SOCS

• 25 years later, looking back at my CIVICUS journey

  French 

  by Anabel Cruz, Board Chair 2016-2019

  In early 1993, democracy was rather “young” in many parts of the world. Only less than four years had passed since the fall of the Berlin Wall; Apartheid had not yet been totally dismantled and the first elections in South Africa held with universal suffrage were to happen the year after, in 1994. At the same time, the early nineties saw several countries in Latin America taking their first steps towards elected democracies, after more than a decade of military dictatorships.

  Internet did not exist yet, and global communications were something at least very new, slow and difficult. Only one year earlier, in 1992, a professor of sociology at the University of Aberdeen had described globalisation as the compression of the world and the intensification of the consciousness of the world as a whole.

  So, in that context, isn’t it really admirable that a group of individuals, from diverse regions and parts of the world, came together to found CIVICUS, as a global alliance of civil society organisations? Those visionaries defined the mission of the new Alliance as: “to strengthen citizen action and influence, based on the underlying principle that free and effective societies exist in direct proportion to their degree of citizen participation and influence." (CIVICUS Organising Committee, minutes Lisbon meeting January 1993).

  Today, more than 25 years later, this mission is still valid and current, and it is also our permanent challenge. Freedom, participation and solidarity remain as one of our basic goals and fundamental values.

  My 25-year journey with CIVICUS

  As I reflect on my own journey with CIVICUS, a series of images come to my mind, and I relive my first contacts with CIVICUS like one of those high-speed movies. I learned of the new organisation in the first months of 1993: while helping to consolidate local democracy, civil society organisations in Latin America were seeking new international horizons and collaborations.

  I never imagined that my visit to Independent Sector in Washington DC, at that moment hosting the recently founded Alliance, would result in such a long-lasting and enduring relationship. For the last 25 years, I have had the privilege of following and participating in CIVICUS history, its achievements, challenges, strategies and course corrections, from diverse positions: I have been a member, a partner, a Board member, the Chair of Board in two different opportunities.

  One of CIVICUS first successful steps was probably its first international meeting. Soon after the organisation was founded, in 1995, the first CIVICUS World Assembly took place in Mexico City: 500 people from more than 50 different countries came together to learn about the new organisation and to have conversations on how to strengthen citizen action and cooperation opportunities. Since that moment, 16 global events have been organised in all parts of the world, global gatherings for civil society to connect, debate and create shared solutions, now known as International Civil Society Week (ICSW). The most recent one, in Belgrade, Serbia happened just last month, and was a vibrant gathering attended by over 700 delegates from 92 countries.

  From the very beginning, CIVICUS prioritised activities such as networking, information-gathering and building the capacity of existing and new national and regional associations. Consistent with this, the Affinity Group of National Associations (AGNA) was one of CIVICUS’ first, and still enduring, programmes, bringing together national associations and regional platforms from around the world for more than 20 years to foster greater cooperation across boundaries.

  Building civil society knowledge in a changing world

  From its inception in 1993, CIVICUS has sought to make a significant contribution to recording the rise of civil society around the world, and to building a knowledge base on civil society by civil society. A first World Report on Citizen Participation came out as early as 1995, intended to get a grasp on the state of civil society worldwide. Later in 1997 The New Civic Atlas was published, as a compilation of civil society profiles from 60 countries around the world. In order to provide consistency with regard to the issues covered and a more rigorous comparative framework and after a number of consultations, in 1999 CIVICUS was ready to launch a new idea, the Civil Society Index (CSI).

  I remember so well the words of former CIVICUS Secretary General Kumi Naidoo, reporting years later that participants of the CSI consultations had described the project as “an exercise in madness,” especially due to the lack of data on civil society in most countries, and the contested definition of civil society that would not allow comparisons or global analysis. But CIVICUS challenged the paradigms once again and the so-called Diamond Tool was presented in the CIVICUS World Assembly in Manila, as the preliminary methodological design for the CSI project.

  Subsequently, CIVICUS developed a fully-fledged project design and the CSI had its pilot phase from 2000 to 2002, with the CSI implemented in 13 countries. The evaluation of the pilot phase recommended modifications in the methodology and considered the Index project as “an innovative, contextually flexible, empowering and uniquely participatory tool for self-assessment by civil society stakeholders of the state of civil society in their countries” Two full phases followed, from 2003 to 2006, with the participation of 53 countries, and from 2008 to 2011, with the CSI implemented in 56 countries and also at regional level in six African countries.

