Interviews

Featured

GEORGIA: ‘We were prepared for a crisis, but the sheer scale of electoral manipulation and vote-rigging took us by surprise’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Georgia’s election results with Eduard Marikashvili, human rights defender and executive director of the Georgian Democracy Initiative (GDI), an independent organisation working for democratic development and Euro-Atlantic integration.
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PALESTINE: ‘Ending impunity for violations of Palestinians’ rights would strengthen global norms that protect all humanity’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the gender dimensions of genocide in Gaza with Kifaya Khraim, International Advocacy Coordinator at the Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling (WCLAC).
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POLAND: ‘The new migration strategy is more political posturing than a real plan’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Poland’s new migration control strategy with Marcin Sosniak, coordinator of the Migration Unit at the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (HFHR), a civil society organisation working to protect human rights in Poland and Eurasia.
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MOZAMBIQUE: ‘The next president must listen to a younger generation that’s increasingly vocal about its democratic aspirations’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses post-election violence in Mozambique with Zenaida Machado, senior researcher and human rights defender at Human Rights Watch.

TUNISIA: ‘Political choices were so limited that most people saw no point in voting’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Tunisia’s recent presidential election with Siwar Gmati of IWatch, a Tunisian civil society organisation (CSO) and CIVICUS Digital Democracy Initiative partner.

AFGHANISTAN: ‘We continue working to make sure Afghan girls and women are heard and not forgotten’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Afghanistan’s system of gender apartheid with Shaharzad Akbar, Executive Director of Rawadari, a human rights organisation founded by Afghans in exile.

GERMANY: ‘Democratic parties must take a firm stand against far-right anti-democratic and hateful politics’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses far-right successes in recent regional elections in Germany with Viktoria Kamuf, research associate at the Institute for Democracy and Civil Society, a research organisation based in the German state of Thuringia.

‘It’s easier and cheaper than ever to spread disinformation on a massive scale’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses online disinformation and hate speech, and the role of civil society in combating them, with Imran Ahmed, founder and CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH).

‘Whether the Cybercrime Convention will do more good than harm will hinge on implementation and monitoring’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the recently approved United Nations (UN) Cybercrime Convention with Pavlina Pavlova, a cyber policy expert and a #ShareTheMicInCyber fellow at New America, who took part in the negotiations.

‘The Cybercrime Convention risks becoming a tool for global surveillance and cross-border human rights violations’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the recently approved United Nations (UN) Cybercrime Convention with Deborah Brown, deputy director of the Technology, Rights and Investigations division of Human Rights Watch, who took part in the negotiations.
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‘We urge governments not to authorise, sponsor or subsidise deep-sea mining’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the role of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and the implications of the agency’s new leadership with Juressa Lee, Deep-Sea Mining Campaigner at Greenpeace Aotearoa, New Zealand’s national office of the global environmental organisation Greenpeace.
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TIMOR-LESTE: ‘Restrictions on solidarity protests are unconstitutional’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses restrictions on civil society activism in Timor-Leste with human rights activist Nelson Roldão.
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ZIMBABWE: ‘The government is using widespread intimidation to silence pro-democracy voices’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the challenges for civil society in Zimbabwe with Tapiwanashe Chiriga, Advocacy and Communications Officer at Heal Zimbabwe Trust, a local human rights organisation.
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INDIA: ‘Civil society organisations are at the forefront of the fight against gender-based violence’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the recent wave of protests against gender-based violence (GBV) in India with Dr Kavitha Ravi, a member of the Indian Medical Association (IMA).
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PHILIPPINES: ‘Increased US military aid will worsen the already dire human rights situation’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the human rights impacts of US aid to the Philippines with Cristina Palabay, Secretary General of Karapatan.
Featured

Climate Activists Target Culture Greenwashing

Interviews
Civil society is working on all fronts to tackle the climate crisis.
Featured

