Interviews

SPAIN: ‘Setting Clear Red Lines For AI Is Not About Stifling Innovation But Preventing Catastrophic Misuse’

CIVICUS discusses the campaign for better AI regulation with Gabriel Wang, data scientist and AI solution architect for AI4NGO, an international organisation that seeks to empower civil society to harness the transformative potential of AI to increase its impact and address critical global and local challenges.

UNITED STATES: ‘Seven Million People Have Taken To The Streets To Stand Up For Democracy’

CIVICUS discusses US civil society action under the second Trump administration with Bridget Moix, General Secretary of the Friends Committee on National Legislation, the oldest faith-based lobbying organisation in the USA, advocating for peace, justice and environmental stewardship.

SOUTH AFRICA: ‘Military Juntas Are Sending The Message That They Intend to Operate Outside Any System of Accountability’

CIVICUS discusses the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from the International Criminal Court (ICC) with Ottilia Anna Maunganidze, Head of Special Projects at the Institute for Security Studies, an African organisation that builds knowledge and skills to enable sustainable peace, development and prosperity in Africa.

SPAIN: ‘Society Does Not Accept Indifference to the Suffering of the Palestinian People’

CIVICUS discusses recent Palestine solidarity protests in Spain with representatives of SODePAZ, a civil society organisation that supports political mobilisation and people’s empowerment.

MADAGASCAR: ‘We no longer wanted to just survive; we wanted to build a fair future’

CIVICUS speaks about Generation Z-led protests in Madagascar with six members of the Youth Empowerment Madagascar association: Hanson Andriamahazo, Heritoky Mahasedra, Elie Rakotoarimanana, Jessica Rakotoarison, Daniellà Ramanambohitra and Roméo Tovonantenaina.

SOUTH AFRICA: ‘We Help Young People Test Their Ideas, Scale Their Projects and Create Sustainable Livelihoods’

CIVICUS speaks with Rene Parker, Board Chair of AfriLabs and Co-founder and Director of RLabs, about how young people in Africa are driving change through innovation, entrepreneurship and technology.

SOUTH AFRICA: ‘Independent Media is Both a Watchdog and Guide Dog for Society: It Informs, Connects and Protects Institutions’

CIVICUS discusses the growing challenges of sustaining independent journalism in South Africa with Styli Charalambous, co-founder and CEO of Daily Maverick.

NIGERIA: ‘As physical civic space shrinks, many turn to digital platforms – but those spaces are under attack too’

CIVICUS speaks with ‘Gbenga Sesan, Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative, about the state of digital rights and online civic space in Africa.

NORWAY: ‘The results reflected a deeply divided electorate’

CIVICUS discusses the results of Norway’s recent election with Johannes Bergh, Research Director for Politics, Democracy and Civil Society at the Institute for Social Research, an independent research institute based in Oslo.

SYRIA: ‘The goal should have been to build a parliament reflecting the diversity of Syrian society, but that opportunity was missed’

CIVICUS discusses Syria’s political transition and the implications of its new parliament with Fadel Abdulghany, founder and head of the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR).

UNITED STATES: ‘Increased demand and fewer resources have pushed civil society to innovate to prove the value of its work’

CIVICUS speaks to Jessie Krafft, president and CEO of the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) about the challenges and opportunities facing civil society today.

MALDIVES: ‘The government’s true motivation is to control the public narrative and silence dissent’

CIVICUS discusses Maldives’ new media bill with Naaif Ahmed, President of Maldives Journalists Association, a civil society organisation that promotes journalistic professional rights, supports local media and advocates for a safe and free working environment.

AUSTRIA: ‘The global reach of the UN Convention against Cybercrime makes strong oversight critical’

CIVICUS discusses the United Nations (UN) Convention against Cybercrime with Pavlina Pavlova, Cybercrime Working Group Lead at the Alliance of NGOs on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.

TURKMENISTAN: ‘Turkmen authorities are carrying out a systematic campaign to eliminate independent voices’

CIVICUS speaks about the disappearance of Turkmen activists Abdulla Orusov and Alisher Sahatov with human rights defender Diana Dadasheva from the civil movement DAYANÇ/Turkmenistan and with Gülala Hasanova, wife of Alisher Sahatov.

UNITED STATES: ‘US counterterrorism laws make it increasingly difficult for civil society organisations to fulfil their missions’

CIVICUS speaks about US counterterrorism laws and their impact on civil society with Poorvika Mehra, Howard S.

UNITED STATES: ‘Without diverse voices at the table, any peace agreement risks failing’

CIVICUS speaks with Shamil Idriss, CEO of Search for Common Ground, about the rising impacts of conflict and new approaches to peacebuilding.

ITALY: ‘We will keep blocking everything to break our government’s complicity with genocide’

CIVICUS discusses Italy’s protests in solidarity with Palestine with an activist with Cambiare Rotta (‘Change Course’), a leftist youth organisation that campaigns against war, fascism and neoliberal policies on university campuses.

