Interviews

THAILAND: ‘Pride was more than just a party – it was also a protest’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Bangkok Pride and LGBTQI+ rights in Thailand and Southeast Asia with Ryan Silverio, Executive Director of ASEAN SOGIE Caucus, a civil society organisation that advances the rights of LGBTQI+ people in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries.

ANGOLA: ‘Angola produces large quantities of oil and diamonds, yet most people don’t see the benefits’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses recent protests in Angola with Florindo Chivucute, founder and executive director of Friends of Angola, a US-based civil society organisation established in 2014 that works to promote democracy, human rights and good governance in Angola.

AUSTRIA: ‘Anticorruption should not be an abstract legal agenda – it must directly improve people’s lives’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses a recent United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council resolution on corruption and human rights with Betina Pasteknik, the UNCAC Coalition’s Head of Operations and Working Groups and co-chair of its Working Group on Human Rights and Corruption.

EL SALVADOR: ‘Who will take the mic at the United Nations when doing so might cost them their freedom?’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses civil society’s challenges in engaging with United Nations (UN) processes with an activist from a Salvadoran queer-led organisation who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons.

PORTUGAL: ‘It’s unfair to ask communities who live sustainably to bear the costs of the climate crisis’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses resistance to lithium mining with members of United in Defence of Covas do Barroso (UDCB), a grassroots movement challenging a mining project in a farming village in northern Portugal.

BELGIUM: ‘When governments don’t enforce their laws, civil society can – and will – step in’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Jo Dirix, a campaigner with Vredesactie (Peace Action), a Belgium peace and disarmament civil society organisation (CSO) that successfully took the Flemish government to court over arms shipments to Israel.

GLOBAL: ‘Peoples have a right to self-determination, whether they are part of an internationally recognised state or not’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Mercè Monje Cano, Secretary General of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO), about the struggles of unrepresented peoples seeking self-determination and how UNPO supports them in asserting their rights.

UKRAINE: ‘Even in wartime, Ukrainians insist on democratic accountability’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Ukraine’s recent anticorruption protests with Oksana Huss, co-founder of the global Interdisciplinary Corruption Research Network and board member of Transparency International Ukraine, one of the country’s major anticorruption organisations.

IRAN: ‘The surge in executions shouldn’t be mistaken for strength – it’s a desperate act of a collapsing dictatorship’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the Iranian regime’s execution of political prisoners with Safora Sadidi, a human rights activist with the Women’s Committee and Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran.

CAMBODIA: ‘Sustainable peace will require honest political will from both Cambodia and Thailand’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the border crisis between Cambodia and Thailand with Sok Udom Deth, Professor of International Relations at Cambodia’s Paragon International University.

TAIWAN: ‘Controversial legislative measures triggered a citizen-led mass movement’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Taiwan’s unprecedented citizen-led recall campaign against opposition politicians with Leah Lin, Executive Director and founder of the Asia Citizen Future Association (ACFA), which promotes collaboration between Taiwanese and Southeast Asian civil society, supports civil society and advocates for civic space protections.

SYRIA: ‘No return can be safe, voluntary and dignified unless conditions inside Syria change’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Syria’s political transition and its implications for refugees with a representative of the Access Center for Human Rights (ACHR) who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons.

UNITED STATES: ‘When we are told not to exist, simply coming together in joy becomes an act of defiance’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Pride 2025 in Washington DC with Ryan Bos, the Executive Director of the Capital Pride Alliance, a civil society organisation dedicated to serving LGBTQI+ people’s needs.

SERBIA: ‘Institutions are openly used to suppress dissent and protect the ruling party’s interests’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the authorities’ response to recent anti-government protests in Serbia with Ivan Đurić, Policy Analyst at the Centre for Research, Transparency and Accountability, an independent, non-partisan civil society organisation committed to developing democratic culture and civic activism.

SLOVENIA: ‘For a just energy transition, laws should recognise the right to defend human rights’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses human rights challenges in transitions to renewable energy with Ella Skybenko, senior researcher and representative for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC), a civil society organisation (CSO) that promotes corporate accountability, transparency and human rights.

ETHIOPIA: ‘The goal behind the bill is very clear: to control, silence and disable civil society’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Ethiopia’s proposed new law to target civil society with Yared Hailemariam, lawyer and Executive Director of the Ethiopian Human Rights Defenders Centre (EHRDC), a civil society organisation (CSO) that works to support human rights activists at risk.

NEW ZEALAND: ‘Our case challenges the assumption that offsetting emissions can replace meaningful climate policy’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Matt Hall, director of the Environmental Law Initiative, a New Zealand civil society organisation that is taking legal action against the government for replacing its greenhouse gas emissions reduction strategy with one that relies heavily on offsetting, without proper public consultation.

