WHO IS
In 2016, a beautiful idea was developed by a consortium between Oxfam Novib and Hivos. This idea envisions rightsholder groups often left behind collectively telling their stories, opening windows for equity and opportunity.
This idea is now known as the Voice Programme.
Voice is an innovative grant facility for diversity and inclusion. Voice funds civil society groups that breathe and live NOW-Us! in its collective journey to an inclusive world. Voice believes that what unites is much bigger than what divides. Voice’s dream is for an inclusive world of empowered rightsholders working towards responsive and inclusive societies. Voice is implemented in ten countries in Africa and Asia. Voice is an initiative of and financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands as part of their overall policy framework called ‘Power of Voices’. Hivos is the coordinating body in Indonesia, Philippines, Kenya, and Tanzania, while Oxfam coordinates in Laos, Cambodia, Uganda, Niger, Mali, and Nigeria.
Society continues to progress. Setbacks, however, continue to happen due to the shrinking civic space. This presses the need to close the gap between vulnerable rightsholder groups and the society at large.
Voice-supported individuals are called rightsholders . Their main goal is to carry out the Theory of Change which is
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