Citizen Action

Step One

Citizens check on
local government’s
service delivery.

Step Two

Problems and
delays in delivery
can be reported.

Step Three

Civil Society
holds governments
accountable and
improve lifes.

In many countries around the world citizens struggle to have their voice heard. This even occurs at the most basic level of service delivery, including water, sanitation, education and other basic human services. However, new technologies and innovations have allowed interventions in these scenarios to be much easier. Using web platforms and simple SMS cell phone technologies the United Nations Millennium Campaign has set up a series of Citizen Feedback Initiatives around the World. These new programs allow for ordinary citizens to directly connect with local and national officials and demand that basic services be provided to them and their communities.

This program is now being piloted in India, Philippines and Kenya and more programs will be developed in the future.

Reports

Dec 16 The Future of Citizen Engagement – A New Report on Citizen Voices

16 December 2014 – Last week, the Occidental College Task Force on Citizen Accountability launched a report of their research findings entitled The Future of Citizen Engagement: Recommendations for Implementing Effective Feedback Initiatives. This research team, … Continue reading →
May 16 ‘MY World’ Survey – First Results – Over 600,000 Citizens Tell the United Nations their Priorities

Over 600,000 citizens from 194 countries have already voted for the issues that would make the most difference to their lives, providing, for the first time ever, real-time and real-world intelligence on what people think … Continue reading →
Aug 12 Tingog 2015: Citizens’ Feedback for Promoting Governance Accountability and Service Delivery in the Philippines

Why Citizens’ Feedback? Significant gains have been achieved on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a set of eight time-bound goals on poverty, education, gender equality, health and environment. However, much more still needs to be … Continue reading →
Aug 06 Samadhan: Citizen Voices for Accountable Governance and Service Delivery

Why SAMADHAN? There are less than four years left for the world to achieve the Millennium Development Goals – a series of ambitious commitments that countries made across the globe to reduce poverty, eliminate preventable … Continue reading →
 

Stories

Feb 25 Building Bridges kicked off! From Amsterdam to Cape Town #BB2015UN

24 February 2015 – Building Bridges kicked off in The Netherlands! From now until August, Jilt van Schayik (UN Youth Representative for The Netherlands) and Teun Meulepas will be cycling from Amsterdam to Cape Town. From … Continue reading →
Sep 10 UN Secretary-General listens to 1 Million Voices from MY World

People around the world call for better education, healthcare, honest and responsive government and jobs.  The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon presented today a new report “A Million Voices: The World We Want”. The report summarizes … Continue reading →
Nov 27 Empowering citizens to achieve the MDGs: The Philippines’ top telecommunication companies unite to support Tingog 2015

The Philippines’ top telecommunication companies unite to support Tingog 2015, an initiative that allows citizens to monitor social services through text messaging. The initiative is being piloted in Tabaco, Albay, the Philippines. (Manila, Philippines, November … Continue reading →
Aug 12 Empowering Citizens through Tingog

When Rosemarie Burac, a resident of Barangay Fatima, Tabaco, was pregnant with her 3rd child, she contracted a whooping cough. She was referred to the municipal hospital, but when she got there, the doctor was … Continue reading →
Aug 12 Tingog, A Helping Hand to Barangay Health Workers

Cecilia Regondola, 58 years old, of Barangay Agnas, has been a barangay health worker (BHW) for almost thirty years. She is grateful to Tingog because of the concrete changes it has brought about to the … Continue reading →
Aug 12 Conspiracy Against Pupils: Case Study of Kibera Primary School

Background Kibera Primary school was founded in 1953. The school has a population of 2193 pupils and 28 teachers. The first sponsors to the school were returning Sudanese soldiers who had fought in the first … Continue reading →
Aug 12 The Anti-Counterfeit Court Case

The Kenyan constitution guarantees the right to a life, right to health care services, adequate housing, food, clean and safe water, education, and social security. Central to the constitution is devolution of resources which guarantees … Continue reading →
Aug 06 Samadhan Impact: Regularising hours and timings of village nutrition centre staff – Integrated Child Development Scheme

35-year-old Laxman Saunta and his wife, Daimoti, live in Kathapada village in Koraput District. They have a 7-year-old boy, Durhaya and a 4-year-old girl, Saita. Both husband and wife work as daily wage earners to … Continue reading →
Aug 06 Samadhan Impact: Setting up a Primary School

35-year-old Sibaram Bandhia lives in the Bandhia Guda village of Koraput District. The village has 56 households with a population of 267. About 43 are children in the age group of 6 to 14 years. … Continue reading →
Aug 06 Samadhan Impact: Allotment of Financial Assistance under Housing Scheme – Indira Awas Yojna

31-year-old Arath Takri lives happily with his wife, Sunita, in Tayaput village, Laxmipur Block of Koraput District. During the Palli Sabha (village meeting), his name was selected as one of the beneficiaries of the Indira … Continue reading →