The ALMASI project (Aligning and Mutualizing Nonprofit Open Access Publishing Services Internationally) will convene a coordinated series of regional and cross-regional policy forums in March 2026 aimed at strengthening Diamond open access (OA) and advancing more equitable scholarly publishing systems. Funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe program and involving 16 partners across Africa, Europe, and Latin America, the initiative seeks to transition Diamond OA from a largely grassroots movement to a sustainable and globally recognized ecosystem.
Diamond OA refers to publishing models in which neither authors nor readers are charged fees. The ALMASI Diamond OA Policy Forums, organized in collaboration with project partners, will bring together policymakers and institutional leaders from three continents to co-design approaches for improving policymaking and sustainability. SPARC Europe is coordinating the series, with African efforts co-led by AJOL and EIFL, and Latin American activities advanced by Redalyc.
The forums are designed to address the policy foundations required to secure long-term stability for non-commercial publishing. Participating institutions will examine how explicit Diamond OA policies can provide regulatory and financial support, justify sustained investment in public infrastructures, shift funding away from commercial subscriptions, and reform research assessment frameworks so that publishing in Diamond journals is formally recognized in tenure and career progression systems.
The series will begin with sessions focused on Africa, followed by Europe and a bilingual forum for Latin America and the Caribbean. Online meetings will outline the current national and institutional policy landscape, identify barriers to advancing Diamond OA, and highlight successful regional models. Breakout groups will develop region-specific proposals. The forums will also present findings from recent ALMASI outputs, including the “Scoping Report on Non-for-profit Publishing Ecosystems” and the “Landscape Report on Diamond Open Access Publishing in Africa, Europe, and Latin America.”
Equity, diversity, and inclusion are embedded in the program design, with multilingual engagement central to outreach efforts. Events scheduled throughout March will be conducted in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish to ensure broad participation across regions. Project partners have also identified regionally resonant arguments and discussion points to support effective policymaker engagement.
In late 2025, a mutual learning exercise (MLE) step-by-step guide was developed to support the organization of advocacy events based on lessons learned from earlier initiatives. That framework is being used to structure the regional forums.
Insights from regional discussions will culminate in a cross-regional online event in late March, intended to synthesize takeaways, identify shared priorities, and encourage strengthened Diamond OA policymaking at institutional and national levels.
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