  The results of the decade of CSI implementation yielded an enormous contribution to the body of knowledge about civil society around the world. The world was changing very fast, new actors burst onto the scene: The Indignados Movement in Madrid, the student protests in Chile and in other countries, the Arab Spring, all these new started to rise in late 2010 with peaks during 2011 and 2012. The CSI findings were clear and very well oriented, pointing out a noticeable disconnect between established civil society organisations and the increasing number of citizens involved in both new and traditional forms of activism. It does not come as surprise that the final CSI report title was “Bridging the gaps: citizens, organisations and dissociations” (2011) and concluded that the CSI needed to evolve to encompass the changing landscape.

  Conditions for civil society proved to be volatile and can change very rapidly, so information cannot be out of date. Indeed, more agile tools were needed, without compromising the rigor that characterized the CSI tool, in order to continue providing a leading barometer of that human impulse to freedom, justice and collective endeavour.

  CIVICUS has listened and has tried to respond to the changing situations and the multiple demands. The State of Civil Society Report, published annually since 2013 and the CIVICUS Monitor launched in 2016, are part of that necessary evolution. The State of Civil Society Report has become CIVICUS' flagship annual publication, providing the key trends affecting civil society organisations (CSOs) and citizen movements. Furthermore, the CIVICUS Monitor is a research tool aimed to share reliable, up-to-date data on the state of civil society freedoms in all countries. Danny Sriskandarajah, our Secretary General from 2012 to 2018, defined the CIVICUS Monitor as “the first robust and comprehensive tool to track conditions for civil society around the world”.

  The road ahead…

  CIVICUS is indeed one of the few organisations whose main job is to protect and promote civil society writ large, all over the world. And in the years to come, no doubt that CIVICUS will continue listening to our members, partners, to our primary constituencies and will always be ready to innovate, will work hard to understand realities to defend civic and democratic freedoms, to strengthen the power of people, and to empower a more accountable and innovative civil society.

  As we prepare to address new challenges, we are fortunate to find ourselves in a position of strength at CIVICUS: with a stable financial base, a committed and diverse board, a broad and growing membership and a talented secretariat team led by Lysa John, our inspiring new Secretary General. We have the best conditions to continuing strengthening citizen participation around the world.

  As I step down from the Board soon, I can only say how privileged and grateful I feel. Thank you for the opportunity of having served for so many years, for all the learnings, for the love and friendship that I have received, for having met the most committed people to justice that can exist. CIVICUS is about shared values, solidarity and inclusion. I will always be a champion for those values. Thank you CIVICUS!

  Anabel Cruz

  Chair of the Board of CIVICUS 2016-2019

• A new way of doing business

  In times of democratic crisis, the growing influence of business over commercial, political and social spheres can play a key role in safeguarding civic freedoms says global civil society alliance, CIVICUS’ 2017 report.

  The 2017 State of Civil Society Report highlights a global emergency on civic space as democracy is being undermined by right-wing populist and neo-fascist leaders even as the power of businesses continues to grow. Business, particularly transnational corporations, have a greater impact on all spheres of life than ever before – most of the world’s 100 biggest economic entities by revenue are companies, not governments.

  It is also a time when just 3% of the world’s population live in countries with “open” civic space, meaning that the exercise of their freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly is not being unduly restricted.

  The CIVICUS State of Civil Society 2017 report further notes:

  • There is a strong business case for protection of civic space, as social risk can add 10% on average to business operating costs, bribery which civil society helps prevent is estimated to account for around US$1 trillion a year
  • Ongoing concerns over harmful business practices resulting in attacks on rights defenders, land grabs, displacement and environmental harm; and
  • Acknowledgement of the role of businesses in Agenda 2030 should not be seen an avenue for profit making by a few transnational corporations but rather as an opportunity for businesses to contribute to the well-being of communities.

  The report also points out that forces of globalisation and neo-liberal economic orthodoxy are fuelling inequality, and sparking citizen anger. For civil society, it is a matter of urgency to pay attention to the private sector and find new ways of engaging with it.

  “Too often business as usual can result in human rights abuses, leading to land grabs affecting indigenous people, the killing of human rights defenders, low wages and attacks on workers rights. Massive global tax avoidance continues to lead to cuts in public spending and is driving global inequality,” says CIVICUS Secretary General Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah. CIVICUS supports the move towards an international legally binding treaty on transnational corporations and human rights in the report.

  The report also highlights that the private sector is playing a major role in delivering Agenda 2030, with businesses increasingly drawing development resources. Due to increased focus on public-private partnerships, civil society organisations (CSOs) are having to compete with profit focused private sector contractors to deliver public services in a development market structured more around questionable efficiency concerns than values. The risk is that sustainable development becomes less about realising rights than receiving corporate charity.

  BUSINESS CASE FOR CIVIC SPACE

  The report identifies several areas of partnership for positive social change between business and civil society. It highlights the need for business to adopt a ‘first do no harm’ approach and then go beyond that by demonstrating an active commitment to protecting civic freedoms.

