Interviews

NETHERLANDS: ‘We call on potential coalition partners to stand up for our country’s international reputation’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the far-right victory in the snap elections that took place in the Netherlands on 22 November with Niels Hoogerheijde, Policy Advisor at Partos, the Dutch membership body for civil society organisations (CSOs) working in international development.
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LATVIA: ‘The legalisation of same-sex civil partnerships has brought instant conservative backlash’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Kaspars Zālītis, a human rights activist and board member of Mozaika, about the recent legalisation of same-sex civil partnerships in Latvia.
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NEPAL: ‘The TikTok ban signals efforts to control the digital space in the name of national sovereignty’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the recent TikTok ban in Nepal with Anisha, provincial coordinator for Gandaki Pradesh at Body and Data.
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SPAIN: ‘Territory will become the backbone of Spanish politics’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Spanish political scientist and political consultant Eva Silván about the recent re-election of Pedro Sánchez as Spanish prime minister at the head of a coalition with left-wing and pro-independence parties, in a country deeply divided by the Catalonia issue.
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ALGERIA: ‘Civil society aspires to a more democratic and rights-centred environment’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the ongoing repression of dissent in Algeria with Rachid Aouine, Director for SHOAA for Human Rights.
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GLOBAL GOVERNANCE: ‘We must take up the declaration of human rights to lead the way’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about global governance challenges with Marta Benavides, a spiritual leader who has led numerous sustainable peace initiatives in and outside of El Salvador, for which she has had to go into exile several times.
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BOLIVIA: ‘The minimisation of forest fires and the lack of response from the authorities is ecocide’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Andrea Barrientos, Senator of the Citizen Community (Comunidad Ciudadana) party for the department of Cochabamba, about recent fires in four of Bolivia’s nine departments.
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KOSOVO: ‘Civil society has done most of the effort when it comes to dealing with our recent history’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about intensifying inter-ethnic violence in north Kosovo and civil society’s ongoing peacebuilding efforts with Bjeshkë Guri, coordinator of the ‘Dealing with the Past’ programme at Youth Initiative for Human Rights Kosovo (YIHR-KS).
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YEMEN: ‘We are caught in limbo, neither at war nor at peace, with state institutions nearly collapsed’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about Yemen’s ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis with Radhya Almutawakel, co-founder and chairperson of Mwatana for Human Rights (Mwatana).
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GLOBAL GOVERNANCE: ‘It may take a crisis as big as the one that originated the system to produce the reform it needs’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with John Vlasto, Board Chair of the World Federalist Movement (WFM), about the deficits of the existing global governance system and civil society’s proposals for reform.
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PAKISTAN: ‘The authorities must guarantee the human rights of Afghan asylum seekers’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the move to expel Afghan refugees from Pakistan with Habib Malik Orakzai, president of Pakistan International Human Rights Organization (PIHRO).
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GLOBAL GOVERNANCE: ‘The current system is dysfunctional, but we still depend on it in crucial ways’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Natalie Samarasinghe, Global Director for advocacy at the Open Society Foundations (OSF), about the need for global governance reform and the proposal for a civil society envoy within the United Nations (UN) system.
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CHILE: ‘The proposed constitution reflects the country’s division rather than being an instrument for its union’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Patricia Reyes, director of Fundación Multitudes, about the process to develop a new constitution in Chile since a previous draft was rejected in a referendum in September 2022.
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SDGs: ‘Radical policy changes are our only hope of ending global poverty’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Andy Sumner about the prospects for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the underlying dysfunctions of the current global governance system.
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SWITZERLAND: ‘Right-wing populists pose a true threat when other parties meet their demands’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Lea Schlenker, board member of Operation Libero, about the rise of right-wing populism in Switzerland’s recent elections.
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ARGENTINA: ‘Milei’s victory expresses the rejection of the previous governments’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Yanina Welp, researcher at the Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy, about the results of Argentina’s runoff presidential election, won by a far-right outsider.