BULGARIA: ‘This new law disguises the suppression of LGBTQI+ rights as a measure to protect children’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses LGBTQI+ rights in Bulgaria with Manuela Popova, co-director of the Bilitis Foundation, the country’s oldest active LGBTQI+ organisation.
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BANGLADESH: ‘The interim government must ensure justice for the wrongs of the past regime’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about protests, their repression and the changes they’ve brought about in Bangladesh with human rights defender and student leader Nahid Islam.
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GLOBAL: ‘There are multiple paths to justice and accountability for violations of international law’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Rebecca Shoot, Executive Director of Citizens for Global Solutions, about the advisory opinion recently issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Israel’s presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
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SUMMIT OF THE FUTURE: ‘Civil society has been vocal in urging that the summit address the real needs of people’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the upcoming Summit of the Future with Julie Murray, Advocacy Advisor at Save the Children International, a global organisation advocating for children’s rights and interests worldwide.
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SUMMIT OF THE FUTURE: ‘The UN Secretary-General underestimated the difficulty of reaching consensus’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the upcoming Summit of the Future with Renzo Pomi, who represents Amnesty International at the United Nations (UN) in New York.
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USA: ‘The framers of the constitution envisioned an accountable president, not a king above the law’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the recent US Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity and its potential impact on the 5 November presidential election with Praveen Fernandes, Vice President at the Constitutional Accountability Center, a US think tank and public interest litigation organisation dedicated to studying and applying the constitution’s text, history and values.
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GLOBAL SECURITY: ‘NATO remains as relevant today as it was when it was established in 1949’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the recent North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) summit with Jamie Shea, former NATO official and current Professor of Strategy and Security at the University of Exeter, UK and Senior Fellow for Peace, Security and Defence at the think tank Friends of Europe.
Featured

CHINA: ‘Feminism remains resilient because it addresses issues central to everyday life’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses women’s rights and a crackdown on feminist activists in China with Jing Guo, founder of the Legal Aid Hotline for Women’s Right to Work, which provides legal and psychological support to women facing gender-based discrimination and violence.
Featured

IRAN: ‘The reformist candidate’s victory won’t lead to significant improvements in civic space or human rights’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Iran’s presidential election with Sina Entesari, an Iranian journalist and human rights defender currently living in exile.
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NAMIBIA: ‘Our victory can inspire and encourage LGBTQI+ activists in other countries’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the decriminalisation of same-sex relations in Namibia with Kevin Wessels, a young Namibian LGBTQI+ activist.
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SOUTH AFRICA: ‘Healthcare workers are in distress too, and we need action now’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses recent protests by South African health workers with doctor and global health advocate Zolelwa Sifumba.
Featured

THAILAND: ‘Part of our success in claiming LGBTQI+ rights came from intersecting with the democracy movement’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Thailand’s legalisation of same-sex marriage with Matcha Phornin, founder of Sangsan Anakot, an ethnic minority and Indigenous LGBTQI+ feminist organisation working to empower Indigenous women, girls and young LGBTQI+ people.
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IRAQ: ‘Tolerance for abuses against LGBTQI+ people has now been made explicit through legislation’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the criminalisation of same-sex relations in Iraq with Sarah Sanbar, researcher at Human Rights Watch’s Middle East and North Africa division.
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CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY: ‘Solidarity is essential because we face very powerful interests’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses civil society’s advocacy for the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) with Brad Adams, Executive Director and founder of Climate Rights International (CRI).
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ITALY: ‘Authoritarian tendencies manifest themselves in efforts to control information and stifle dissent’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Ilaria Masinara, Head of the Campaigning Unit at Amnesty International Italia, about escalating threats to freedom of expression and the media in Italy.
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SINGAPORE: ‘The entrenched system instils fear, making progress for civil society slow and difficult’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about Singapore’s recent leadership change with Kirsten Han, an independent writer, journalist and member of the Transformative Justice Collective (TJC).
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GERMANY: ‘The rise of the far right will make things more difficult, but the EU will remain functional – for now’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Andreas Müller, Executive Director of Democracy International, about the European Parliament elections and his expectations for the results in Germany.
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TURKEY: ‘Civil society can still defeat the foreign agents bill if it plans and acts strategically’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Gürkan Özturan, media freedom monitoring officer with the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), about the concerning implications of a proposed law on foreign agents in Turkey.
Featured

TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS: ‘Advancing LGBTQI+ rights requires advocacy, awareness-raising and a concerted effort to foster a culture of inclusion’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Tim Prudhoe, a lawyer with Stanbrook Prudhoe, about a legal challenge brought against discriminatory legislation against LGBTQI+ people and the struggle for equal rights of same-sex married partners in Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI).
Featured

