The Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) is a global initiative that empowers civil society organizations (CSOs) in low- and middle-income countries to advocate for stronger public health policies and investments. GHAI builds on the experience of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and partners with local organizations to drive policy change that improves public health outcomes. By offering technical assistance, strategic support, and capacity-building resources, GHAI plays a vital role in enabling CSOs to influence health budget policies and frameworks. Its programs focus on enhancing advocacy strategies, fostering leadership, and equipping organizations with the tools required to participate effectively in public financial management. GHAI’s work spans key health areas, including noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), injury prevention, epidemic preparedness, and overall health systems strengthening. With its newly structured “CSO Budget Advocacy Accelerator,” GHAI is advancing its mission to ensure that health advocacy organizations are well-positioned to secure adequate and sustainable investments in public health. This initiative underscores GHAI’s commitment to reducing global health disparities by building the advocacy capacity of organizations closest to the communities affected.

The “CSO Budget Advocacy Accelerator” is a 12-month program launched by the Global Health Advocacy Incubator to bolster the capacity of CSOs to influence and strengthen health budgets in their respective countries. This intensive program blends hands-on learning, technical assistance, and peer exchange to empower civil society organizations working in areas such as noncommunicable disease prevention, injury control, and health security. Participants will gain deeper insights into national and subnational health budget processes and Public Financial Management (PFM), helping them to mobilize domestic resources for sustainable health interventions.

The Accelerator is designed for organizations actively advocating for improved policies and budget allocations concerning issues like tobacco control, food and nutrition systems, mental health, cardiovascular diseases, drowning and road safety, and epidemic response. This grant initiative does not offer direct funding for project implementation but provides substantial technical assistance and strategic guidance to strengthen organizational advocacy. The second cohort of the Accelerator will engage selected CSOs in a comprehensive and practical approach to advance policy change and health systems development through budget advocacy.

The Contrapuntal is an independent non-profit publication committed to delivering rigorously researched, accessible, and factually accurate journalism from a ground-up perspective. Inspired by Edward Said’s concept of contrapuntal reading, the publication examines the intertwined histories of colonizers and colonized, offering a nuanced approach to complex global issues. With a focus on political economy, migration, ecology, and culture, The Contrapuntal prioritizes people-centric stories, emphasizing voices often silenced and unpacking the structures that perpetuate such silencing. The platform rejects “objective truth” storytelling and false balance, instead aiming to critique oversimplified narratives, particularly those affecting the Global South. By uniting researchers, journalists, activists, artists, and critical thinkers, The Contrapuntal strives to provide diverse perspectives on contemporary global issues.

The Bridging Narratives Grant is an intersectional initiative funded by the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) at Erasmus University Rotterdam. It aims to foster collaborative projects between independent journalists and social scientists, blending academic research and journalism to produce critical, people-centered narratives. The selected projects will address key global themes such as migration, political economy, ecology, and culture, highlighting their local implications through in-depth reporting. The goal is to create high-quality, participatory content that is disseminated through The Contrapuntal’s digital magazine. In addition to financial support, successful applicants will attend a workshop focused on journalism-research collaborations, culminating in an edited volume reflecting on the challenges and opportunities of merging the two fields.