The AccountabiliTea Podcast unpacks the big questions around governance and anti-corruption – spotlighting the people, ideas, and networks reshaping accountability worldwide.
Accountability Lab is a global network that makes governance work for people by supporting active citizens, strengthening institutions, and shifting norms through creative and collaborative approaches.
Shifting Power: Innovative approaches to grantmaking
What happens when funders hand decision-making power to the people closest to the challenges they are trying to address?
In this episode of AccountabiliTea, Accountability Lab Co-CEO Cheri-Leigh Erasmus speaks with Carolyn Dallmann, Senior Manager for Peacebuilding & Partnerships at Humanity United, and Lior Ipp, CEO of Proximate Futures Fund, about innovative approaches to grantmaking – and what it truly means to shift power in philanthropy.
Together, they explore participatory grantmaking, the value of lived experience and proximate knowledge, and why funding locally led organizations may be less risky – not more. They also examine how funders can rethink trust, accountability, and their role as strategic partners while directing resources closer to the people doing the work.
The conversation asks a powerful question: Do you simply want to make a grant, or do you want to solve a problem?
Episode produced by Naseera Noor-Mahomed, Global Communications and Marketing Manager at Accountability Lab.
30 Apr 2026
Meeting the moment: How is civil society adapting to uncertainty – and what comes next?
As funding landscapes shift and uncertainty grows, civil society organizations around the world are being asked to adapt – often while continuing to deliver on their missions.
In this episode of AccountabiliTea, we bring together Anabel Cruz, Director of the Communication & Development Institute in Uruguay, Dr. Fay Hodza, Global Senior Director of Programs at Promoting Equality in African Schools (PEAS), and Leah Shearman, Global Director of Development at Accountability Lab, to reflect on what this moment means in practice.
From funding constraints and geopolitical pressures to collaboration, system-strengthening, and new ways of working, the conversation explores how organizations are responding –and what is beginning to change.
What emerges is a nuanced picture: one shaped by challenge, but also by creativity, solidarity, and a rethinking of how civil society operates.
What does it take to meet the moment – and what comes next?
17 Feb 2026
Rebuilding Ukraine: Integrity, business, and the hard trade-offs
In this episode of the AccountabiliTea Podcast, we step into a different kind of conversation – grounded in new research – to explore what integrity looks like for businesses navigating Ukraine’s path toward reconstruction. Drawing on the report Leveraging Integrity for Ukraine’s Reconstruction: The Role of Ethical Businesses by researcher Sofiia Sapihura, the conversation reflects on how companies are embedding compliance and ethical practices amid war, uncertainty, and rapid change.
Based on insights from 118 Ukrainian businesses and in-depth interviews, the episode sits with a complex reality: integrity can build resilience, trust, and long-term value – yet it can also come with real trade-offs, from lost contracts to slower processes in environments shaped by informality and uneven enforcement. From construction risks to the role of donors, incentives, and collective action, the discussion asks what it will take to make integrity not just a moral aspiration, but a practical and sustainable choice.
15 Dec 2025
13 years of accountability: Reflections, challenges, and what’s next?
This special episode marks 13 years of building accountability together, 13 years of learning, adapting, and growing alongside partners, funders, and citizens around the world. It’s a moment to pause and reflect on how far we’ve come, and to ask what accountability means in this moment, as movements evolve, contexts shift, and communities continue to lead change in creative and courageous ways.
Featuring short, heartfelt reflections from across the Lab’s global network, the episode explores what sustains accountability work: shared purpose, resilience, and hope.
7 Oct 2025
'BEYOND THE FRAMEWORKS': Tariffs as foreign policy: What accountability challenges does the Global South face?
In Episode 3 of our Beyond the Frameworks series, guest host Michele Crymes speaks with Andrew Crawford, Research Fellow at the German Institute for Global and Area Studies. Together, they unpack how tariffs are reshaping global supply chains – and what this means for governance, accountability, and civil society across the Global South.
The conversation explores how shifting sourcing patterns create new corruption risks, why small suppliers face growing pressures, and how civil society organizations can use their “ground truth” to build transparency or trigger change within complex global markets.
29 Aug 2025
‘BEYOND THE FRAMEWORKS’: Why business needs accountable NGOs : Lessons from Cambodia
In Episode 2 of our Beyond the Frameworks series, guest host Michele Crymes speaks with Try Thy, Executive Director of Open Development Cambodia. They explore how NGOs and civil society drive private sector transparency – from monitoring labor and environmental impacts to supplying open data for policy advocacy and investigative journalism. The conversation unpacks the tensions of trust between NGOs, business, and government, the importance of coalition-building, and why unrestricted funding is vital for accountability on the frontlines.
24 Jul 2025
‘BEYOND THE FRAMEWORKS’: When global accountability frameworks pause, what’s next for SMEs navigating risk on the ground?
In this kickoff episode of Beyond the Frameworks, a special AccountabiliTea Podcast series on business, governance, and leadership, guest host Michele Crymes (Legal & Policy Expert) sits down with David Mparutsa, Ethics 1st Advisor and Head of Enterprise & Supply Chain Development.
Together, they examine the ripple effects of the U.S. Executive Order halting enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). What does this pause mean for global anti-corruption efforts? How are small and medium enterprises (SMEs) navigating shifting expectations on the ground? And why is collective action more important than ever?
Tune in for a timely, thought-provoking conversation at the intersection of global policy and local business realities.
29 May 2025
What does the global aid shift mean for the future of civil society?
Cheri-Leigh Erasmus interviews Beloved Chiweshe, Sadia Khan, Doussouba Konaté, Narayan Adhikari, Fayyaz Yaseen, and Ana Laura Lozano about the changing global funding landscape and its impact on civil society, revealing strategies for adapting to resource scarcity.
24 Mar 2025
Championing social justice: How can we defend press freedom? Insights from Danai Nhando & Nkosikhona Dibiti
Cheri-Leigh Erasmus interviews Danai Nhando, a human rights lawyer, and Nkosikhona Dibiti, a journalist, about the challenges facing press freedom today, emphasizing the need for stronger protections for journalists.
9 Dec 2024
How can music drive social change? Voice2Rep artists Mschela Mutaka & Rudo Nyoni share their impact
Artists Mschela Mutaka and Rudo Nyoni discuss how their music addresses social issues like government mismanagement, drug abuse, and mental health in an interview with Cheri-Leigh Erasmus.
18 Sept 2024
Strategies, safety measures, and support systems for Human Rights Defenders
UN Special Rapporteur Gina Romero and activist Mahera Musharrat discuss strategies and safety measures for human rights defenders navigating shifting political landscapes, sharing personal experiences in this interview episode.
Who has been a guest on AccountabiliTea Podcast
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Beloved Chiweshe
Sadia Khan
Doussouba Konaté
Narayan Adhikari
Fayyaz Yaseen
Podcast Authority Score: 15 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
30
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
0
Contact AccountabiliTea Podcast
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Questions about AccountabiliTea Podcast
Who hosts AccountabiliTea Podcast?
Cheri-Leigh Erasmus host the show. Published by Accountability Lab.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes monthly, based on its RSS feed.
Does AccountabiliTea Podcast take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
Host of AccountabiliTea Podcast?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
