Solidarity

• AFGHANISTAN: ‘Open-source monitoring reveals both the clampdown on women’s rights and the impact on their lives’

  CIVICUS speaks about the situation of human rights and women’s rights in Afghanistan with Anouk Theunissen and Humaira Rahbin, researchers with Afghan Witness, and Meetra Qutb, Afghan Witness’s communications specialist.

  Afghan Witness is a project run by the UK-based Centre for Information Resilience, aimed at independently collecting, verifying and preserving information on human rights in Afghanistan. It seeks to provide reliable data to international organisations, governments, the media and civil society and to create awareness about the realities of everyday life in Afghanistan. Its team includes people on the ground as well as international researchers, analysts, journalists and experts. Most of its team members’ identities are kept confidential for safety reasons.

• AFGHANISTAN: ‘The risks posed by Taliban rule are too grave for the international community to ignore’

  CIVICUS speaks about the situation of human rights and women’s rights in Afghanistan with Ehsan Shayegan, founder and president of the Porsesh Policy Research Institute (PR).

  Initially founded in 2015, and re-established in the USA in 2022, PR is an independent, nonprofit policy research think tank focusing on excluded communities and human rights and working to counter disinformation, misinformation and lack of systematic information. Formerly based in Afghanistan, it was forced to leave the country after the 2021 Taliban takeover and is now based in the USA.

  What’s the current human rights situation in Afghanistan?

  Afghanistan’s human rights situation is extremely concerning. Recent reports indicate a return to traditional Taliban practices, including public executions in stadiums. These executions have occurred in various regions such as Ghazni in southern Afghanistan and Sheberghan in the northern region. Additionally, there have been reports of numerous members of former government forces being killed or disappearing at the hands of the Taliban.

  Arbitrary arrests are rampant, with widespread surveillance through social media and Taliban local intelligence networks. Freedom of speech and expression are not protected under Taliban rule, leading to the imprisonment or silencing of activists advocating for democracy and human rights.

  It is exceedingly challenging to conduct human rights work in Afghanistan. The Taliban persecutes people who oppose their ideology and interests, regardless of the legitimacy of their activism. The level of restrictions and surveillance imposed on activists, journalists and researchers is staggering.

  The situation is particularly dire for women. Misogyny is systemic and women’s access to education and healthcare is severely restricted. The Taliban’s hostility and brutality towards women exacerbate existing patriarchal social structures. Harassment and rapes perpetrated by the Taliban often go unreported due to threats and stigma.

  This is a disturbing reality that the global community should be aware of. It is essential for the international community to take action to address these atrocities.

  How is PR working to address these issues?

  PR originated in the challenging environment of 2015 Kabul, and was established to address the pervasive issues of misinformation, disinformation and the lack of systematic information regarding Afghanistan’s excluded ethnic groups and communities.

  Throughout Afghan history, critical decisions and policies were often based on inaccurate or biased data, serving the interests of political elites. The government and its affiliated institutions exerted significant control over information and lacked genuine commitment to principles of democracy and fairness. As a result, civil society voices, particularly those of minorities, were deliberately excluded across various realms, including education, history, literature and policymaking.

  PR aimed to provide an impartial, community-driven perspective within Afghanistan’s highly politicised information landscape. Despite evolving and expanding our strategic focus areas and geographical coverage, PR remains steadfastly committed to prioritising community needs. In an era marked by rapid advancements in information technologies, PR recognises the importance of maintaining a human-centred and community-centred approach to information.

  Traditional research institutions often focus solely on decision-making centres, but PR believes that in the age of democracy and information, data and research must be shared with the public and decision-makers alike. By using virtual public spaces, PR aims to facilitate the generation and dissemination of information, ultimately fostering a more democratic and informed society.

  As civil society, it is our responsibility to produce and share evidence-based studies of the realities on the ground in Afghanistan and advocate for Afghan people, particularly those most vulnerable under Taliban rule.

  What’s it like to have to work from so far away?

  Working on Afghanistan from a distant location presents significant challenges, primarily because there’s a constant risk of overlooking crucial local perspectives. However, we are fortunate to maintain strong connections with communities in Afghanistan and rely on our local researchers, who we consider the unsung heroes of our work. They assist us in coordinating data collection efforts on the ground. In instances where the safety of our local collaborators is at risk, we use secure virtual means to reach research participants.

