Interviews

Featured

BAHRAIN: ‘The government uses public relations to mask human rights violations’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Drewery Dyke of Salam for Democracy and Human Rights (Salam DHR) about closed civic and democratic space in Bahrain as the state prepares to host the Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
Featured

UN TAX CONVENTION: ‘People power is the major weapon we bring to the fight against inequality’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about civil society’s work to tackle inequality from the ground up and discusses the prospects of a United Nations (UN) tax convention with Jenny Ricks, Global Convenor of Fight Inequality Alliance.
Featured

TURKEY: ‘It is just not possible to respond to such a large-scale disaster effectively without civil society’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Gözde Kazaz, Communications Officer at Support to Life, about the way Turkish civil society has responded to the recent earthquakes and the support it needs to provide an effective emergency response.
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MOZAMBIQUE: ‘The new NGO Law will be the death of the civic movement’

Interviews
Portuguese CIVICUS discusses the state of civic space and new restrictions being imposed on civil society in Mozambique with Paula Monjane, Executive Director of the Civil Society Learning and Capacity Building Centre (CESC).
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SRI LANKA: ‘Without international solidarity and support, our democratic hopes will soon be gone’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about Sri Lanka’s protest movement and its repression with student activist Fathima Ashfa Razik.
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BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS: ‘This treaty should not be negotiated behind closed doors’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the process to develop an international treaty on business and human rights and the role of civil society with Ivette Gonzalez, Director of Strategic Liaison, Advocacy and Public Relations at Project on Organising, Development, Education and Research (PODER).
Featured

ZAMBIA: ‘The abolition of the death penalty is a victory for civil society calling for respect of the right to life’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about Zambia’s recent abolition of the death penalty and the role played by civil society with Macdonald Chipenzi, outgoing Executive Director of the Governance, Elections, Advocacy, Research Services (GEARS) Initiative Zambia, a civil society organisation (CSO) that promotes democracy and electoral integrity.
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PHILIPPINES: ‘This victory belongs to everyone who supported and fought with us’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the recent acquittal of 10 human rights defenders in the Philippines with Maria Sol Taule, a human rights lawyer and member of the Karapatan Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights.
Featured

WOMEN’S RIGHTS: ‘Violence against women is a global crisis that needs urgent attention’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about civil society’s role in the fight against gender-based violence with Lina AbiRafeh, a feminist activist, women’s rights expert and Senior Advisor for Global Women’s Rights at the Arab Institute for Women at the Lebanese American University, where she served as Executive Director for seven years.
Featured

PERU: ‘Political and social instability has already cost dozens of lives’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the political crisis in Peru with Nadia Ramos, CEO of the Women’s Leadership Centre of the Americas and official spokesperson for the Hemispheric Network Somos Lideresas, two organisations that promote women’s leadership and empowerment in Peru and Latin America.
Featured

GUATEMALA: ‘Criminal law is being used as a weapon of political persecution’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses corruption in Guatemala and the criminalisation of anti-corruption activism with Claudia González, former member of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) and Virginia Laparra’s defence attorney.
Featured

TANZANIA: ‘The new administration is committed to ending discriminatory policies that undermine girls’ rights’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Prudence Mutiso, Legal Adviser at the Center for Reproductive Rights-Africa about the Tanzanian government’s policy on pregnant and married girls in schools.
Featured

AUSTRALIA: ‘Repressive laws have been introduced to limit people’s ability to protest against climate injustice’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the challenges faced by climate activists in Australia with Nelli Stevenson, head of communications and investigations at Greenpeace Australia Pacific.
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MALTA: ‘People should be able to access abortions locally without the risk of criminalisation or stigmatisation’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the struggle for abortion rights and the anti-rights backlash in Malta with Break the Taboo Malta.
Featured

AFGHANISTAN: ‘Open-source monitoring reveals both the clampdown on women’s rights and the impact on their lives’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the situation of human rights and women’s rights in Afghanistan with Anouk Theunissen and Humaira Rahbin, researchers with Afghan Witness, and Meetra Qutb, Afghan Witness’s communications specialist.
Featured

INDONESIA: ‘The new Criminal Code spells danger for civil society’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the new criminal code passed in Indonesia with Fatia Maulidiyanti, Executive Coordinator of KontraS/The Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence.
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UNITED NATIONS: ‘Outstanding issues on the binding treaty on business and human rights are mainly political’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Fernanda Hopenhaym, chair of the United Nations (UN) Working Group on Business and Human Rights, about the process to develop a binding international treaty on business and human rights.
Featured

