How might institutions better align with the work of a democratic citizenry? This is a question that Kettering has explored with multiple institutions working in a variety of contexts. Tendai Murisa, executive director of the SIVIO Institute in Zimbabwe, draws on his experience working with think tanks, philanthropy, and other civil society organizations to highlight some of the obstacles he sees. He notes that “institutions of expertise” often fail to recognize critical work already going on in communities. Much of this work, whether in rural Africa or elsewhere, is largely invisible to institutions. The question Tendai asks is, how can these institutions “strengthen what is already existing, instead of just thinking that what is needed are new solutions?”
Institutions and the Work of Citizens on Vimeo