  We closely monitor developments in Afghanistan through various channels, including mass and social media, along with insights from our local informants. We rely extensively on our local researchers and informants to gain insights into realities on the ground and verify facts. We maintain daily communication with them to stay updated on unfolding events.

  However, it’s important to note that the Taliban takeover significantly disrupted the flow of information. It requires a deep understanding of Afghanistan’s social dynamics to navigate restrictions and risks. Fear makes it challenging for people to share information freely, so effective data collection requires the establishment of trustful relationships within communities. Overall, working on Afghanistan remotely demands a nuanced approach and a thorough understanding of the risks involved.

  What should be done to keep the attention of the international community on Afghanistan?

  While there has been a noticeable decline in international interest, particularly amid ongoing crises in the Middle East and Ukraine, it’s challenging to imagine Afghanistan fading from global consciousness. The plight of roughly 40 million people subjected to one of the most brutal tyrannies on the planet cannot simply be overlooked.

  The international community is also partly responsible for Afghanistan finding itself in such dire circumstances in the first place. The collapse of Afghanistan represents a failure of collective action. As someone born in Afghanistan and engaging with it professionally, I firmly believe that if it’s left unattended, its problems will continue to haunt the international community indefinitely.

  The risks posed by Taliban rule – ranging from radicalisation to the flourishing opium trade, human rights violations and geopolitical alliances with radical authoritarian governments – are too grave to ignore.

  It’s crucial for the international community to recognise the stark misalignment between Taliban ideology and human rights values. This is often overlooked. Following the US-Taliban Doha agreement in 2020, some believed that a second Taliban rule would be more moderate on issues concerning women’s rights and civil society. But many local activists and researchers remained sceptical, viewing such optimism as based on a misleading, politically motivated narrative.

  The current reality demonstrates they were right. The Taliban continue to hold the entire country hostage, with minimal acceptance of genuine civil society presence or meaningful human rights activism. The international community must listen to authentic local voices and ensure they are included in discussions and decision-making.

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  Civic space in Afghanistan is rated ‘closed’ by theCIVICUS Monitor.

  Get in touch with the Porsesh Policy Research Institute through itswebsite orFacebook page,and follow it on Instagram andTwitter.

• Afghanistan: CIVICUS stands in solidarity with Save the Children

  Global civil society alliance, CIVICUS condemns the horrific attack on the office and staff of Save the Children in Jalalabad, eastern Afghanistan. We stand in solidarity with Save the Children and applaud the resolute courage of colleagues who continue their important work in very difficult circumstances.

• CIVICUS urges the Nicaraguan Government to make Civil Society its partner in development

  27 January 2009. Johannesburg, South Africa

  
  A fact-finding cum solidarity mission to Nicaragua undertaken by CIVICUS with the support of its members, the Coordinadora Civil (CC) and the Red Nicaraguense por la Democracia y el Desarrollo Local (RNDDL), has found evidence of pressure being applied by the authorities on independent civil society groups. Nevertheless, talks with officials have been positive raising hopes for better government-civil society relations.

  The mandate of the mission included: (i) expressing solidarity with civil society groups in Nicaragua who have had to contend with decreasing space to carry out their legitimate activities through 2008-2009 and, (ii) persuading the authorities to protect civil and political freedoms in the country, particularly the right to express democratic dissent.

  The mission members met with a number of civil society groups, including members of the women's movement who have had to face restrictions in recent times as well as parliamentarians and government officials. The mission noted the positive strides made by the government in providing health care and education resulting in an increase in the overall literacy rate.

  The mission observed that although government-civil society relations at the municipal level were often quite good, there were some outstanding issues in need of redress at the national level. Notably, the mission welcomed the willingness of parliamentarians and government officials to consider the concerns communicated to them by national civil society groups.

  The following are the major areas of concern:
  (a) launch of motivated prosecutions against activists expressing dissent against official policies, (b) ostracising and blacklisting of certain civil society groups particularly those working on accountability matters, (c) marginalisation of independent civil society groups through the creation of government organised NGOs (GONGOs) supported by federal funds, (d) blocking of access to information by official bodies, (e) harassment of independent media groups particularly radio and television outlets critical of official actions and, (f) de facto implementation of the draft law on international cooperation that places restrictions on support to local civil society organisations from international groups.

