Vice Versa

😱 Het leest bijna als het script voor een horrorfilm, maar het is griezelig waar: we staan aan de vooravond van een stille epidemie, waarbij bacteriën en andere micro-organismen steeds meer resistent worden tegen antibiotica. Antimicrobiële resistentie is nu al een van de grootste bedreigingen voor de volksgezondheid, met miljoenen slachtoffers per jaar. En als we niet snel optreden, zal dat aantal alleen maar groeien. 👉 Onze collega Aletta D. Jansen schreef er deze week, tijdens de internationale hashtag #AntimicrobialAwarenessWeek, een stuk over, dat in tijdschrift over mondiale samenwerking Vice Versa werd geplaatst. Lezen! https://lnkd.in/gf_We2UH

Vandaag online en morgen in de papieren krant. Het opiniestuk dat Ellen Mangnus en Vice Versa hoofdredacteur Marc Broere schreven voor de Volkskrant met de oproep aan Nederlandse ontwikkelingsorganisaties om weer tegenmacht te organiseren en deze regering kritisch te volgen. https://lnkd.in/egYP5b8B

At Vice Versa Global our vision of global citizenship is about using media to connect people and break down barriers that shape how we engage with one another. This belief took on new meaning when I travelled to Bergen op Zoom, located in the province of North Brabant in the Netherlands, to tell a story that connected regions in a meaningful way. Many times, we only see Western journalists traveling to and telling African stories. This time, it was the other way around—an African journalist bringing their perspective to the forefront. In Bergen op Zoom, we met with the Local Youth Council to discuss the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With just five years remaining until the SDGs' target date, the urgency of these global goals was palpable. During my time there, storytelling became the bridge that connected policy to everyday life. Benjamin Loman and I produced an audio-visual piece that followed a young farmer in rural Netherlands, illustrating how the SDGs came alive in her daily life through both challenges and opportunities. SDG 13 (Climate Action) was reflected in how she adapted to unpredictable weather, while SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) aligned with her pursuit of a stable livelihood amid economic uncertainties and public policies. By screening the video during our meeting with the Local Youth Council, what once seemed like abstract concepts came to life for the youth. Policies and goals that can often feel distant and theoretical were transformed into relatable, tangible stories. Storytelling has the power to do just that—it bridges the gap between policy and reality, making complex ideas not only understandable but deeply personal and engaging. As we documented her story, I saw parallels to the work we do in Kenya particularly with the Community SDG Festival, where we translated each global goal into practical, relatable concepts that people could see and feel in their own lives. In Bergen op Zoom, the same understandings emerged. At Vice Versa Global, we strive to make language inclusive through storytelling so that young people—whether in Bergen op Zoom or Nairobi—feel that these global conversations are for them and about them. Ownership matters. Simplifying complex ideas empowers communities to feel included, showing that our challenges are shared and the opportunities to support one another are vast. This was a unique experience for me as It reinforced that global citizenship is about more than just observing; it’s about participating and seeing that your story is part of the collective narrative. When we share stories that cross borders, they remind us that progress is within reach, starting with the communities we call home. Many thanks to Frans de Man for taking the time to guide through this,to Sanelisiwe (Sunny) Mkhungo on her training on social media, and the Local Youth Council for their warm welcome and the privilege of learning about the incredible work they are doing in representing the youth.

