Welcome to our new-look newsletter! The same content, in a different format – and, for the first time, available on the SUN CSN website.
Applications are open for the SUN CSN Nutrition Dialogues Youth Advocacy Fund
The SUN Civil Society Network is offering grants of up to €10,000 to Civil Society Alliances (CSAs) for youth-led community dialogues on nutrition. This funding will amplify the voices of marginalised young people and community members, transforming local conversations into concrete policy asks that influence nutrition decision-making from local to global levels.
Earlier this week SUN CSN held a Q&A webinar on the grants. If you missed it, not to worry! You can access the PowerPoint presentation here or catch up with the Zoom recording here (passcode: B?HlxB4*)
Application Deadline: 23:59 (GMT) Friday 27th March 2026.
SUN CSN launches 4.0 strategy – recording now available
SUN CSN launched its new strategy last month with a webinar featuring speakers from across our Network and beyond. Missed the webinar? The recording is now available on YouTube. Speakers brought to life the urgent need for resilient civil society action, inclusive leadership, and stronger advocacy for lasting nutrition impact. The strategy is locally led, globally connected, and inclusive by design.
SUN Civil Society Alliances meet in Botswana to share learnings and plan action on accountability
Earlier this month, SUN CSN members from across 17 countries in East and Southern Africa, and anglophone West Africa, met in Gaborone, Botswana, to share experiences and plan action on accountability.
The workshop opened with a stocktake of 2025 advocacy wins, ranging from Zimbabwe driving action toward a Child Nutrition Fund to Sierra Leone establishing school gardens and workplace breastfeeding rooms. A two-day accountability training then reframed how participants think about their role – shifting from civil society versus government toward a model of shared ownership of nutrition outcomes.
The impact has continued since. In Malawi, participants engaged MPs on nutrition budget cuts and the Food and Nutrition Bill; in Kenya, the training is feeding directly into finalising the National Food and Nutrition Security Policy; and in Lesotho, real-time platforms have been set up to monitor government commitments.
Micronutrient Forum 7th Conference: Call for Papers
The Micronutrient Forum Conference is in 2026 and will be held in Accra from 28 Sept to 1 Oct 2026, and the deadline for submitting abstracts (to present at the conference) is 30 March!
CFS 54: Call for Side Event Proposals
The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) Secretariat has opened the Call for Proposals for Side Events at the 54th Session (CFS 54). The submission deadline is 30 May 2026 at 23:59 CEST. Past side event programmes from CFS 52 and 53 are available for reference. Enquiries: [email protected].
SUN Civil Society Alliances Exchange – Asia (24–25 March 2026)
2026 marks a pivotal milestone as we transition from SUN CSN 3.0 to SUN CSN 4.0. In recognition of this important shift, we cordially invite you to participate in a two-day virtual SUN Civil Society Alliances Exchange – Asia on 24–25 March 2026:
- Time: 16:00-18:00 (GMT+8)
This session will serve as an opportunity to:
- Reflect on the achievements and lessons learned from SUN CSN 3.0;
- Align on the new global and regional strategy, the SUN CSN 4.0; and
- Collaboratively discuss for collective priorities and actions for 2026 and onwards.
SUN CSN around the world
A new chapter for Costa Rica
The SUN Civil Society Alliance in Costa Rica has completed a major governance restructuring, consolidating with eight member organisations and a new action plan to strengthen collective impact on nutrition policy. Alfredo Echeverría (FUCOGA), who led the national coordination since 2022, has handed over to María Eugenia Villalobos of UCIMED – whose background as a government focal point and SUN Leader Group member positions the Alliance well for its next phase. Member organisations include the UCR School of Nutrition, Finca Los Warumos, Fundecooperación, and the FAO World Food Forum National Youth Chapter, among others. The Alliance is committed to advancing healthy, inclusive, and sustainable food systems in Costa Rica.
Burkina Faso: National Forum on Inequalities in Access to Health in Humanitarian Emergencies
To improve equitable access to care for populations in humanitarian crisis, the Forum of International Humanitarian NGOs (FONGIH) and the Civil Society Network for Nutrition (RESONUT) hosted a national forum in Ouagadougou on 15–16 December 2025. Held under the theme ‘Acting on Inequalities in Access to Healthcare in Humanitarian Situations: Strengthening the Role of NGOs for an Effective Response to Free Healthcare for Women, Adolescent Girls and Vulnerable Households’, the forum was co-sponsored by the Ministers of Health and Humanitarian Action.
Ecuador: Citizen Observatory on Child Nutrition
The SUN Civil Society Alliance of Ecuador, with Secretariat support, has designed the Citizen Observatory on Child Nutrition – a citizen-led initiative to generate knowledge and influence public policy on stunting prevention. The model’s centrepiece is a Community Monitoring Network involving local leaders, health promoters, and grassroots organisations as co-producers of evidence on service quality and effectiveness. Outputs will include an annual ‘Citizen’s Voice on Child Nutrition’ report, quarterly community monitoring briefs, a citizen information portal with data and interactive maps, and a repository of best practices with a community alert dashboard.
Resources
Future of Aid 2040
International aid faces mounting contestation, underfunding, and politicisation — yet solidarity, innovation, and local leadership continue to flourish. The Future of Aid 2040 report from IARAN presents four contrasting scenarios and a typology of crises to help organisations stress-test their strategies, prioritise actions, and chart transformation pathways under local leadership.
Nutrition for Health – Embracing our Namibian Food Systems
Developed by NAFSAN with government and partner support, this community-led capacity-building initiative addresses Namibia’s triple burden of malnutrition. It equips facilitators with participatory tools to promote healthy diets, indigenous foods, optimal child nutrition in the first 1,000 days, and sustainable food systems. Since 2023, over 530 trained facilitators across all regions have reached more than 50,000 people; the goal is to reach one million Namibians by 2030.
Recordings
Global Learning Programme: Gender–Climate–Nutrition Nexus Webinars
Recordings from two recent webinars are now available. Webinar 1 – Building a Common Understanding of the Gender–Climate–Nutrition Nexus: Watch here. Webinar 2 – From Frameworks to Action: Applying the Nexus in Practice: Watch here.
A Community of Practice launches in June 2026 – complete the short survey to share your input: https://forms.office.com/e/wXN9K5QVma
Thanks for reading!
Remember to follow our LinkedIn page
Our LinkedIn page was recently relaunched. Make sure to follow our page for updates on the work of the SUN CSN and our CSAs.
Keep up to date with events hosted by SUN CSN, our members and partners
Throughout 2026 we’ll be updating our events calendar with regional and global moments where civil society can coordinate action. Please let us know about any upcoming events by emailing [email protected].
Keep up to date with all the latest SUN Movement news
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