  "Our talks with key officials have been open and positive," feels Anabel Cruz, chair of CIVICUS' board who headed the mission. "We call upon the Government of Nicaragua to consider civil society as partners in national development and hope that the concerns will be addressed."

  CIVICUS urges the Government of Nicaragua to protect and safeguard the space for civil society in accordance with international, regional and constitutional commitments. A comprehensive report on the mission is being prepared and will be released shortly.

  CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation is a global movement of civil society with members and partners in over a hundred countries. The Civil Society Watch (CSW) programme of CIVICUS tracks threats to civil society freedoms of expression, association and assembly across the world.

  For more information contact:
  Devendra Tak ( ), Communications Manager
  or Mandeep S.Tiwana ( ) and Adam Nord ( ) Civil Society Watch Programme, CIVICUS
  Ph +27- 11-8335959

  Click here for Spanish translation(requires pdf reader).

• CIVICUS' New Strategic Period: A Time to Actively Engage Members and Allies

  

  A message from Lysa John, Secretary-General of CIVICUS

  Dear CIVICUS members and allies,

  On July 1^st, we marked the beginning of a new strategy period for the CIVICUS alliance. In this update, I’m excited to share headlines from the efforts that we have been making to align our work and interrogate the outcomes we need in relation to our strategic priorities for 2022 to 2027.

  The 11th edition of our State of Civil Society report was published on 27 June and has received an encouraging response. In addition to a consistent social media push, we have been able to use the analyses to generate op-eds on key issues, and offer presentations to a wide range of activist, academic, and donor networks. Since its release, we have received much appreciation for the report’s assessment of meta-trends in civic space and democracy and for showcasing examples of where and how civil society has been successful in influencing change. Media coverage of the findings from the report include an op-ed by our editor-in-chief, Andrew Firmin and an overview by Mandeep Tiwana. The CIVICUS Monitor Watchlist was also updated during this period and includes Chad, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Mexico and Sri Lanka.

  On Mandela Day (18 July) this year, we marked two years of the ‘Stand As My Witness’ campaign. The initiative aims to mobilise the public and policymakers to act for the release of prisoners of conscience. The campaign has profiled over 20 detained activists and has allowed us to contribute to global efforts resulting in the release of nine defenders. A dialogue with activists and networks linked to the campaign was organised on the second anniversary of the campaign and provided important insights on how our collective efforts could better assist the struggles of human rights defenders. Our teams have also been actively engaged in the 50^th session of the Human Rights Council in this period. In addition to contributing to and presenting key statements, we were actively involved in amplifying demands from civil society on the process to elect the next UN Human Rights Commissioner, calling for the UN to renew its expert mandate on sexual orientation and gender identity and contributing to processes that have led to the adoption of a new resolution on the right to peaceful protest.

  Yet another initiative, namely the ‘Grassroots Solidarity Revolution’ campaign, has received considerable support and attention in this period. Updates from local dialogues and jam sessions held in five countries were shared online by a range of participants, including young leaders, grassroots networks and donors. Reflections on the lessons learned from the initiative by participants and co-travelers such as Dumiso Gatsha, Otto Saki and Yessenia Soto have provided an important opportunity to reflect on the questions and challenges being brought to light by this initiative, and its potential to catalyse the deeper and more difficult introspection on individual and institutional values that is essential to the discourse on localisation and decolonisation. In this context, we are pleased to report that a formal response to the joint letter to USAID Administrator Samantha Power from 1289 southern organisations has been received. The response, signed by the Administrator Power, acknowledges the priorities raised in the joint letter and outlined initiatives being taken to strengthen USAID’s direct engagement with and support to local civil society actors. These shifts were also reiterated as a priority in the dialogue on democracy organised between the USAID Administrator and civil society leaders organised on 16 June.

  Network-led developments include the launch of CIVICUS’ Youth Action Team’s report on youth trends in activism and civic space and the VUKA! Coalition’s consultation with the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) to contribute to their next thematic report on HRDs working on issues related to migration, refugees, and asylum. A joint gathering of regional networks working together on the freedom of peaceful assembly (FoPA) was also held in July 2022. The meeting included a review of collaborative efforts that have been organised since 2021 as part of a co-creation process with six regional platforms to identify context-specific needs and priorities and to produce resources that would support them as key interlocutors on the right to peaceful protest.