  Nicolas Patrick of global law firm, DLA Piper which is part of a business network on human rights defenders insists that businesses can only succeed where there is strong rule of law. His company sees civil society as an indicator and facilitator of the rule of law. It supports civil society organisations by providing them with strategic advice in obtaining registration in high risk jurisdictions and support in instances of arbitrary detention.

  Bill Anderson of the Adidas Group points to his company’s long track record working with several civil society groups to guarantee worker’s rights and better occupational health and safety conditions as part of global supply chains. He believes that open and tolerant societies, where civil society thrives, are also pre-conditions for the long-term success of business.

  These initiatives show how, at its best, the private sector can help tackle the biggest issues we face from climate change to economic inequality, and the current crisis of democracy.

  UN Global Compact research suggests that poor governance and corruption – which an empowered civil society offers a bulwark against – add on average 10 per cent to the cost of conducting business. The difference between operating in a low corruption climate versus one with higher levels of corruption can be 20 percent of profit. Research puts the economic cost of internet shutdowns, as experienced in Anglophone region of Cameroon this year, at US$2.4billion. This puts a clear price on the failure to defend online civic space.

  ENDS

  Notes to Editors

  For the full State of Civil Society Report 2017 click here.

  About the State of Civil Society Report 2017

  Each year the CIVICUS State of Civil Society Report examines the major events that involve and affect civil society around the world. Part one of our report reviews the past year, focusing on the space for civil society and the impact of a resurgence of right-wing populist politics; the right to express dissent; protest movements; and civil society’s international-level actions. Part two of our report has the special theme of civil society and the private sector.

  Our report is of, from and for civil society, drawing from a wide range of interviews with people close to the major stories of the day, a survey of members of our network of national and regional civil society coordination and membership bodies - the Affinity Group of National Associations (AGNA) - and 27 specially-commissioned guest articles on different aspects of the theme of civil society and the private sector. Most of our inputs come from civil society, but we also sought the views of people working in government and the private sector.

  Our report also draws from CIVICUS’ ongoing programme of research and analysis into the conditions for civil society. In particular, it presents findings from the CIVICUS Monitor, our new online platform that tracks the space for civil society - civic space - in every country, and the Enabling Environment National Assessments (EENA), a civil society-led analysis of legal, regulatory and policy environments.

  For further information or to request interviews with CIVICUS staff and contributors please contact

   

• Informe sobre el estado de la sociedad civil 2019

  
  El mundo padece un grave déficit de compasión, tal como se desprende del trato recibido por la caravana de migrantes en su paso por México, concluye un nuevo informe.
   

  • El nuevo informe de CIVICUS identifica una tendencia general a la retracción de la compasión hacia las personas vulnerables, que también tiene expresiones en América Latina. Recientemente, una nueva caravana de migrantes centroamericanos en camino hacia los Estados Unidos fue fríamente recibida por las autoridades mexicana. Asimismo, los venezolanos que huyen masivamente de la crisis que asuela a su país atraviesan situaciones extremadamente duras, aunque según las Naciones Unidas deberían recibir protección en calidad de refugiados.
     
  • El informe también señala un aumento del populismo y el nacionalismo de derecha en todo el mundo, incluida la región latinoamericana. Sin embargo, destaca que la sociedad civil no se ha mantenido al margen, sino que ha reaccionado activamente intentando involucrar a la ciudadanía en la búsqueda de alternativas progresistas. El informe hace un llamado a la construcción de narrativas positivas que permitan canalizar los descontentos en dirección de proyectos incluyentes y poner freno al avance de los grupos anti-derechos.

  Una nueva caravana de migrantes procedentes de El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras y Nicaragua fue recibida con dureza en su travesía por México rumbo a los Estados Unidos. A diferencia de lo ocurrido en oportunidades anteriores, esta vez las autoridades de algunas ciudades del sur de México impidieron que la caravana se detuviera para descansar

  Mientras tanto, los venezolanos que huyen de la crisis, a un ritmo imparable de 2.000 a 3.000 por día, suelen enfrentar hostilidad y duras condiciones para sobrevivir en los países de acogida. Recientemente la ONU hizo un llamado a la protección de estas personas en calidad de refugiadas.

  La creciente hostilidad hacia migrantes y refugiados es una de las principales y alarmantes tendencias que identifica el Informe sobre el Estado de la Sociedad Civil 2019, el  informe anual de la alianza mundial de la sociedad civil CIVICUS, que examina los acontecimientos y las tendencias que afectaron a la sociedad civil durante el último año.

  "La sociedad civil que actúa por impulsos humanitarios enfrenta una marea creciente de crueldad global, que cuestiona los valores humanitarios de un modo que no tiene parangón desde la Segunda Guerra Mundial", afirmó Lysa John, Secretaria General de CIVICUS.