LEBANON: ‘The world seems to be starting to forget Syrian refugees’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the situation of Syrian refugees in Lebanon with Serene Dardari, Middle East Regional Communications Manager, and Mahmoud Abdullah, Lebanon Bekaa Area Manager of American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera).
Featured

SOUTH AFRICA: ‘We want to live in an environment that respects women and recognises our human rights’

Interviews
As part of the #16DaysOfActivism campaign, CIVICUS speaks with Amanda Nomnqa about civil society efforts to eradicate gender-based violence (GBV) in South Africa.
Featured

EUROPE: ‘Delays in dealing with gender-based violence cost women, children and LGBTQI+ people their lives’

Interviews
As part of the #16DaysOfActivism campaign, CIVICUS speaks about civil society efforts to eradicate gender-based violence (GBV) with Eliana Jimeno and Charlotte Cramer of Women Against Violence Europe (WAVE).
Featured

GLOBAL HEALTH: ‘On World AIDS Day we remind people that the HIV pandemic is not over’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Gastón Devisich, Head of Community Engagement of Fundación Huésped’s Research Department, about the role of civil society in the fight against HIV/AIDS, both at the community level and in global governance bodies.
Featured

COLOMBIA: ‘Civil society is an important pillar in work with the migrant population’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Carmen Aida Faria, director of Fundación Manitas Amarillas (Little Yellow Hands Foundation), about the difficulties faced by Venezuelan migrants in Colombia and the work being done by civil society to facilitate their access to rights.
Featured

COLOMBIA: ‘Lack of regular migration status imposes barriers to accessing rights’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Jessica Corredor Villamil and Lina Arroyave about the situation of Venezuelan migrants and refugees in Colombia.
Featured

MEXICO: ‘Legal change on LGBTQI+ rights does not bring instant social change’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Erika Venadero about the recent extension of same-sex marriage rights to all of Mexico’s states and the ongoing campaign to realise LGBTQI+ rights in Mexico.
Featured

UK: ‘Women in ethnic minority communities are often treated like second-class citizens’

Interviews
As part of the #16DaysOfActivism campaign, CIVICUS speaks about gender-based violence and civil society efforts to eradicate it with Halaleh Taheri, founder and Executive Director of the Middle Eastern Women and Society Organisation (MEWSo).
Featured

MALAYSIA: ‘Young voters could be Malaysia’s kingmakers

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Tharma Pillai, co-founder and Advocacy Director of Undi18.
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NAMIBIA: ‘There is only so much civil society can do when those in power support extractive companies’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Rinaani Musutua of the Economic and Social Justice Trust (ESJT) about thee resistance of communities in the Okavango River Basin in Southern Africa against oil and gas exploration by the Canadian company ReconAfrica.
Featured

CIVIL SOCIETY: ‘Music can be an entry point because it’s the last thing someone could take away from you’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Darcy Ataman, founder and CEO of Make Music Matter, a civil society organisation based in Canada that uses the creative process as a therapeutic tool to help empower excluded groups and people.
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CUBA: ‘The only options available are prison, exile, or submission’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Cuban activist  Carolina Barrero, who has been in exile in Spain since February 2022, about the circumstances driving increasing numbers of Cubans out of the country.
Featured

QATAR: ‘Labour reforms need to continue after the World Cup is over’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the World Cup in Qatar with Vani Saraswathi, editor-at-large and director of projects at Migrant-Rights.
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TAIWAN: ‘China will do to us what it did to Hong Kong, and what it has long done to Tibetans and Uighurs’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the situation in Taiwan with Min-Hsuan Wu, known as ttcat, a social movement activist and campaigner and co-founder and CEO of a Doublethink Lab.
Featured

EUROPE: ‘The Energy Charter Treaty is having a chilling effect on climate legislation’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Paul de Clerck, Economic Justice Coordinator at Friends of the Earth Europe, about the implications for climate action of the Energy Charter Treaty.
Featured

BAHRAIN: ‘This election is make-believe: its only role is to provide a veneer of democracy’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the election being held today in Bahrain with Jawad Fairooz, founder and director of Salam for Democracy and Human Rights (Salam DHR).
Featured

