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May 2011
Issue: 60



Welcome to Civil Society Watch Bulletin, an e-newsletter of updates and analyses concerning civil society's rights to freedom of association, assembly and expression around the world. The Bulletin is compiled by the staff at Civil Society Watch, a programme of CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation. Please feel free to forward the Bulletin to friends and colleagues. We welcome your comments and contributions!
To subscribe or unsubscribe please visit www.civicus.org/csw/csw-newsletter or email cswcommunity@civicus.org


International Center for Not for Profit Law (ICNL): Global Trends in NGO Law, Vol 2 Issue 4
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International Crisis Group - Popular Protests in North Africa and the Middle East (IV): Tunisia’s Way
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International Crisis Group – Zimbabwe: The Road to Reform or Another Dead End?
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World Movement for Democracy and ICNL Country Reports on NGO Law
Click here to download


CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation is an international movement of civil society with members and partners in over a hundred countries. CIVICUS nurtures the foundation, growth and protection of citizen action throughout the world especially in areas where participatory democracy and citizens' freedom of association are threatened. The Civil Society Watch Project of CIVICUS seeks to mobilise quick, principled and effective responses to events that threaten civil society fundamental freedoms of expression, association and assembly.


The Eurasia Coordinator is traveling to Russia where he will spend 3 months working with partners, the Moscow Helsinki Group and the Youth Movement for Human Rights.  Currently, in conjunction with CIVICUS, these organisations are planning the Moscow Helsinki Group’s jubilee conference where issues affecting civil society in Central Asia and Belarus will take centre stage.  Additionally, the network is planning to stage its next mission to the United Nations in Geneva where, with the help of partners, it will present data on Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to Special Rapporteurs on Freedom of Expression and Independence of Judges and Lawyers.  Lastly, we are in the final stages of developing a brand new website for the Eurasia Idea Network.

 

INDIA: Eminent Civil Society Activist, Binayak Sen, granted bail by Supreme Court
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NETHERLANDS: Unjust – a film about women human rights defenders in Indonesia wins Special Jury Award at Movies That Matter Festival
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Highlights

Civil society enabling environment now on global agenda – preparing for Busan
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CIVICUS publishes a report on the situation of CSOs in Conflict in partnership with the Open Forum for CSO Development Effectiveness
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CIVICUS highlights concerns to Iranian Parliament about restrictive NGO Bill
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CIVICUS urges Azeri authorities to end attacks on peaceful protestors
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Civil Society stands in solidarity with the people of Swaziland
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Opinion piece by CIVICUS staff member Ciana-Marie Pegus on new restrictions on the freedom of expression in Hungary
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Opinion piece by CIVICUS UN representative Renate Bloem on press freedom
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Terror vs Consent’, analysis piece by Ingrid Srinath, Secretary General, CIVICUS
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BAHRAIN: OHCHR concerned about the "dire human rights situation"
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COLUMBIA: Environmental activist subjected to death threats
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ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES: Body of kidnapped Italian peace activist found in Gaza
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SWAZILAND: Pro-democracy protestors subjected to tear gas and water cannon
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SYRIA: OHCHR condemns “erratic and violent” response to peaceful protests
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Human Rights Council urged to investigate crackdown on protestors
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TURKEY: Media concerned about widespread jailing of journalists
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UAE: Activists subjected to arrest and criminal investigation for 'opposing government'
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UZBEKISTAN: Activists harassed for appearing on TV broadcast
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VIETNAM: Pro-democracy activists detained and released after a week
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UN: UNESCO Director General Calls for Freedom of Expression to be protected worldwide
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Civil Society Watch (CSW) Online

CSW Online aims to be accessible in all six official languages of the United Nations. The Chinese and French user interfaces are virtually complete and translation efforts are ongoing for Arabic, Russian and Spanish. Recent reports of threats to civil society include: the arrest of human rights defender Ahmad Mansour during a police raid on his home in the United Arab Emirates; and the deployment of heavily armed soldiers in the Matabeleland and Midlands provinces of Zimbabwe.
 
At a glance in April, CSW Online has 15 registered new users and was visited by 1935  unique visitors for a total of 4202 visits and 15360 page views







Pepe Julian Onziemam, Programme Coordinator for Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), a coalition of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) human rights organisations in Uganda, speaks to CIVICUS about the challenges of working in a hostile environment.
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DISCLAIMER
The views expressed in this bulletin are a reflection of those contained in the original reports to which they are linked here, and are not necessarily those of CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation.

CONTACT US

EDITORS
Mandeep Tiwana
Adam Nord

COPY EDITING
Margaret Fish
P.O. Box 933
Southdale, 2135
South Africa
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Suite 350
Washington DC 20005


DESIGN AND LAYOUT
Jessica Hume
Oluwakorede Asuni

 


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