On 23rd September, we hosted the first-ever #TheListeningState during #UNGA81 in New York City at @RetroReport, a conversation on strengthening public service delivery and governance through data, civic technology, and citizen engagement. The evening was anchored on three questions: what rebuilds trust between citizens and the state; whose voice counts as aid shrinks and technology shifts; and what the next decade of support for public institutions should look like. Over two hours, funders, African leaders, and practitioners worked through them together. What emerged was a shared conclusion: voice alone does not move institutions. What moves them is voice carried on evidence, aimed at the place where a state actually feels it. #TheListeningState #WeShapeGov