INDONESIA: ‘Communities have the right to have their opinions heard and considered’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the recent protests triggered by rising fuel prices in Indonesia with Kahar S Cahyono, vice president of communications of Konfederasi Serikat Pekerja Indonesia (KSPI), a trade union organisation that promotes social justice and the welfare of workers.
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NORTH KOREA: ‘Many women escape to experience the freedoms they are denied’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Kyeong Min Shin, researcher with Korea Future, about the situation in North Korea and the challenges faced by North Korean women in exile in South Korea.
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COP27: ‘The participation of civil society is important because it represents the voices of communities’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about civil society’s aspirations and roles in the upcoming COP27 climate change summit with Chibeze Ezekiel, coordinator of the Strategic Youth Network for Development (SYND).
Featured

COP27: ‘We shouldn’t even be discussing why civil society needs to have a seat in climate talks’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about civil society’s aspirations and roles in the upcoming COP27 summit with Polluters Out co-founder Ayisha Siddiqa.
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COP27: ‘We doubt that we will be able to mobilise as we did around COP26’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Sohanur Rahman, Executive Coordinator of YouthNet for Climate Justice, about civil society’s aspirations and roles in the upcoming COP27 summit on climate change.
Featured

HAITI: ‘Civil society must get involved because political actors cannot find a solution to our problems’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about Haiti’s ongoing crisis and calls for foreign intervention with Monique Clesca, a journalist, democracy advocate and member of the Commission to Search for a Haitian Solution to the Crisis (Commission pour la recherche d’une solution haitienne a la crise, CRSC).
Featured

SPAIN: ‘The main challenge is to consolidate legally recognised rights and prevent backsliding’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Carmen Miquel Acosta, gender lawyer at Amnesty International Spain, about the recently passed Organic Law on the Guarantee of Sexual Freedom, known as the ‘Only Yes is Yes Law’, and the role of civil society in advancing women’s rights.
Featured

COP27: ‘Climate justice requires debt cancellation, reparations and non-debt climate finance for small island developing states’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Bahraini social entrepreneur Tariq Al-Olaimy about the upcoming COP27 summit on climate change.
Featured

LEBANON: ‘The main culprits of the current crisis are bank owners and their greed for profit’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about Lebanon’s ongoing financial crisis and the situation of depositors who are unable to access their savings with Alaa Khorchid, head of Depositors’ Outcry Association.
Featured

BURKINA FASO: ‘For a major segment of civil society security is a more urgent concern than democracy’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the recent military coup in Burkina Faso with Kop'ep Dabugat, Network Coordinator of the West Africa Democracy Solidarity Network (WADEMOS).
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IRAN: ‘Mahsa Amini’s case was a spark in a flammable situation’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Sohrab Razaghi, executive director of Volunteer Activists (VA), about the current women-led protests, the state of civil society and the prospects for change in Iran.
Featured

LIBERIA: ‘Anyone who committed crimes during the civil wars should be prosecuted, wherever they are’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the current war crime trial against former Liberian rebel commander Kunti Kamara with Adama Dempster, Secretary General of Civil Society Human Rights Advocacy Platform of Liberia.
Featured

MALDIVES: ‘We have come a long way, but more needs to be done to further open up civic space’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the situation of women’s rights in Maldives with Safaath Ahmed Zahir, founder and president of Women & Democracy (W&D).
Featured

CAMEROON: ‘The Anglophone discontent must be addressed through meaningful discussion with all parties’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with the Cameroonian writer and digital activist Dibussi Tande about the ongoing crisis in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions.
Featured

MEXICO: ‘The problem of insecurity is paramount, but it cannot be solved with militarisation’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the militarisation of security in Mexico and its implications for civil society with Sofía de Robina, a lawyer with Centro de Derechos Humanos Miguel Agustín pro Juárez-Centro Prodh.
Featured

LESOTHO: ‘We must work hand in hand to promote democracy and hold our leaders accountable’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the 7 October election in Lesotho with Libakiso Matlho, executive director of Women and Law in Southern Africa Research and Education Trust-Lesotho (WLSA).
Featured

ITALY: ‘We anticipate hostility towards civil society working on human rights’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the recent Italian election with Oiza Q Obasuyi from the Italian Coalition for Civil Liberties and Rights (CILD).

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