the Global South into science. We identified four shifts towards more inclusive science:

1️⃣ Whose knowledge counts? There is a need to recognise non-traditional knowledge systems, and include diverse voices across the full cycle: agenda setting, development, implementation, and impact

2️⃣ Open science as infrastructure: address the defaults that exclude, such as English-only publishing, paywalls, and narrow recognition of what counts as scientific work

3️⃣ Innovation and investment: democratise the capacity to innovate, and widen the channels of investment beyond a few well-funded centres

4️⃣ Reward system: reform research assessment and academic incentives, and value public and policy engagement as valuable and rewarded scientific work

Bringing youth and Global South researchers into science is not a question of access alone, but a question of recognition, participation, fair incentives, and open infrastructure.

We deeply appreciate the opportunity to once again bring Global South perspectives to the UN Scientific Advisory Board retreat, and to exchange ideas with an outstanding group of thought leaders working across the science and policy landscape.

These conversations reaffirm the importance of inclusive dialogue, mutual learning, and international collaboration in shaping more effective and representative scientific processes for the present and future.

[UN Scientific Advisory Board @ScienceBoard_UN]

🌍🔬Hosted by @CSP_live, the @ScienceBoard_UN met in Turin to examine challenges from AI-biotechnology convergence to strengthening science advice. One message stood out: global challenges demand evidence-informed, cooperative solutions🤝

[Southern Voice @SVoice2030]

👋 Our Network Engagement Office keeps on giving! We won the hiring lottery recently, and today we introduce you to…

Meet Beatriz Pfeifer, Southern Voice's Network Engagement Officer!

Beatriz also works closely with our members, helping to ensure that their expertise, perspectives, and contributions are reflected in Southern Voice's work.

💡 Beatriz joined us earlier this year, but before that, she coordinated large-scale international initiatives, and supported civil society engagement in global policy processes.

🎓 Education: Bachelor's degree in Political Science, and Postgraduate Specialisation in Political Sociology

📍 Location: Brazil 🇧🇷

Beatriz helps make connections happen. Her commitment to collaboration is helping our network grow stronger every day.

💬 How does a global network create meaningful opportunities for collaboration across regions and continents? Ask Beatriz and she would tell you! ⬇️

[Southern Voice @SVoice2030]

🇮🇹 We have been in Turin, Italy for our 3rd @ScienceBoard_UN meeting!

In addition to leveraging this opportunity to connect with several fantastic institutions and Board Members from the network, we are also bringing Global South perspectives to the center stage.

Today, Southern Voice is co-hosting the session “Youth and Global South Perspectives on Inclusive Science.” It is lead by our Executive Director @MargaritaGomez_ and Yensi Flores Bueso (Global Youth Academy), powering the discussions on funding, open infrastructure, fair incentives, and recognition and participation. We are showing that bringing youth and Global South researchers into science is not a question of access alone.

We bring insights from recent work: research conducted by Southern Voice and our partners at the Institute of Development Studies highlighted barriers across three interconnected spaces of change, which limit the meaningful participation of Global South researchers in science. These are 1) research funding, 2) academia, and 3) the publishing and dissemination sector.

Soon we will share more takeaways from these conversations, building on the expertise of our UN Scientific Advisory Board network partners!

[Southern Voice @SVoice2030]

🇺🇳 The world does not lack development goals. It lacks the resources, financing, and political commitment to deliver them.

Through its contribution to the @1for8Billion campaign, SouthernVoice has highlighted key takeaways from Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett’s (@CarolynRB1) recent UN General Assembly informal dialogue.

📺 Watch the full dialogue: https://t.co/0p3bqj235z

[Southern Voice @SVoice2030]

🌍 Southern Voice will be at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference soon!

Our team and several network members will head to #HSC26 in Germany to discuss how international and cross-sector cooperation can be made more effective, particularly in times of disruption.

📍 Agenda: June 29-30 in Hamburg, Germany

👤 Representing SV: @MargaritaGomez_ (Executive Director), Tracy Mamoun (Director of Global Policy), and Pratyush Sharma, PhD Sharma (Head of Research and Innovation)

🎤 Our role: Hosts of 2 sessions, and speaker in 3 additional sessions

🌐 SV Members attending: @SDPIPakistan @KIPPRAKENYA @NkafuPolicyInst @SAIIA_info @INESADBolivia @FARO_org @cpdbd1993 @IEAKenya @AsuntosDelSur @CapriCaribbean @theokwelians @CSTEP_India

This time, Southern Voice will host the following sessions:

📋 Beyond 2030: Forging Alliances for the Future of Global Sustainability

📋 Effective partnerships for climate action: priorities and ways forward

Our Executive Director will also be a speaker in the sessions:

🎤 Academic Freedom Under Pressure – Sustainability at Risk?

🎤 Reinvigorating Multilateralism: Aligning Global Reform Efforts

🎤 Testing the Emerging Principles: Reimagining Development Cooperation for a New Era

This will be a fantastic opportunity to discuss how to co-create sustainable development. We are excited to share Global South perspectives with other peers, connect with members and partners, and leverage HSC being a leading conference on sustainability to make new connections.

💬 Are you or your organisation also attending? Get in touch, we would love to see you there!