We wrapped our second annual Digital Policy Leadership Summit, which took place 6-7 March in Brussels, Belgium. We’re still feeling inspired and energised from the conversations and connections that were forged at this two day event at La Tricoterie.
Naming, facilitating, and shifting power to drive policy change
Power was a central theme of the two days, woven through each conversation. As our program evolves, we’ve come to understand that centering our work around power analysis is not only key to changing who is in policy decision making rooms but fundamentally altering the room itself. During our discussions, we emphasised the importance of subverting power and leveraging our collective proximity to power to drive impact. It was collectively held that in order to achieve power shifting policy outcomes, we must put in the work to build, strengthen, and broaden the field, as well as foster solidarity across civil society movements and efforts.
It was also affirmed that a key element of leadership is about sharing our platforms and opportunities, amplifying underrepresented voices, remaining steadfast on our collective visions for more equitable futures, and …
Leadership is something we practice
Whether you are an institution builder, a coalition leader, a practitioner bringing a crucial perspective to policy debates, bridging movements, or someone who is willing to share your knowledge and experience, leadership is something you practice, and they are practices and approaches we can model right now, no matter where you may be in your policy journey.
We are stronger when we stand in solidarity to address shared struggles
In looking ahead to what awaits following the wave of elections around the world, the new EU mandate, and ongoing humanitarian crises, the lack of ambition from policymakers around climate justice, the role that technology policy plays as a throughline to all these challenges, and so much more - we know it’s not going to get any easier. But we have agency; our visions, collective knowledge, expertise and experience to bring to the table to enact meaningful changes now. It was emphasised that being radical in a reformist environment is crucial in these times, and also that we’re not alone. Together we have the power to collectively advance change, to create the world we want to be living in.
A co-created and action-oriented agenda
As a whole, the agenda included a rich tapestry of discussions which explored both the “what” and the “how” of policy leadership. We kicked off the two days by engaging directly with a range of policy practitioners about obstacles they have encountered throughout their journeys and how they overcame them. This set the tone for the next two days, to show up as you are, in your full authentic self.
Throughout these two days, participants exchanged best practices and learnings for leadership development, including finding the right mentor; forging shared leadership models; measuring impact; enhancing cross-movement solidarity; and more. And enhancing essential policy skills such as building and refining narrative; bringing the disruption and fun to policy work; applying a feminist lens to lobbying; and the importance of practicing self-care for ourselves, each other, and our movements.
We heard from many participants that they appreciated the strategic lens that was applied to the sessions; whether it was incorporating a climate justice lens on the Digital Services Act (DSA) and beyond; countering elections disinformation in the age of AI; or coordinating responses for global solidarity on ongoing humanitarian crises including Palestine, the Congo and Sudan, the conversations were thought-provoking and action-oriented.
What’s next
We are grateful to everyone for having been so generous with their knowledge, for their curiosity, kindness, and enthusiasm to advance human rights and social, racial and economic justice in the EU and beyond, and for being an active part of this growing community of practice around policy leadership.
We are looking forward to building on this momentum from the Summit, to foster and strengthen the coalitions, bonds, and next conversations from the event. Here are a couple highlights to expect from us this year:
- We’ll continue to convene virtual and in person events, relating to specific and timely policy and leadership needs form our community, including a virtual skill share in the Spring.
- We’ll further develop the mentoring matching program, to respond to growing demand for practitioners at all stages of their policy path for connections, support and to share and seek knowledge;
- We are also exploring ways to engage more deeply with Global Majority regions, including a possible convening in Nairobi at the end of 2024;
- Finally, we will continue to place Policy Leadership Cohorts, which serve individuals looking to enhancing their policy skills and connect with peers, with new approaches that include Strategy design for policy teams inside of organisations; and Coalitions, which bring together practitioners around a specific policy challenge, such as effective enforcement of the DSA, post elections strategising, and more.
Stay tuned for more updates, and we’d love to hear from you.
Sign up to stay informed on program updates and offerings by emailing policyleadership-updates@aspirationtech.org.