  "Necesitamos nuevas campañas, a nivel mundial, regional y nacional, para reforzar los valores humanitarios y el derecho a la acción de los grupos progresistas de la sociedad civil", añadió John.

  Según el informe, en todas las regiones del mundo se observa el ascenso de líderes nacionalistas y populistas de derecha, así como de grupos anti-derechos que están movilizando a la ciudadanía contra los grupos más vulnerables. El ataque frontal contra los valores que subyacen a la respuesta humanitaria, y más en general a la empatía hacia los sectores más desprotegidos, ha resultado en ataques crecientes contra las organizaciones de la sociedad civil que promueven los derechos de mujeres, personas LGTBIQ, migrantes y trabajadores.

  Guiados por interpretaciones estrechas y excluyentes de la soberanía, algunos estados poderosos, como China, Rusia y los Estados Unidos, se niegan a seguir las reglas del multilateralismo y se abocan a reorganizar en su provecho el sistema internacional. Liderados por “hombres fuertes” que están trasladando sus estilos de gobierno personal a los asuntos internacionales, estos estados tienden a ignorar cada vez más las instituciones, acuerdos y normas existentes.

  El informe también señala el aumento de las protestas relacionadas con la exclusión económica, la desigualdad y la pobreza, que a menudo se enfrentan a una represión violenta, así como la regresión democrática que se manifiesta en la gran cantidad de elecciones fraudulentas celebradas en países de todo el mundo.

  En 2018 las fuerzas regresivas ganaron terreno. Según el CIVICUS Monitor, la plataforma en línea que evalúa el estado del espacio cívico en todos los países del mundo, el espacio para la sociedad civil - estructurado por las libertades de asociación, expresión y reunión - está siendo atacado seriamente en 111 países del mundo, es decir en más de la mitad. En consecuencia, tan solo el 4% de la población mundial vive en países con espacio cívico abierto, donde las libertades fundamentales de la sociedad civil son consistentemente respetadas.

  Sin embargo, también en 2018 innumerables activistas se organizaron, se movilizaron e incluso arriesgaron sus vidas en defensa de los derechos humanos, obteniendo avances en todo el mundo, incluida América Latina. Desde el fenómeno mundial del #MeToo hasta el movimiento por la legalización del aborto en Argentina y la resistencia antiautoritaria liderada por las mujeres brasileñas, desde la huelga escolar por el cambio climático hasta el Acuerdo de Escazú, la sociedad civil puso en evidencia la potencia de la acción colectiva.

  El informe formula recomendaciones y hace un llamamiento a la sociedad civil para elaborar estrategias para hacer frente al populismo de derechas mediante el involucramiento de la ciudadanía y el encaminamiento progresista de sus comprensibles temores y ansiedades ante el mundo globalizado. Estas estrategias deberían incluir nuevas visiones de democracia económica así como el refuerzo del espíritu internacionalista, la importancia política de la compasión y nuestra propia humanidad compartida. 

  FIN

  Para más información o para concertar entrevistas, póngase en contacto con la coautora del informe:

  Inés Pousadela
  
  

• Looking ahead: Expanding our efforts to protect civic space

  A message from Lysa John, Secretary-General of CIVICUS

  Dear CIVICUS members and allies,

  We were excited to host the CIVICUS Board and representatives from our key networks – Affinity Group of National Associations (AGNA) and the Youth Action Team (YAT) – in Johannesburg this November! It is the first time we have met together in South Africa since the start of the pandemic. On 30 November, we hosted our online Annual General Body Meeting (AGM) and launched a series of events to mark our very first ‘Membership Engagement Month’. Our annual report for 2021/22, which is available in three languages, was also adopted in this period and provides an excellent summary of our achievements and challenges in the past year.

  We expect 2023 to be an exciting year for the CIVICUS alliance! Our flagship reports – the State of Civil Society and People Power Under Attack – will be published in the first half of the year. Together, these will provide a refreshed range of evidence and resources for activists and networks defending civic space and advocating for civil society.

  In keeping with the key shifts outlined in CIVICUS’ Strategic Plan for 2022-27, the Secretariat will make a deliberate effort to ensure that the intersection between civic space restrictions and structural forms of discrimination is the focus of our actions and investments at all levels.  We will continue to invest in strengthening the freedom of peaceful assembly and creating better protection mechanisms for human rights defenders through a combination of advocacy and solidarity efforts, and expect to initiate an exciting range of initiatives program on digital freedoms with a number of global and regional partners.

  2023 will also be a moment to mark three decades of our own existence. We will coordinate a series of campaign actions to commemorate the 75^th anniversary of the Universal Declaration for Human Rights and the 25^th anniversary of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders. We anticipate working closely with CIVICUS members and allies to amplify issues that need public and political attention in this period, and invite you to discuss opportunities for collaboration with our teams.

