Interviews

‘Thanks to art, climate change stops being a distant issue—it becomes personal, immediate and visceral’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Nicola Haskins, a choreographer, dancer and lecturer at South Africa’s Tshwane University of Technology Performing Arts Dance Stream, about her approach to climate activism through the arts.

‘We first thought hosting COP29 could ease the pressure on local civil society – but we were wrong’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the human rights situation in Azerbaijan as the country prepares to host the COP29 climate summit with Emin Huseynov, an Azerbaijani journalist and human rights activist in exile.
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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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‘Civic space is closed and prospects for change are limited, if not non-existent’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses a new wave of closures of civil society organisations (CSOs) in Nicaragua with the team from the Central American Association for Development and Democracy (ACDD).
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‘The government’s response to the protests followed a predictable pattern of repression’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses anti-corruption protests in Uganda with Mohammed Ndifuna, Executive Director of Justice Access Point (JAP), a civil society organisation (CSO) that promotes human rights and the rule of law.
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AFGHANISTAN: ‘The Taliban have effectively silenced women’s voices’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses deteriorating women’s rights in Afghanistan with Mohammad Mohmadi, the director of the Afghanistan Human Rights Center, a civil society organisation working to promote and defend human rights.
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COLOMBIA: ‘The Chiquita case shows it’s possible to hold corporations accountable for human rights abuses’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses a recent court victory that held multinational banana company Chiquita accountable for human rights violations in Colombia with Gabriela Valentín Díaz, a member of the EarthRights International legal team that represented victims in the case.
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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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TOGO: ‘The international community must send a clear message that power grabs won’t be tolerated’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the crackdown on civil society in Togo with a human rights defender who asked to stay anonymous for security reasons.
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GUATEMALA: ‘Corrupt elites see defenders of justice as a threat to their interests and try to silence them’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the state of civic space and justice in Guatemala with former anti-corruption prosecutor Virginia Laparra.
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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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VENEZUELA: ‘The government wants a civil society aligned with its interests, tamed and silent’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the ‘anti-NGO law’ recently passed in Venezuela with Alí Daniels, Co-Director of Acceso a la Justicia, a civil society organisation (CSO) dedicated to monitoring justice administration and the rule of law in Venezuela.
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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.
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Climate Activists Target Culture Greenwashing

Interviews
Civil society is working on all fronts to tackle the climate crisis.
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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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OLYMPICS: ‘This was supposed to be a unifying event, but the reality is always more complicated’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the political, economic, social and human rights implications of the recent Olympic Games with UK-based academic, journalist and author David Goldblatt, whose latest book is The Games: A Global History of the Olympics.
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VIETNAM: ‘Human rights conditions will likely worsen as the country descends into a police state’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses recent leadership changes in Vietnam with David Tran, coordinator of the Alliance for Vietnam’s Democracy, a civil society platform that promotes democracy in Vietnam and the region through international cooperation and the strengthening of local civil society.
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UK: ‘Social media platforms have become breeding grounds for far-right ideologies’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the causes and consequences of recent far-right riots with Kulvinder Nagre, Research and Policy Officer at Race On The Agenda (ROTA), a UK-based civil society organisation working to tackle racial inequality and promote social justice.
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UK: ‘Many in the climate justice movement are finding creative and imaginative ways to protest’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Chris Garrard, co-founder and co-director of Culture Unstained, about the campaign to end fossil fuel sponsorship of cultural institutions, which oil companies use to try to present a positive public image.
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NIGERIA: ‘The government must respect people’s right to protest and listen to our demands’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses protests in Nigeria with youth activist Hassan Nurudeen.
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BANGLADESH: ‘A government that commits crimes against humanity shouldn’t stay in power under any circumstances’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about protests, their repression and the changes they’ve brought about in Bangladesh with civil society activist Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman, also known as Zaman Ashraf.
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MALAWI: ‘Many will interpret the court ruling to mean there’s no place for LGBTQI+ people in our country’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the Malawi Constitutional Court’s decision to uphold the criminalisation of homosexuality with members of the Nyasa Rainbow Alliance, a civil society organisation that has supported LGBTQI+ people and promoted LGBTQI+ rights for a decade, despite facing significant legal and societal challenges.
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CAMBODIA: ‘We face repression because we disrupt projects that benefit powerful people and corporations'