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KOSOVO: ‘Civil society plays a crucial role in maintaining communication in difficult times’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Milica Andric Rakic, project manager at New Social Initiative (NSI), about intensifying inter-ethnic violence and deteriorating civic space in Kosovo.
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NETHERLANDS: ‘A strong sense of solidarity endures with those who are left-behind’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about snap elections taking place in the Netherlands on 22 November with Niels Hoogerheijde, Policy Advisor at Partos, the Dutch membership body for civil society organisations (CSOs) working in international development.
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IRAN: ‘It is clear that most people don’t support the regime anymore and want it gone’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Iranian activist Asal Abasian about the situation more than a year since the start of the protest wave triggered by Mahsa Amini’s killing by the morality police and the prospects for change in Iran.
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INDIA: ‘Media and journalists are under tremendous pressure from the government’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Geetartha Pathak, president of the Indian Journalists Union (IJU), about the increasing violation of press freedoms in India.
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SERBIA: ‘The government is allergic to pluralism and keeps discrediting dissenting voices’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about Serbia’s upcoming parliamentary elections and civic space conditions with Vukosava Crnjanski, founder and director of the Centre for Research, Transparency and Accountability (CRTA).
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VENEZUELA: ‘The opposition could once again become a credible threat to the authoritarian regime’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Rafael Uzcátegui, general coordinator of the Venezuelan Programme for Human Rights Education Action (Provea), about the results of recent opposition primaries ahead of the 2024 elections.
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EQUATORIAL GUINEA: ‘The government uses violence to dominate through fear’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Alfredo Okenve, president of the Centre for Studies and Initiatives for the Development of Equatorial Guinea (CEIDGE), about the political context in which civil society operates in Equatorial Guinea.
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PAKISTAN: ‘We appeal to the international community to share the responsibility of welcoming Afghan refugees’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the current move to expel undocumented migrants from Pakistan with Muhammad Mudassar, Chief Executive Officer of the Society for Human Rights and Prisoners’ Aid (SHARP-Pakistan).

BANGLADESH: ‘The government is banishing the opposition in the run-up to the election’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Zaman Ashraf about the current pre-election crackdown in Bangladesh.
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PHILIPPINES: ‘Climate change is no longer theoretical. It is a fact of life and a threat to our lives’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the impacts of climate change and the response of climate activism with Ronan Renz Napoto, founder and executive director of Balud, a youth-led movement from the Philippines that promotes ecological consciousness by engaging with and empowering young people.
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UK: ‘The anti-boycott bill is the latest government attempt to stifle civil liberties’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Daniel Lubin, co-founder of Na’amod (British Jews Against Occupation), about the UK government’s proposed anti-boycott bill that would prevent public bodies from using divestment as a strategy to meet human rights responsibilities and obligations.
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POLAND: ‘Civil society played a crucial role in ensuring the fairness of the election’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about Poland’s 15 October parliamentary election with Sonia Horonziak and Filip Pazderski, coordinator and head of the Democracy and Civil Society Programme at the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA).
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BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA: ‘Civil society has failed to spark people’s activist side’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about deteriorating civic space in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) with Aida Daguda and Dajana Cvjetkovic, director and programme manager at the Centre for Civil Society Promotion (CPCD).
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MEXICO: ‘When climate activism threatens powerful interests, it is labelled on the same level as terrorists and drug traffickers’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the role of civil society and its expectations for the upcoming COP28 climate summit with María Reyes, a young human rights and environmental activist from the Mexican state of Puebla.
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ECUADOR: ‘The election provided a temporary escape valve, but instability is not over’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the results of the 15 October runoff vote in Ecuador’s presidential election with Humberto Salazar, executive director of Fundación Esquel.
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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.
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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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ECUADOR: ‘The new government must dialogue and seek political agreements that are public, not under the table’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the results of the 15 October runoff vote in Ecuador’s presidential election with Ruth Hidalgo, executive director of Participación Ciudadana (Citizen Participation).