UNITED KINGDOM: ‘People in Iran deserve peace and civil society is striving to make that possible’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses conflict between Iran and Israel with Negin Shiraghaei, founder of the Azadi Network, a feminist network that supports excluded communities from Afghanistan and Iran.

SRI LANKA: ‘Arrests were made during a time of political crisis and many were politically motivated’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the criminalisation of protest in Sri Lanka with climate activist Melani Gunathilaka, co-founder of Climate Action Now Sri Lanka and member of the Debt for Climate global movement.

UNITED STATES: ‘There will be no progress on gender rights without political will and accountability’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses civil society’s efforts to advance gender rights at the global level with Foteini Papagioti, Deputy Director of Policy and Advocacy at the International Center for Research on Women, an international civil society organisation that advocates for the rights of women, girls and other structurally excluded groups.

UNITED KINGDOM: ‘After decades of making huge profits, companies shouldn’t be allowed to leave behind a toxic legacy’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Matthew Renshaw, a partner at a UK law firm that represents Nigerian communities taking legal action against Shell over environmental damage caused by its operations in the Niger Delta.

KENYA: ‘Impunity and lack of political will have normalised police violence against civilians’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Kenya’s nationwide protests against police brutality with a representative of a local civil society organisation who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons.

HONG KONG: ‘The diaspora is playing key roles in advocating for human rights and raising international awareness’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Hong Kong’s latest security laws with Laura Naw, East Asian and ASEAN Programme Officer at the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), a regional human rights network comprising 90 organisations across 23 countries.

GERMANY: ‘Democracy and human rights are two sides of the same coin’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the potential for a United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Democracy with Andreas Bummel, founder and executive director of Democracy Without Borders, an international civil society organisation (CSO) that advocates for democracy as a human right.

LIBERIA: ‘We need enforceable legal tools to hold governments accountable for climate inaction’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses African climate litigation efforts with Liberian environmental rights activist, lawyer and law professor Alfred Lahai Brownell, president of Global Climate Legal Defence and co-founder and Lead Campaigner of the African Climate Platform, a coalition of public interest lawyers and climate activists.

SWITZERLAND: ‘Expanding defence spending without proper accountability could weaken rather than strengthen security’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the 2025 NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) summit with Francesca Grandi, Head of Defence and Security at Transparency International, a global civil society organisation that fights corruption and promotes transparency and integrity in public life.

ROMANIA: ‘Only a handful of environmental organisations still dare challenge corporate projects in court’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks to Cristinel Buzatu, regional legal advisor for Central and Eastern Europe at Greenpeace, about how Romania’s state gas company is weaponising the courts to silence environmental opposition.

BANGLADESH: ‘Authoritarian laws outlast authoritarian rulers, so we must dismantle them’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Bangladesh’s democratic transition challenges with Taqbir Huda, human rights lawyer and former regional researcher with Amnesty International, responsible for investigating and documenting human rights violations in the region.

ITALY: ‘This security decree is the biggest attack on the right to protest in the history of the Italian Republic’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Italy’s new Security Decree with Pasquale Prencipe, a lawyer, member of the research staff of Associazione Antigone, an Italian civil society organisation (CSO) working to ensure respect for rights in Italian prisons, and editor of a recent publication, ‘The greatest attack on the freedom of protest in the history of the Italian Republic’.

UNITED STATES: ‘Democratic states have been slow to recognise Chinese transnational repression on their soil’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses China’s transnational repression with investigative reporter Scilla Alecci of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), a news organisation and independent global network encompassing over 280 journalists and 140 media from over 100 countries.

THE NETHERLANDS: ‘The Pandemic Agreement is a work in advanced progress: we are close to the finish line, but not there yet’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the Pandemic Agreement with Jaume Vidal, Senior Policy Advisor at Health Action International, an international civil society organisation based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, that works to realise the human right to health, with a special emphasis on access to health technologies.

SWITZERLAND: ‘Enabling machines to make life and death decisions is morally unjustifiable’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses autonomous weapons systems and the campaign for regulation with Nicole van Rooijen, Executive Director of Stop Killer Robots, a global civil society coalition of over 270 organisations that campaigns for a new international treaty on autonomous weapons systems.

JAPAN: ‘The roots of young people’s political disengagement lie in their lack of representation’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Japan’s upcoming election for its upper chamber of parliament with Aoi Horiuchi, Senior Advocacy Officer at the Japan NGO Center for International Cooperation (JANIC), a network of civil society organisations (CSOs) working to address global issues.