  Our newest offering, theCIVICUS Lens has helped us draw on the voices and experiences of diverse civil society groups to provide real-time analyses and perspectives on geo-political trends and developments. Articles published through CIVICUS Lens have – along with other aspects of our work - helped us forge partnerships with wider platforms for dissemination. Across June and July, we have published multiple op-eds and recorded over 84 media citations across global, regional, and local platforms including Reuters, IPS, Open Democracy, The Diplomat, Afrika NewsRoom, and El Pais.

  Finally, we are proud to have recently completed the Accountability Now reporting cycle for 2021-22. The review report includes commendations about the transparent and inclusive process undertaken to refresh our strategic plan and an acknowledgment of CIVICUS as a trusted and valued partner whose work has remained relevant to members in a time of rapid context changes. Efforts being made to provide a safe and equitable working environment have also been acknowledged in the report. Three key areas for improvement have also been identified in the review process and include: (i) Improving the indicators we use to measure strategic progress (ii) Improving our risk mitigation processes, and (iii) Increasing staff awareness and use of internal complaints mechanisms. Actions to address these areas of improvement have been identified and included in this summary of the process that has been published on the CIVICUS website.

  None of this would be possible without the active engagement of our members and allies. We are grateful for your support and look forward to your continued engagement in the work and outcomes of the alliance!

  In solidarity,

  Lysa John

  Secretary-General, CIVICUS.
  @LysaJohnSA

• Civil society expresses solidarity with the Ukrainian people and condemn Putin’s War

  We civil society organisations, including national umbrella bodies from across the world, stand united in our condemnation of Russia’s military aggression toward Ukraine in gross violation of international law. We deplore the targeting of civilian populations and infrastructures by Russian forces, which amounts to war crimes.

• Statement: Solidarity with the struggle of the Palestinian people

  Several delegates at the CIVICUS World Assembly in Suva, Fiji on 7 December 2017 urged us to speak out against the ill-advised announcement of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel by the current United States administration. As CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance, we stand in solidarity with the legitimate struggle of the Palestinian people against the occupation. We believe that reckless unilateral actions in breach of international law and United Nations resolutions undermine civil society efforts to build peace. while also creating conditions that imperil human security. 

  We urge that the status of Jerusalem, with its historical and cultural significance, is not subject to political whims and ill-considered decisions. We are mindful of the importance of Jerusalem to the Palestinian people and support their legitimate aspirations. We believe that a just solution for the Palestinian people is the key to regional and international stability.

  We want our Palestinian brothers and sisters to know that they are not alone in their struggle for dignity and freedom from occupation. We also urge our colleagues in global civil society to speak out against neo-fascism, authoritarianism and the retreat from internationalism which undermines civil society participation and rights.

   For more information, contact:

  Deborah Walter

  Communications Manager

  /

• States must partner with civil society as second wave of COVID-19 hits countries

   

  NEW ANALYSIS: 'SOLIDARITY IN THE TIMES OF #COVID19: Civil Society Responses to the Pandemic' highlights the irreplaceable role of activists, NGOs & grassroots organisations in responding to the global pandemic.
  
  Full report here: https://t.co/tMlE5Xk9s0 #SolidarityDuringCOVID pic.twitter.com/JcRG2n4xnn

  — CIVICUS (@CIVICUSalliance) November 5, 2020

  Arabic | Portuguese

  As the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe, civil society organisations responded nimbly and effectively, providing frontline help and defending the rights of people across the world. A report released today by global civil society alliance CIVICUS, ‘Solidarity in the Time of COVID-19’, highlights the irreplaceable role of activists, NGOs and grassroots organisations during the pandemic and calls on states to work with civil society to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and create a better post-pandemic world. 

• Togetherness Against the Riptide of Restrictions

  By Ellie Stephens and Katie Mattern

  We’ve all heard it repeated multiple times in our lives:  we all work better together. The work we do is greater than one individual, and together we can solve the challenges our world and communities face. We’ve also heard this refrain multiple times in our sector, it’s not a revolutionary idea but it’s one that’s seemingly harder and harder to take ownership of in our work.

  This adage has never been more important than it is today, as civil society faces an increasing challenge of legitimacy in an evolving world too often dominated by political and financial elites. According to the CIVICUS Monitor, only 3 percent of the world currently lives in countries where fundamental civic rights are respected and enforced, leaving 6 billion people living in countries where freedom of association, assembly, and speech are curtailed.

  Read on: Disrupt and Innovate