  Finally, as many of you know, recent events related to an unfortunate accident have caused considerable shock and distress to staff, partners and allies who have been connected to our colleague, Mandeep Tiwana’s work. A number of processes to respond to the event are underway, this includes coordinating with Mandeep and his family to support his recovery and phased return to work. Our Board and staff have been an immense source of wisdom in this period, and we are working closely together to put in place measures for additional capacity. We wish him much strength and thank all of you, our members and allies, for your compassion and support.

  CIVICUS offices will close on 21 December and re-open on 3 January. We look forward to connecting and co-creating with you again next year.

  In solidarity,

  Lysa John

• Perspectivas de futuro: Ampliar nuestros esfuerzos para proteger el espacio cívico

  

  Mensaje de Lysa John, secretaria general de CIVICUS  

  Estimada membresía de CIVICUS y aliados,

  En noviembre tuvimos el placer de recibir en Johannesburgo a la Junta Directiva de CIVICUS y a representantes de nuestras principales redes: el Grupo de Afinidad de Asociaciones Nacionales (AGNA) y el Equipo de Acción Juvenil (YAT). Es la primera vez que nos reunimos en Sudáfrica desde el inicio de la pandemia. El 30 de noviembre, celebramos nuestra reunión anual en línea y pusimos en marcha una serie de eventos para conmemorar nuestro primer "Mes del compromiso con la membresía". Nuestro informe anual para 2021/22, disponible en tres idiomas, también se aprobó en este periodo y ofrece un excelente resumen de nuestros logros y retos en el último año.

  Esperamos que 2023 sea un año apasionante para la alianza CIVICUS. Nuestros informes más representativos -El estado de la sociedad civil y El poder ciudadano bajo ataque- se publicarán en el primer semestre del año. Estos informes, en conjunto, brindarán una serie de evidencias y recursos actualizados para los activistas y las redes que defienden el espacio cívico y que trabajan por la sociedad civil.

  En concordancia con los principales cambios esbozados en el Plan Estratégico de CIVICUS para 2022-27, el secretariado hará un esfuerzo consciente para garantizar que la intersección entre las restricciones del espacio cívico y las formas estructurales de discriminación sea el centro de nuestras acciones e iniciativas a todos los niveles. Seguiremos apostando por el fortalecimiento de la libertad de reunión pacífica y la creación de mejores mecanismos de protección para quienes defienden los derechos humanos aunando esfuerzos en materia de incidencia política y solidaridad, y esperamos poner en marcha un interesante programa de iniciativas sobre libertades digitales con una serie de socios mundiales y regionales.

  2023 será también un momento para conmemorar tres décadas de nuestra propia existencia. Coordinaremos una serie de acciones de campaña para conmemorar el 75 aniversario de la Declaración Universal de los Derechos Humanos y el 25 aniversario de la Declaración de la ONU sobre los Defensores de los Derechos Humanos. Prevemos trabajar en estrecha colaboración con organizaciones miembros y aliadas de CIVICUS para amplificar las cuestiones que requieren atención pública y política en este periodo, y les invitamos a debatir las oportunidades de colaboración con nuestros equipos.

  Por último, como muchos de ustedes saben, recientemente se ha producido un desafortunado accidente que ha conmocionado y angustiado considerablemente al personal, a los socios y a los aliados relacionados con el trabajo de nuestro colega Mandeep Tiwana. Ya se han puesto en marcha una serie de medidas para hacer frente a la situación, entre ellas la coordinación con Mandeep y su familia para facilitar su recuperación y su reincorporación gradual al trabajo. Nuestra junta directiva y nuestro personal nos han ayudado mucho en este periodo, y estamos colaborando estrechamente para poner en marcha medidas que nos permitan disponer de capacidad adicional. Esperamos que se recupere y agradecemos a todos ustedes, nuestros miembros y aliados, su compasión y apoyo.

  Nuestras oficinas permanecerán cerradas desde el 21 de diciembre hasta el 3 de enero. Esperamos volver a conectar y co-crear con ustedes nuevamente el próximo año.

  En solidaridad,

  Lysa John

• Perspectives d'avenir : intensifier nos efforts pour protéger l'espace civique

  

  Message de Lysa John, secrétaire générale de CIVICUS  

  Chers membres et alliés de CIVICUS,  

  En novembre, nous avons eu le plaisir d'accueillir le conseil d'administration de CIVICUS et les représentants de nos principaux réseaux - le Groupe d'affinité des associations nationales (AGNA) et l’Équipe d'action jeunesse (YAT) - à Johannesburg. C'est la première fois que nous nous rencontrons en Afrique du Sud depuis le début de la pandémie. Le 30 novembre, nous avons tenu notre réunion annuelle en ligne et lancé une série d'événements pour marquer notre premier "mois d'engagement des membres". Notre rapport annuel pour 2021/22, disponible en trois langues, a également été approuvé au cours de cette période et fournit un excellent résumé de nos réalisations et de nos défis au cours de l'année écoulée.