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NORTH KOREA: ‘Since Kim Jong-un came to power, the surveillance and security system has increased dramatically’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about activism in the closed civic space of North Korea with Bada Nam, Secretary General of People for Successful Corean Reunification (PSCORE).
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BOTSWANA: ‘We must strategise so that we don’t merely react to crises and anti-rights action’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the struggle for LGBTQI+ rights in Botswana with Dumiso Gatsha, an LGBTQI+ activist and founder of Success Capital.
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AUSTRALIA: ‘There will be little change on First Nations people’s recognition, representation and rights’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Peter Lewis, president of Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR), about the recent defeat in a referendum of a proposal to recognise Indigenous Australians in the constitution and create a permanent institution so they can speak directly to government and parliament on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
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MOROCCO: ‘Support those who were there before the earthquake hit and will stay when the cameras are gone’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the role of civil society in the response to the recent earthquake in Morocco with Victoria Vrana, Chief Executive Officer at GlobalGiving.
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JAPAN: ‘Each victory brings backlash, but LGBTQI+ people will keep fighting for equality and dignity'

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the struggle for LGBTQI+ rights in Japan with Akira Nishiyama, Deputy Secretary General of the Japan Alliance for Legislation to Remove Social Barriers based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (Japan Alliance for LGBT Legislation, J-ALL).
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UGANDA: ‘Closure of the UN office will result in the loss of a crucial player in the field of human rights’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the human rights situation and the closure of the United Nations (UN) office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Uganda with Dr Livingstone Sewanyana, founder and Executive Director of the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI) and UN independent expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order.
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BELGIUM: ‘Small extremist groups are reacting to all advances in women’s rights’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Céline Danhier, director of O’YES, about the recent conservative backlash to the implementation of a sex and relationships education programme in state schools in Belgium’s Walloon region.
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ETHIOPIA: ‘The state of emergency has impeded people’s ability to advocate for their rights’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Jerusalem Girmay, Chief Communications Officer of Omna Tigray, about the state of emergency imposed in Ethiopia and its implications for the Tigray region.
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NORTH KOREA: ‘It is time for the international community to adopt a ‘human rights up front’ approach’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the activism of North Korean escapees with Greg Scarlatoiu, Executive Director of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK).
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SYRIA: ‘We spread the culture of human rights in a country with one of the world’s worst human rights records’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about Syria’s ongoing civil war and human rights crisis and its prospects for democratic change with Fadel Abdul Ghany, founder and Executive Director of the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR).
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ERITREA: ‘When the government reacts to our work, we know what we do is making an impact’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with about civil society work in Eritrea’s context of closed civic space with Helen Kidan, chairperson of the Eritrean Movement for Democracy and Human Rights (EMDHR).
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MEXICO: ‘The Supreme Court’s ruling marks a before and after in the struggle for reproductive justice’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the recent Supreme Court ruling decriminalising abortion in Mexico with Brenda Rodriguez, communications coordinator of Information Group on Reproductive Choice (GIRE, Grupo de Información en Reproducción Elegida).
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VIETNAM: ‘The government hates losing face and has zero tolerance for criticism’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about recent arrests of leading environmental activists in Vietnam with Penelope Faulkner, President of Quê Me: Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR).
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UGANDA: ‘The UN human rights office was instrumental in addressing human rights concerns in the conflict and post-conflict period’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the closure of the United Nations (UN) office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Uganda with Robert Kirenga, Executive Director of the National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders-Uganda (NCHRD-U).
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THE NETHERLANDS: ‘Restrictions on the right to protest should be the exception rather than the rule’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Sieger Sloot, an actor and climate activist from a Dutch branch of Extinction Rebellion (XR), and Marjolein Kuijers, policy officer on the right to protest at the Dutch section of Amnesty International, about the government’s reaction to climate protests in the run-up to parliamentary elections in the Netherlands in November.

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