United States: ‘It’s time for states to commit to binding reforms of the international financial system’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses financing for development with Elena Marmo, Head of Advocacy and Campaigns at the Transparency, Accountability and Participation (TAP) Network, an international civil society coalition working to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the pursuit of more peaceful, just and inclusive societies.

ITALY: ‘Referendums reaffirm citizens’ right to be protagonists in their country’s democratic life’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the results of a recent Italian referendum on citizenship and workers’ rights with Andrea Oleandri, Co-Executive Director of the Italian Coalition for Freedom and Civil Rights (CILD), a civil society network working to promote and protect civil liberties.

POLAND: ‘The new president will reject anything he perceives as conflicting with conservative and national values’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the results of Poland’s presidential election with Filip Pazderski, Programme Manager for Civil Society of the Stefan Batory Foundation, a civil society organisation that promotes democratic governance.

ETHIOPIA: ‘The algorithm increases harmful content’s reach, raising exposure and the risk of real-world harm’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Mercy Mutemi, a Kenyan tech lawyer at Nzili and Sumbi Advocates and legal counsel for petitioners challenging Facebook’s role in hate and violence in Ethiopia.

GUINEA: ‘The referendum could be used to consolidate the junta’s power rather than transition to democracy’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses prospects for democracy in Guinea with Omolara Balogun, Head of Policy Influencing and Advocacy at the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI), a civil society organisation that promotes civic space and youth and women’s leadership and leverages technology for development.

MEXICO: ‘In the face of funding cuts, civil society has taken a leading role in the humanitarian response’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the closure of offices of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Mexico with members of Integral Human Rights In Action (DHIA), a Mexican civil society organisation (CSO) that promotes and defends human rights in contexts of mobility.

ROMANIA: ‘While the far right may be losing ground, populist rhetoric cuts across party lines’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the results of Romania’s presidential election with Anda Serban, Executive Director of the Resource Center for Public Participation, a civil society organisation that promotes public participation and transparency in decision-making.

UNITED KINGDOM: ‘Live facial recognition treats everyone as a potential suspect, undermining privacy and eroding presumed innocence’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the dangers of live facial recognition technology with Madeleine Stone, Senior Advocacy Officer at Big Brother Watch, a civil society organisation that campaigns against mass surveillance and for digital rights in the UK.

SOUTH AFRICA: ‘The top-down era of global health is over’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the need for community-centred approaches to global health funding and governance with Solange Baptiste, Executive Director of ITPC Global, a South Africa-based global organisation working to achieve health and social justice for all.

SUDAN: ‘The dismissal of Sudan’s case against the UAE exposes the limits of international law’

Interviews
On 5 May, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) dismissed a case brought by the Sudan government against the United Arab Emirates (UAE), alleging violations of the Genocide Convention due to the UAE’s alleged funding and arming of Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militias in Sudan’s ongoing civil war.

HUNGARY: ‘Those who promote accountability, democratic values and human rights are branded enemies of the state’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Hungary’s foreign agents bill with Márta Pardavi, co-chair of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, a human rights organisation that defends human dignity through legal and public advocacy.

ZAMBIA: ‘The NGO bill strengthens legal mechanisms designed to discredit or silence critical civil society voices’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Zambia’s Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) bill with Josiah Kalala, Executive Director of Chapter One Foundation, a Zambian civil society organisation (CSO) that promotes constitutionalism, human rights and the rule of law.

SOUTH KOREA: ‘As far-right forces gain ground, the political landscape is shifting to the right’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses South Korea’s upcoming presidential election with Hyun-Phil Na, Executive Director of the Korean House for International Solidarity, a civil society organisation that promotes democracy and human rights across Asia and the Pacific.

ALBANIA: ‘Diaspora voting ensured every citizen, regardless of location, could exercise their right to vote’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Albania’s recent election with Erida Skëndaj, Executive Director of the Albanian Helsinki Committee (AHC), a non-partisan civil society organisation (CSO) dedicated to promoting fair and democratic elections.

UNITED STATES: ‘The funding freeze has damaged the support systems that protect human rights defenders’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the impact of the US funding freeze with Ginna Anderson, Associate Director of the American Bar Association Center for Human Rights and leader of its Justice Defenders Program.

ISRAEL: ‘The groups targeted are those that promote a two-state solution and defend peace and human rights’

Interviews
The Israeli Parliament is debating a controversial bill that would impose an 80 per cent tax on foreign donations to civil society organisations primarily funded by ‘international political entities’.

TAJIKISTAN: ‘Authorities silence dissent by accusing activists of extremism, terrorism and spreading false information’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses civic space conditions in Tajikistan with Leila Seiitbek, a human rights lawyer and chairperson of Freedom for Eurasia, a civil society organisation that documents and exposes corruption, kleptocracy and human rights abuses.

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