  Nous espérons que 2023 sera une année passionnante pour l'alliance CIVICUS. Nos rapports de référence - L'état de la société civile et Le pouvoir du peuple sous attaque- seront publiés au cours du premier semestre de l'année. Ces deux rapports constitueront un ensemble actualisé de données et de ressources pour les militants et les réseaux qui défendent l'espace civique et travaillent pour la société civile.

  Conformément aux changements majeurs décrits dans le plan stratégique 2022-27 de CIVICUS, le secrétariat fera un effort conscient pour s'assurer que l'intersection entre les contraintes d'espace civique et les formes structurelles de discrimination soit au centre de nos actions et initiatives à tous les niveaux. Nous continuerons à nous concentrer sur le renforcement de la liberté de réunion pacifique et la création de meilleurs mécanismes de protection pour les défenseurs des droits humains en joignant nos efforts de plaidoyer et de solidarité, et nous sommes heureux de lancer un programme passionnant d'initiatives sur les libertés numériques avec une série de partenaires mondiaux et régionaux.

  L'année 2023 sera également l'occasion de marquer les trois décennies de notre propre existence. Nous coordonnerons une série d'actions de campagne pour marquer le 75e anniversaire de la Déclaration universelle des droits de l'homme et le 25e anniversaire de la Déclaration des Nations Unies sur les défenseurs des droits de l'homme. Nous prévoyons de travailler en étroite collaboration avec les organisations membres et les alliés de CIVICUS pour amplifier les questions qui requièrent l'attention du public et des politiques dans cette période, et nous vous invitons à discuter des possibilités de collaboration avec nos équipes.

  Enfin, comme beaucoup d'entre vous le savent, un accident malheureux a récemment eu lieu qui a fortement choqué et bouleversé le personnel, les partenaires et les alliés associés au travail de notre collègue Mandeep Tiwana. Un certain nombre de mesures ont déjà été mises en place pour faire face à la situation, notamment une coordination avec Mandeep et sa famille pour faciliter son rétablissement et son retour progressif au travail. Notre conseil d'administration et notre personnel ont été très coopératifs pendant cette période, et nous travaillons en étroite collaboration pour mettre en place des mesures visant à fournir des capacités supplémentaires. Nous lui souhaitons un prompt rétablissement et nous vous remercions tous, nos membres et alliés, pour votre compassion et votre soutien.

  Nos bureaux seront fermés du 21 décembre au 3 janvier. Nous sommes impatients de reprendre contact et de co-créer avec vous l'année prochaine.

  En toute solidarité,  

  Lysa John

• Restrictions on Civic Space: A Global Emergency

  The world is facing a democratic crisis through unprecedented restrictions on the freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly which constitute a global emergency says global civil society alliance, CIVICUS’ 2017 report.

  The 2017 State of Civil Society Report highlights that around the world it is becoming increasingly dangerous to challenge power, and to do so risks reprisals. In several countries, right-wing populist and neo-fascist leaders have gained prominence by winning elections or commanding enough support to push their ideas into the mainstream. Their politics and worldview are fundamentally opposed to civil society seeking to promote human rights, social cohesion and progressive internationalism.

  Key points from the report, include:

  • Increasing attacks on civil society activists and organisations from repressive state apparatuses, extremist forces and criminal elements linked to businesses;
  • Just 3% of the world’s population lives in countries with ‘open’ civic space;
  • Recent political shifts indicate genuine anger from citizens about the impact of globalisation on their lives that have been harnessed by right wing populists; and
  • The challenge for civil society is not to dismiss that anger and but to build an alternative movement of hope, not fear that is respectful of human rights.

  The report notes that to the new right-wing populists, the international sphere is a dangerous source of progressive values that challenges their narrow notions of sovereignty. International institutions and the human rights values they represent are deemed intrusive. The Paris Agreement on climate change, for example, has been painted as obstructive to economic growth and put at risk by the current attitude of the US government. The leaders of Israel, the Philippines and the US have attacked the UN.  The governments of Burundi and South Africa have in the last year threatened to pull out of the International Criminal Court. Nowhere is the failure of multilateralism more apparent as in the Syrian crisis which has cost half a million lives and displaced half the country’s population, raising the spectre of impunity for war crimes being normalised.

  UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres characterized the current disregard for human rights, fuelled by rising populism and extremism, as a “disease that is spreading”. In the Philippines over 7000 people have been killed as a result of violence encouraged by President Rodrigo Duterte.  In Turkey, following an attempted coup, there are now sweeping restrictions on fundamental freedoms and civil society – some 195 media outlets have been shut down, 80 journalists have been imprisoned along with thousands of academics and others deemed as dissidents.