It was great to be part of the 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗳𝗲 debate on whether the current MEL practices in international cooperation genuinely provide the insights we need for accountability to society. I presented perspectives from our Landscape analysis of Equitable Evaluation. Global Change Center Ford Foundation There is the need for “turning the gaze”—shifting focus back onto funders and questioning who truly sets the standards in evaluation. Too often, metrics defined far from the communities themselves take precedence over the community's priorities, sidelining people’s lived experiences. At Praxis Institute for Participatory Practices, we've seen that centering evaluation around community-defined needs can yield more sustainable outcomes. But this requires funders to take a deeper, introspective approach—one that values learning alongside communities rather than reinforcing rigid frameworks. Evaluation as an industry is powerful, political, and far from neutral. It has historically drawn on methods that privilege “objective” truths while downplaying context and power dynamics. Evaluation should be seen as an intervention, one that raises critical questions about who is interpreting, who decides, and who holds power. Can we, as evaluators, look at our own role and responsibility in reinforcing these norms? We spoke of epistemological justice: how Global North-centric perspectives shape evaluation frameworks. In a field that claims objectivity, whose truths are being upheld, and whose voices are left out? Ensuring diverse voices in conceptualisation and design, not just in local insights, is key for transformative change. This debate was only the start, but it underscored the urgency for reflection and re-evaluation within the evaluation field. As we continue these conversations, I hope we challenge ourselves to ask: 🎇 How can we embed accountability toward communities as a central feature in evaluations? 🎇 In what ways can funders take an adaptive, rather than prescriptive, approach to support and learning? 🎇 How do we recognise and dismantle the implicit biases that persist in this work? Grateful to have been part of this, and excited to see where these conversations lead! Thank you to Vice Versa, Wilde Ganzen, Josje van de Grift and especially Lori Cajegas, Clara Bosco and Peter van der Knaap, PhD for such an open and essential dialogue. A big shout out to Ama van Dantzig for making PMEL fun! and Eunice Mwaura for highlighting the great work being done by Vice Versa Global. The room was filled with engaging questions, both during and after the discussion—a sign that these issues urgently need our collective attention. Thank you to everyone who contributed questions and reflections that deepened the discussion. Here’s to many more dialogues—and actions—to come! Pradeep Narayanan Cecilia Milesi Joes de Natris Nils Simonsen Sunanda Poduwal #Decolonising #Evaluation #Measuringwhatmatters

At yesterday's Measuring What Matters event, a critical question came to mind: Who truly holds the power to define impact—and are we comfortable with that answer? For many organizations, particularly those on the front lines, this isn’t a mere dilemma but a daily challenge. We operate within rigid frameworks and indicators, meticulously designed far from the realities of the communities we serve, pressured to align our missions within these constraints—all in the name of “accountability.” But whose accountability are we really serving? Are we measuring genuine impact, or merely conforming to an externally defined version of success? The hard truth is this: every metric is a choice about what—and more crucially, who—matters. Yet, rarely do we ask communities themselves what success looks like to them. Instead, we’re caught in cycles of data extraction, diverting resources from genuine impact to satisfy reporting mandates. And when it comes to the data we collect—where does it go? Does it circle back to communities in meaningful ways? Are we truly empowering, or simply monitoring? Outcomes and indicators are essential, but does our fixation on them overshadow true impact?For many Indigenous and African communities, success isn’t just a set of data points; it’s also about resilience, cultural continuity, and collective well-being—values that don’t conform to conventional metrics. Yet we persist in enforcing external frameworks that prioritize numbers over lived experiences, reinforcing systems that marginalize local knowledge. Imagine if we redefined success to honor these deeper measures of value. What if communities were involved in defining their own indicators of impact? What if our frameworks prioritized local relevance over distant approval? From a youth perspective, we have inherited systems that no longer fully meet the needs of our evolving realities. Do we perpetuate these cycles, or do we take the initiative to critically examine and reshape them? So let’s be honest with ourselves: *Who* is measuring what matters? And to whom does it *actually* matter? Special thanks to Tarini Shipurkar Lori Cajegas and Clara Bosco sharing perspectives that were not only thought-provoking but revolutionary. @Viceversa and @Wildwganzen for organising such a great discussion.

Special thanks to Boniface Mulandi, the Senior Project Manager of Solidaridad East and Central Africa for his participation at the NFP World Food Day event at Amersfoot, Netherlands😀 The day served as a reminder of the need to ensure food security and access to nutritious food for all🥕🥗🥑🥔🥒🥬 In this event, we had two exciting parallel sessions: • Improving Markets for Healthier Affordable Foods: Exploring impactful policies to enhance food systems by Access to Nutrition Initiative • Vice Versa Global Documentary and Discussion: Raising awareness of young Agri-Entrepreneurs in Northern Kenya In case you missed it, you can now stream our parallel session below👇 https://lnkd.in/dwmTnBPg Thank you for your support🥳 Netherlands Food Partnership Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Kenya Solidaridad Network #WorldFoodDay #SustainableFoodSystems #FoodForTheFuture #NFP #foodsecurity #journalismforsocialchange

