Interviews

Featured

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.
Featured

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).
Featured

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).
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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.
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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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INDONESIA: ‘Proposed changes to the Broadcasting Act are part of a regression driven by religious fundamentalism’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses proposed changes to Indonesia’s Broadcasting Act that would restrict LGBTQI+ rights with Dédé Oetomo.
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AFGHANISTAN: ‘The Doha meeting has raised concerns the UN is indirectly legitimising the Taliban’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the exclusion of women from international talks on Afghanistan currently being held in Qatar with Sima Samar, former chairperson of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC).
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MEXICO: ‘Civil society expects the new government to be more receptive and open to dialogue’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the results of recent Mexican elections with Daniela Arias Sánchez, Coordinator of the Election Lab of Mexico, an independent think tank dedicated to research, reflection and analysis on issues related to elections and democracy in Latin America.
Featured

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.
Featured

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.
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SERBIA: ‘We live in a system that’s allergic to pluralism, with a government hostile to critical voices’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses recent local elections in Serbia with Tamara Branković, deputy program director at the Center for Research, Transparency and Accountability (CRTA).
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NEW CALEDONIA: ‘The French parliamentary elections will have an impact on our future’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Nathalie Tehio, president of the Human Rights League, about recent protests against electoral changes imposed by the French government in New Caledonia.
Featured

IRAN: ‘Women and queer people are at the forefront of the struggle against religious despotism’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Asal Abasian about their experiences as a queer and feminist activist in Iran and in exile.
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PAKISTAN: ‘The government must hold accountable those responsible for excessive force against protesters’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses recent protests in Pakistan with Asad Iqbal Butt, chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, a civil society organisation that works for the realisation of the full range of human rights for all of Pakistan’s citizens and residents.
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.
Featured

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.
Featured

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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GLOBAL ARMS TRADE: ‘Exporting states are often involved in the conflicts they supply arms to’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the global arms market’s role in conflict with Mathew George, director of the Arms Transfers Programme at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
Featured

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: ‘There’s deep-rooted structural anti-Haitian racism’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the status of people of Haitian descent in the Dominican Republic with Joseph Cherubin, a Haitian doctor and founder and executive director of the Sociocultural Movement of Humanitarian and Environmental Work (MOSCTHA).
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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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BANGLADESH: ‘Civic space is the victim of zero-sum game politics and dysfunctional democratic institutions’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about civic space restrictions in Bangladesh with Iftekhar Zaman, Executive Director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), the accredited national chapter of Transparency International, a leading global anti-corruption organisation.
Featured

MEXICO: ‘The new president must demonstrate her commitment to gender equality and social justice’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the results of elections in Mexico with Anaid Alcázar, a Mexican political scientist and coordinator of the Innovation for Democracy Programme at the Avina Foundation, a global organisation that promotes change in the areas of democratic innovation, fair and regenerative economies and climate action.
Featured

EUROPE: ‘The future of the EU as we know cannot be taken for granted’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the results and implications of recent elections to the European Parliament with Philipp Jäger, Policy Fellow at the Jacques Delors Centre, an independent, non-partisan think tank focused on European policy processes and outcomes.
Featured

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: ‘On human rights, there might be a little light at the end of the tunnel’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses recent Dominican Republic elections with Manuel María Mercedes Medina, a lawyer, human rights defender and president of the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH-RD).
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INDIA: ‘The Supreme Court said the constitutional right to life includes the right to a healthy environment’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses a recent Indian Supreme Court ruling on climate change and human rights with Arpitha Kodiveri, an environmental law and justice scholar and assistant professor of political science at Vassar College, who works on the role of law in redressing the climate harms faced by South Asian Indigenous communities.
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MYANMAR: ‘For the first time, it looks possible the military junta can be defeated by people power’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the conflict in Myanmar with Zoya Phan, Programme Director of the campaigning organisation Burma Campaign UK, and Programme Director of Advance Myanmar, a UK-registered charity that supports grassroots organisations and provides assistance to activists and displaced people in Myanmar.
Featured

COLOMBIA: ‘The Inter-American Court found the state responsible for violating the right to defend rights’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses a recent ruling of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) on the rights of human rights defenders with Jomary Ortegón, a human rights lawyer and vice-president of the Lawyers’ Collective José Alvear Restrepo (CAJAR), a Colombian organisation dedicated to the defence and promotion of human rights.
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PERU: ‘The government is opening the door to dangerous practices such as ‘conversion therapies’'

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses LGBTQI+ rights in Peru with Rodrigo Flores Castro, clinical psychologist and coordinator of the Mental Health Committee of Más Igualdad (‘More Equality’), a Peruvian intersectional feminist organisation that advocates for recognition of LGBTQI+ rights.
Featured

SLOVAKIA: ‘We hope the government’s attempts to stifle activism will ultimately fail’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses democracy, civic space and media freedoms in Slovakia with Rasto Kužel, Executive Director of MEMO 98, a leading media monitoring organisation with 25 years of experience.
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INDONESIA: ‘This court ruling is a victory for journalists and activists who’ve faced legal consequences for criticising the government’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about a recent court ruling upholding freedom of expression with Alviani Sabillah, researcher at the Centre of Indonesian Law and Policy Studies (PSHK), a research and advocacy institution focused on legal reform.
Featured

HAITI: ‘If the mission succeeds, the authorities won’t have to turn again to the international community to maintain peace’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Haitian lawyer Rosy Auguste Ducéna about the situation in Haiti and the prospects for a newly deployed international mission.
Featured

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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