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Lisa Saad of Mother Nature Cambodia about the criminalisation of environmental activism in Cambodia.
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GEORGIA: ‘The ‘anti-LGBT’ bill would make life nearly impossible for LGBTQI+ people’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses proposed legislative changes that target LGBTQI+ people in Georgia with Tbilisi Pride director Tamar Jakeli.
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VENEZUELA: ‘We had hoped the election would lead to a negotiated transition’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Venezuela’s recent election with Luz Mely Reyes, Director General of the Venezuelan digital media outlet Efecto Cocuyo.
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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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SUMMIT OF THE FUTURE: ‘We fear the pact will be yet another document with high ideals but little practical impact’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the upcoming Summit of the Future with Ophelia Kemigisha, United Nations (UN) Program Officer at Outright International, a global organisation that works to improve LGBTQI+ rights around the world.
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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: ‘Our influence depends on states’ willingness to adopt a progressive agenda’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the upcoming Summit of the Future with Jennifer Rauch, Global Advocacy Officer at Fòs Feminista, a global feminist organisation that promotes sexual reproductive health and rights around the world.
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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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ECUADOR: ‘We demand that the violation of the rights of nature be recognised and reversed’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Darío Iza Pilaquinga, president of the Kitu Kara People of the Kichwa nationality of Ecuador, about a historic court ruling that applied a constitutional provision recognising the rights of nature.
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KENYA: ‘The government must work with civil society to eradicate gender-based violence’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Fridah Wawira, gender specialist and acting Executive Director of the Coalition on Violence against Women (COVAW), about gender-based violence (GBV) in Kenya and civil society efforts to eradicate it.
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CAMBODIA: ‘The more effective your activism, the more likely you are to be targeted by the government’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses environmental activism in Cambodia’s heavily repressed civic space with Naly Pilorge, Outreach Director of the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defence of Human Rights (LICADHO).
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POLAND: ‘Under the Law and Justice party, being a woman became an extremely difficult experience’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses recent setbacks for reproductive rights in Poland with Antonina Lewandowska, national advocacy coordinator at the Foundation for Women and Family Planning (FEDERA).
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IRAN: ‘We shouldn’t have to wait for another tragedy to draw attention to violations of LGBTQI+ people’s rights’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with LGBTQI+ activist Rezvaneh Mohammadi about her experiences in Iran and in exile.
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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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CHILE: ‘Anti-rights groups attacked the Pride march to try to undermine its peaceful character’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the struggle for LGBTQI+ rights in Chile with Ramón Gómez, human rights officer of the Movement for Homosexual Integration and Liberation (MOVILH).
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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.
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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

ARGENTINA: ‘The state is abandoning its role as guarantor of access to rights’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the deterioration of civic space and human rights under Argentina’s current government with Vanina Escales and Manuel Tufró of the Centre for Legal and Social Studies (CELS).
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HONDURAS: ‘We demand environmental justice in the face of corrupt interests insensitive to local needs’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses community resistance to mining mega-projects in Honduras with Juana Esquivel, representative of the Municipal Committee for the Defence of Common and Public Goods of Tocoa.
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USA: ‘The stakes in the 2024 election are incredibly high for the fate of US democracy’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the recent US Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity and its potential impact on the 5 November presidential election with Ciara Torres-Spelliscy, a professor of Law at Stetson University College of Law.
Featured

FRANCE: ‘Civil society played a crucial role in keeping the far right out of power’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the French election with Paymon Azmoudeh, a France-based political and geopolitical risk analyst.
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SUDAN: ‘The international community’s response to atrocities has been painfully slow and ineffective’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the role of civil society in responding to the conflict in Sudan with Hala Al-Karib, Regional Director of the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA).
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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BRAZIL: ‘The law should protect women and girls, not criminalise them’

Interviews
Portuguese CIVICUS discusses abortion rights in Brazil with Guacira Oliveira, director of the Feminist Centre for Studies and Advice (CFEMEA).
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GLOBAL ARMS TRADE: ‘By halting the supply of weapons, states can help prevent human rights violations’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses civil society efforts to control arms proliferation with Hine-Wai Loose, Director of Control Arms, a global civil society coalition with over 300 partners in all regions of the world.
Featured

KENYA: ‘Young people want their concerns to be addressed, not dismissed because of their age’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses recent protests in Kenya with Bina Maseno, Executive Director of Badili Africa, a women’s rights organisation that seeks to engage young women who are disenfranchised, disengaged and disillusioned by politics.

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