𝗘𝗿 𝘇𝗶𝗷𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝗴 𝟭𝟱 𝗸𝗮𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗸𝗯𝗮𝗮𝗿 𝘃𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝘇𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗷𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗸𝗼𝗺𝘀𝘁 𝗸𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲 𝘃𝗿𝗶𝗷𝗱𝗮𝗴𝗺𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗮𝗴 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 ‘𝗠𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴& 𝗘𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.’ 𝗗𝘂𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗯𝗶𝗷! Dit is een event van Wilde Ganzen en Vice Versa. We gaan voor een constructief-kritisch gesprek over of de huidige vorm van evalueren binnen ontwikkelingssamenwerking wel de juiste bruikbare informatie oplevert om verantwoording af te leggen aan politiek en samenleving. En kunnen we er als sector wel voldoende van leren? Ook laten we ons inspireren door nieuwe evaluatiemethoden uit het Globale Zuiden. Line-up bestaat uit 🎤 - Peter van der Knaap (IOB-evaluatie), - Lori Cajegas (Giving For Change), - Clara Bosco (Better by Codesign), - Tarini Shipurkar (Praxis Institute for Participatory Practices) Het event wordt gepresenteerd door moderator Ama van Danzig! Meld je aan via https://lnkd.in/e2W37Bxc 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝟭𝟱 𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘂𝗽𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻 "𝗠𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗘𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻." 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁! This event is hosted by Wilde Ganzen and Vice Versa. We’re aiming for a constructive and critical conversation about whether the current approach to evaluation in development cooperation truly provides useful information for accountability to politics and society. Can we, as a sector, learn enough from it? We’ll also draw inspiration from new evaluation methods emerging from the Global South. 💡 Line-up consists out of 🎤 - Peter van der Knaap, PhD (IOB-evaluatie), - Lori C. (Giving For Change), - Clara Bosco (Better by Codesign), - Tarini Shipurkar (Praxis Institute for Participatory Practices) The event will be moderated by Ama van Dantzig. Register at: https://lnkd.in/ezJcHdZD

𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗳𝗲: 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗘𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 How can we change the current situation to Measure what Matters and focus on what is really important in our PMEL and accountability reports? What can we learn from other movements in Monitoring and Evaluation that align with the debate on Shift the Power, decolonisation of knowledge, and trust-based funding? These important matters will be discussed during the World café: Measuring what Matters: decolonising Monitoring & Evaluation. To explore this topic further and to identify new and inspiring PMEL practices, Wilde Ganzen Giving for Change and Vice Versa invited experts from the Netherlands and abroad to attend this World Café in The Hague. 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 & 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 📅 Date: Friday, 1 November 🕟 Time: 14.30-16.30, with drinks afterwards 👟 Walk-in: from 14.00 📍 Location: Het Koorenhuis, Prinsegracht 27, The Hague   🔗 Additional information and registration link: https://lnkd.in/ezJcHdZD

🎥 𝗦𝗡𝗘𝗔𝗞 𝗣𝗘𝗘𝗞: 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 – 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗘𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 🎥 Join us on November 1st for 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗘𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 in The Hague! In this video, we share a preview of who will be speaking during this wonderful event organised by Wilde Ganzen/Giving For Change and Vice Versa! 🚀 What’s in store: 👉 Rethinking traditional Monitoring & Evaluation practices to better reflect local realities. 👉Promoting equitable partnerships through trust-based funding. 👉Using participatory methods and co-design to capture meaningful impact. We'll explore these themes in conversation with Peter van der Knaap, PhD (IOB-evaluatie), Lori C. (Giving For Change) , Clara Bosco (Better by Codesign), and Tarini Shipurkar (Praxis Institute for Participatory Practices),  with the event expertly moderated by Ama van Dantzig. 📅 Date: Friday, November 1st, 2024 🕒 Time: 14:30 - 16:30 (followed by networking drinks) 📍 Location: Het Koorenhuis, The Hague 🎟 Tickets: €12.50 (regular), €7.50 (Vice Versa subscribers) Don't miss this opportunity to engage with leading experts and shape the future of Monitoring & Evaluation. Limited tickets still available here: https://lnkd.in/ezJcHdZD #ShiftThePower #ImpactMeasurement #MEL #DecolonizingDevelopment #DevelopmentCooperation #TrustBasedFunding

𝗨𝗶𝘁𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗹 𝗗𝗮𝗴 𝘃𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗱𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 Om ervoor te zorgen dat de Dag van de Wereldburger een onvergetelijke ervaring wordt, hebben we toch meer tijd nodig. Daarom hebben we besloten om het evenement te verplaatsen naar het prille voorjaar van 2025. Binnenkort delen we de nieuwe datum en locatie. We kijken ernaar uit om jullie bij de Dag van de Wereldburger 2025 te zien!