  CIVIC SPACE UNDER ATTACK

  A consistent pattern is emerging of attacks on civil society organisations (CSOs) and activists engaged in defending human rights and fundamental freedoms. Restrictive measures range from detentions, arrests and extrajudicial killings of activists to disenabling legislation to squeeze the funding and the functioning of CSOs as being experienced in Egypt. In Ethiopia,  more than 600 people have died in violent suppression of protests against economic and political marginalisation. Ethiopia’s civic space is rated as closed by the  CIVICUS Monitor, a new online platform that tracks civic space in every country.

  Some states, including in parts of Latin America and Eastern Europe, are now introducing laws to make it harder to hold protests. An example is Poland’s anti-terrorism law, passed in June 2016. It gives the state enhanced powers to ban public assemblies, along with increased surveillance and internet control powers. In Venezuela, protests are being met with brute force by government forces.

  Another significant trend has emerged over the past year: freedom of expression is being applied selectively. Dissent that serves right-wing populist agendas is encouraged; that which does not is to be dismissed or repressed. Increasingly, dissent is seen as a political act rather than a normal part of a functioning democracy. Methods range from attacks on journalists and activists to the shutting down of entire Internet or mobile phone networks, as experienced in Cameroon’s Anglophone region in the first quarter of 2017. These restrictive measures often increase during politically sensitive times, such as elections. The CIVICUS Monitor records 101 attacks on journalists, between June 2016 and March 2017. In some countries, such as Bangladesh and Pakistan, both extremist forces and an authoritarian state present a threat to freedom of expression.

  The report notes that the right to express democratic dissent needs to be asserted in many countries.

  A MOVEMENT OF HOPE NOT FEAR

  But the democracy of the street is alive and well. Around the world, whenever new leaders have come to power on polarizing right-wing populist platforms they have been met with major demonstrations - none have been bigger than those that mobilised as Sister Marches in the USA and around the world, against the politics of President Donald Trump. In South Korea, protests were intrinsic to the campaign that forced former president Park Guen-hye from office on corruption charges. From Romania to Brazil and South Africa, protests have been a key method for citizens to express dissatisfaction with governance dysfunction and corruption.

  The report calls on civil society to make the case for a new, progressive internationalism that has human rights at its heart, challenges exclusion and injustice while supporting an active citizenry.

  Civil society must also mount a new challenge to current practices of economic globalisation which further privileges elites, and the failures of political systems to give ordinary citizens voice. The response needs to understand the anger that people feel about their lives and livelihoods while being careful not to appease racism, sexism and xenophobia.  A positive message of hope rather than fear is needed. This requires building broad-based alliances that connect classic CSOs with protest movements, journalists, trade unions, youth groups, social enterprises and artists.

  ENDS

  Notes to Editors

  The full State of Civil Society Report 2017 can be found here.

  About CIVICUS’ 2017 State of Civil Society Report

  Each year the CIVICUS State of Civil Society Report examines the major events that involve and affect civil society around the world. Part one of our report reviews the past year, focusing on the space for civil society and the impact of a resurgence of right-wing populist politics; the right to express dissent; protest movements; and civil society’s international-level actions. Part two of the report has the special theme of ‘civil society and the private sector’.

  Our report is of, from and for civil society, drawing from a wide range of interviews with people close to the major stories of the day, a survey of members of our network of national and regional civil society coordination and membership bodies - the Affinity Group of National Associations (AGNA) - and 27 specially-commissioned guest articles on different aspects of the theme of civil society and the private sector. Most of our inputs come from civil society, but we also sought the views of people working in government and the private sector.

  Our report also draws from CIVICUS’ ongoing programme of research and analysis into the conditions for civil society. In particular, it presents findings from the CIVICUS Monitor, our new online platform that tracks the space for civil society - civic space - in every country, and the Enabling Environment National Assessments(EENA), a civil society-led analysis of legal, regulatory and policy environments.

  For further information or to request interviews with CIVICUS staff or contributors please contact

   

• Successes of people’s movements shows the way forward for post-pandemic recovery says new report
  •  Pandemic has accelerated major economic, political and social problems
  • Civil society has proven its value by winning key breakthroughs over the last year
  • The fight is now on to build a better post-pandemic world – civil society is in the forefront of this battle
• Veinticinco años después: una mirada a mi viaje con CIVICUS

  French

  por Anabel Cruz, presidenta de la Junta Directiva de CIVICUS 2016-2019

  A principios de 1993, la democracia era aún bastante «joven» en muchas partes del mundo. Apenas habían transcurrido menos de cuatro años desde la caída del Muro de Berlín; el apartheid todavía no se había desmantelado por completo y las primeras elecciones sudafricanas mediante sufragio universal se celebrarían el año siguiente, en 1994. Al mismo tiempo, a principios de los noventa, varios países de América Latina habían dado sus primeros pasos hacia democracias representativas tras más de una década de dictaduras militares.