UNITED KINGDOM: ‘The Scapegoating of Migrants has Become an Easy Political Tool’

CIVICUS discusses far-right mobilisation in the United Kingdom with Chris Jones, Director of Statewatch, a civil society organisation that monitors and exposes state actions that threaten civil liberties, democracy and human rights.

BELARUS: ‘Belarus is closer than ever to totalitarianism, with closed civic space and repression a part of daily life’

CIVICUS discusses civic space and the prospects for democracy in Belarus with a representative of the Barys Zvozskau Belarusian Human Rights House (BHRH) who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons.

MALAWI: ‘Malawi’s democratic future depends on fostering a civic culture that values accountability and participation’

CIVICUS discusses Malawi’s presidential election results with Michael Simon Kaiyatsa, Executive Director of the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation, a civil society organisation that promotes democracy, good governance and human rights.

TIMOR-LESTE: ‘The Contrast Between Elite Privilege and Public Hardship Brought Together a Broad Coalition’

CIVICUS discusses recent protests in Timor-Leste with Domingos de Andrade, known as Ameu, Case Coordinator of the civil society organisation Rede ba Rai (‘Network for Land’) and Nelson Roldão, an activist involved in several campaigns, including in support of the right to self-determination in West Papua.

COTE D’IVOIRE: ‘Media and Social Networks are Battlegrounds Where Rumours and Disinformation Circulate Widely’

CIVICUS discusses Côte d’Ivoire’s upcoming presidential election with Kaberu Tairu, country representative for Côte d’Ivoire at the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development, a West African think tank specialising in media innovation and development.

ITALY: ‘Powerful States View AI Governance as a Tool for Strategic and Economic Positioning’

CIVICUS discusses AI governance challenges with Federica Marconi, researcher in the multilateralism and global governance programme at Italy’s Institute of International Affairs, a non-profit think tank that promotes awareness of international politics and contributes to the advancement of European integration and multilateral cooperation.

GUYANA: ‘While the Vote Was Peaceful and Transparent, the Campaign Was Tilted Through Misuse of State Resources’

CIVICUS discusses Guyana’s recent election and the challenges of managing its oil wealth with Thomas Singh, Director of the University of Guyana’s Green Institute.

MOLDOVA: ‘Moldova’s Democracy Continued to Function Effectively Despite Facing Enormous Pressure’

CIVICUS discusses Moldova’s recent election with Nicolae Panfil, Programme Director of Promo-LEX and head of its election observation mission.

GUINEA-BISSAU: ‘Guinea-Bissau Needs Allies Who Defend Freedom as a Non-Negotiable Value’

Read in Portuguese CIVICUS discusses a recent crackdown on foreign media and the conditions for journalists in Guinea-Bissau with Indira Correia Baldé, president of the Union of Journalists and Media Technicians, an organisation that protects, defends and promotes freedom of expression, press freedom and labour rights of media professionals On 15 August, the government of Guinea-Bissau suspended the activities of three Portuguese media outlets, ordering their journalists to leave the country by 19 August.

SOMALIA: ‘Genuine Democratic Change Will Require More Than Top-Level Agreements’

CIVICUS discusses Somalia’s possible move towards direct elections with Mahad Wasuge, Executive Director of Somali Public Agenda, a civil society organisation that works on public policy and administration research.

CZECH REPUBLIC: ‘Democracy isn’t Just About Getting Cheaper Groceries – it’s About Protecting Freedoms’

CIVICUS discusses the Czech Republic’s parliamentary election with Lukáš Hilpert, president of Million Moments for Democracy, a Czech civic movement that mobilises people to defend democracy and demand government accountability.

NEPAL: ‘The Government Was Corrupt and Willing to Kill its Own People to Stay in Power’

CIVICUS discusses recent protests that led to a change of government in Nepal with Dikpal Khatri Chhetri, co-founder of Youth in Federal Discourse (YFD).

N MACEDONIA: ‘Without Ads, Most Civil Society Groups Risk Their Voices Being Drowned Out’

CIVICUS discusses Facebook owner Meta’s political ad ban in the European Union (EU) with Filip Stojanovski, Director for Partnership and Resource Development at the Metamorphosis Foundation, a civil society organisation (CSO) that works to empower citizens and civil society to defend democracy.

THAILAND: ‘The Popular Will Expressed in Elections Shouldn’t be Overturned by Judicial Intervention’

CIVICUS discusses the appointment of Thailand’s new prime minister with Sunai Phasuk, Senior Researcher for Thailand at Human Rights Watch’s Asia division.

TANZANIA: ‘People are too afraid to speak out against the government’

CIVICUS speaks about the political context ahead of Tanzania’s October general election with a civil society activist who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons.

GREECE: ‘New Migration and Asylum Policies Challenge the Basic Principles of Refugee Protection and the European Legal Order’

CIVICUS discusses Greece’s new migration and asylum policies with Minos Mouzourakis, a lawyer and Legal and Advocacy Officer with Refugee Support Aegean, a leading civil society organisation (CSO) that provides free legal aid to refugees and asylum seekers in Greece.

SAMOA: ‘Even Amid Political Crisis, Samoa Resolves Conflicts Through Democratic Means Rather than Violence’

CIVICUS discusses Samoa’s recent election with Lucia S Chung Kwan, a history lecturer at the National University of Samoa.

FIJI: ‘The ICJ’s Advisory Opinion Strengthens Climate Justice by Establishing Legal Principles States Cannot Ignore’

CIVICUS discusses the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) recent advisory opinion on climate change with Abdul Mufeez Shaheed, campaigner with Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change.

INDONESIA: ‘Protests Revealed an Erosion of Public Trust in Parties, Parliament, the Police and Judiciary’

CIVICUS discusses recent protests in Indonesia with Yati Andriyani, a lawyer, human rights defender and board member of Indonesia for Humanity (Untuk Kemanusiaan, IKa).

UNITED STATES: ‘States Must Stop Treating Care as an Expenditure and Start Treating it as an Investment’

CIVICUS discusses the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ (IACtHR) recognition of the right to care with Jeffrey Vogt, international labour law expert and chair of the International Lawyers Assisting Workers Network (ILAW Network).

South Korea: ‘The North Korean Human Rights Movement is Facing its Greatest Crisis Since it Began in the 1990s’

CIVICUS discusses North Korea’s closed civic space with Hanna Song, Executive Director of the Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB).

THE NETHERLANDS: ‘A regulation designed to make politics more transparent could end up silencing civil society voices’

CIVICUS discusses Facebook owner Meta’s political ad ban and the European Union (EU)’s regulations with Anna Sienicka, Senior Vice President at TechSoup Europe.

UNITED KINGDOM: ‘Civil Society has an Essential Role in Preparing Societies for Peace’

CIVICUS discusses the recent peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan with Konul De Moor, political analyst for International Crisis Group, an independent organisation that works to prevent wars and shape policies to build a more peaceful world.

UNITED STATES: ‘Negotiations have so far been successful at preventing a weak plastics treaty being passed’

CIVICUS discusses the campaign for a United Nations (UN) treaty to tackle plastic pollution with Aminah Taariq-Sidibe, manager of End Plastic Initiatives at EARTHDAY.

AI Governance: Human Rights in the Balance As Tech Giants and Authoritarians Converge

By Samuel King, researcher with the Horizon Europe-funded research project ENSURED: Shaping Cooperation for a World in Transition at CIVICUS Algorithms decide who lives and dies in Gaza.

MALAWI: ‘This election will test Malawi’s ability to uphold electoral integrity’

CIVICUS speaks about Malawi’s 16 September general election with Tadala Chumachiyenda and Tamika Nyirenda-Banda of the Democracy Works Foundation.

ECUADOR: ‘We fear the Transparency Law will be used to persecute organisations that challenge those in power’

CIVICUS discusses Ecuador’s new Organic Law on Social Transparency with Vivian Idrovo, coordinator of the Alliance for Human Rights Ecuador.

MYANMAR: ‘The world must recognise this as a sham election and support our struggle for genuine democracy’

CIVICUS discusses Myanmar’s upcoming general election with Lynn Htett, a human rights activist and coordinator of Towards Media, a grassroots initiative that documents human rights violations, promotes civic education and supports democratic movements in Myanmar.

TURKEY: ‘In Turkey, Pride is still not a celebration but a space of protest and resistance’

  CIVICUS discusses the recent Istanbul Pride amid the deterioration of LGBTQI+ rights in Turkey with LGBTQI+ activists Çağıl, Can Kortun and Jiyan Andiç.

NETHERLANDS: ‘Microsoft is actively enabling the oppression of Palestinians and the war in Gaza’

  CIVICUS speaks with Nathan Timmer, activist and press officer at Geef Tegengas (Push Back), a Dutch direct-action group that focuses on corporate accountability and human rights violations.

TAJIKISTAN: ‘The authoritarian regime uses collective punishment to discourage any challenge to its authority’

  CIVICUS discusses the deaths of Indigenous activists in custody in Tajikistan with Khursand Khurramov, an independent journalist and political analyst.

NEW ZEALAND: ‘This struggle is about safeguarding the principle that democracy belongs to everyone’

CIVICUS discusses New Zealand’s new electoral law with Lara Greaves, a political scientist at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand, who specialises in democracy, Māori political participation and human rights.

SOMALILAND: ‘Arbitrary detentions have a chilling effect, as journalists avoid sensitive topics to protect themselves’

CIVICUS discusses media freedom challenges in Somaliland with a representative of a local civil society organisation that defends journalists’ rights and supports media professionalism.

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