CROATIA: ‘The entry of the far right into government will halt or reverse progress on human rights’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Ivan Novosel, director of programmes at Human Rights House Zagreb, about the results of Croatia’s recent parliamentary election and the potential consequences of the entry of the far-right Homeland Movement (DP) into the ruling coalition.
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EUROPE: ‘The European Court agreed that climate protection is a fundamental human right’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Dr Elisabeth Stern, board member of KlimaSeniorinnen Switzerland (Senior Women for Climate Protection), a civil society organisation representing older Swiss women who recently won a climate litigation case against Switzerland at the European Court of Human Rights.
Featured

TURKEY: ‘The municipal election was unfair, yet highly competitive, allowing the opposition to win’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Özgür Ünlühisarcıklı, regional director of the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) in Turkey, about Turkey’s recent municipal elections that saw opposition parties gain ground.
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DOMINICA: ‘It’s an ongoing journey to achieve full inclusion and acceptance of LGBTQI+ people’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Daryl Phillip, founder and coordinator of Minority Rights Dominica (MiRiDom), about a recent High Court ruling that decriminalised same-sex relations in Dominica.
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SOMALIA: ‘The work of women’s rights groups is vital in changing the perceived role of women in society’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about recent protests against femicides in Somalia with Ilyas Adam, a Center for Victims of Torture fellow, award-winning human rights journalist and senior consultant at the Coalition of Somali Human Rights Defenders (CSHRD).
Featured

SOMALIA: ‘Civil society is playing key roles in the ongoing constitutional process’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Mahad Wasuge, executive director of Somali Public Agenda (SPA), about recent constitutional change and its implications for Somali civil society.
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HAÏTI : « Les gangs contrôlent le pays en lieu et place des autorités »

Interviews
CIVICUS échange sur l’augmentation de la violence des gangs et la situation politique en Haïti avec Nancy Roc, journaliste indépendante.
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SLOVAKIA: ‘The election result may reinforce the country’s image as a problematic EU member’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Michal Piško, Director of Transparency International Slovensko, about Slovakia’s recent first-round presidential election and the upcoming runoff.
Featured

CROATIA: ‘The longer this government remains in power, the weaker democracy and the rule of law become’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about ongoing anti-government protests in Croatia with Oriana Ivković Novokmet, Executive Director of Gong.
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SRI LANKA: ‘The government curtails online expression critical of democratic and governance deficits’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about recent restrictions on freedom of expression in Sri Lanka with Darshatha Gamage, Head of Programmes at Hashtag Generation.
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EUROPE: ‘Member states must introduce national anti-SLAPP legislation to protect public watchdogs’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Francesca Borg Costanzi, Advocacy Officer at the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation, about the recently adopted European Union (EU) Anti-SLAPP Directive and its importance in preventing abusive lawsuits against public watchdogs.
Featured

PAKISTAN: ‘It doesn’t matter who casts the vote as much as who counts the vote’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about Pakistan’s upcoming election with Muhammad Mudassar, Chief Executive Officer at the Society for Human Rights and Prisoners’ Aid (SHARP-Pakistan).
Featured

ARMENIA: ‘Lack of compelling international action allowed the attack on Nagorno-Karabakh to occur’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh – the disputed territory within Azerbaijan that until recently was governed by ethnic Armenians – with Lida Minasyan, a feminist peace activist and Resource Mobilisation Consultant at the Central Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central and North Asia (CEECCNA) Collaborative Fund.
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MAURITIUS: ‘LGBTQI+ people no longer need to live with the constant fear of being criminalised’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Najeeb Ahmad Fokeerbux, founder of the Young Queer Alliance (YQA), about the recent ruling by the Mauritius Supreme Court that declared the criminalisation of same-sex relations unconstitutional.
Featured

ARMENIA: ‘As people leave their homes in search of safety, humanitarian organisations must support their basic needs’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the civil society humanitarian response to the Azerbaijani blockade and military offensive against Nagorno-Karabakh – the disputed territory within Azerbaijan that until recently was governed by ethnic Armenians – with Shushanik Nersesyan, Media and Communication Manager at People in Need (PIN) Armenia.

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