• World facing a global compassion deficit finds new CIVICUS report
  • Government attacks on humanitarian organisations on the rise globally
  • Right-wing populists, nationalists and extremist groups being mobilised to attack vulnerable groups such as refugees, migrants, LGBTIQ
  • Civil society organisations fighting back – 2018 saw a spike in protests against economic exclusion, inequality and poverty
  • Report calls for new strategies to argue against right-wing populism while urging progressive civil society to engage citizens towards better, more positive alternatives

  Civil society organisations providing humanitarian assistance to migrants and refugees are being targeted as the world faces a crisis of global compassion.

  This alarming trend is one of the findings of the State of Civil Society Report 2019, an annual report by global civil society alliance CIVICUS, which looks at events and trends that impacted on civil society in the past year.

  In one cited example, the Italian government prevented a boat operated by international medical NGO Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) from docking in Italy, leaving it stranded at sea for a week with more than 700 passengers, including unaccompanied minors. In the USA, organisations were prevented from leaving life-saving water supplies for people making the hazardous journey across the desert from Mexico.

  “Civil society, acting on humanitarian impulses, confronts a rising tide of global mean-spiritedness, challenging humanitarian values in a way unparalleled since the Second World War,” said Lysa John, CIVICUS Secretary General.

  “We need a new campaign, at both global and domestic levels, to reinforce humanitarian values and the rights of progressive civil society groups to act,” added John.

  According to the report, in Europe, the USA and beyond - from Brazil to India - right wing populists, nationalists and extremist groups are mobilising dominant populations to attack the most vulnerable. This has led to an attack on the values behind humanitarian response as people are being encouraged to blame minorities and vulnerable groups for their concerns about insecurity, inequality, economic hardship and isolation from power. This means that civil society organisations that support the rights of excluded populations such as women and LGBTQI people and stand up for labour rights are being attacked.

  As narrow notions of national sovereignty are being asserted, the international system is being rewritten by powerful states, such as China, Russia and the USA, that refuse to play by the rules. Borders and walls are being reinforced by rogue leaders who are bringing their styles of personal rule into international affairs by ignoring existing institutions, agreements and norms.

  The report also points to a startling spike in protests relating to economic exclusion, inequality and poverty, which are often met with violent repression, and highlights a series of flawed and fake elections held in countries around the world in the last year.

  “Democratic values are under strain around the globe from unaccountable strong men attacking civil society and the media in unprecedented - and often brutal - ways,” said Andrew Firmin, CIVICUS’ Editor-in-Chief and the report’s lead author.

  2018 was a year in which regressive forces appeared to gain ground. According to the CIVICUS Monitor, an online platform that tracks threats to civil society in all countries around the world, civic space – the space for civil society – is now under serious attack in 111 of the world’s nations – well over half of all countries. Only four per cent of the world’s population live in countries where our fundamental freedoms of association, peaceful assembly and expression are respected and enabled.

  But the past year was also one in which committed civil society activists fought back against the rising repression of rights. From the successes of the global #MeToo women’s rights movement to the March for Our Lives gun reform movement led by high school students in the USA to the growing school strike climate change movement, collective action gained ground to claim breakthroughs.

  “Despite the negative trends, active citizens and civil society organisations have been able to achieve change in Armenia, where a new political dispensation is in place, and in Ethiopia, where scores of prisoners of conscience have been released,” said John.

  The report makes several recommendations for civil society and citizen action. The report calls for new strategies to argue against right-wing populism while urging progressive civil society to engage citizens towards better, more positive alternatives. These include developing and promoting new ideas on economic democracy for fairer economies that put people and rights at their centre. Notably, the report calls for reinforcing the spirit of internationalism, shared humanity and the central importance of compassion in everything we say and do.

  Ends.

  For an executive summary of the report, click here.

  For the full report, click here.

  Further reading:

  Access the CIVICUS Monitor here and for more information on the latest CIVICUS Monitor ratings, clickhere.

  About the State of Civil Society Report 2019

  Each year the CIVICUS State of Civil Society Report examines the major events that involve and affect civil society around the world. This report looks back at the key stories of 2018 for civil society - the most significant developments that civil society was involved in, responded to and was impacted by.

  Our report is of, from and for civil society, putting front and centre the perspectives of a wide range of civil society activists and leaders close to the major stories of the day. In particular, it presents findings from the CIVICUS Monitor, our online platform that tracks threats to civic space in every country.

  For further information or to request interviews with CIVICUS staff and contributors to this report, please clickhere or contact: