Opinions & Features

How resilient are our pilot partners to civic space threats?

Opinions & Features
  By Soulayma Mardam Bey and Jack Cornforth, CIVICUS In recent years, “Resilience” has made its way into international development’s buzzword bingo board.
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UN Declaration defends peasant farmers, but will it help stop attacks and human rights abuses?

Opinions & Features
By Natalia Gomez Peña, CIVICUS Advocacy & Engagement Officer This article is has been produced in partnership with CIVICUS in the context of the International Civil Society Week conference 2019, held this year in Belgrade, Serbia.
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Human Rights Defenders Need to be Defended as Much as they Defend our Rights

Opinions & Features
By Micahel Frost, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, and a speaker at the International Civil Society Week, 8-12 April 2019, in Belgrade, Serbia This article is part of a series on the current state of civil society organisations (CSOs), which will be the focus of International Civil Society Week (ICSW)  They are ordinary people – mothers, fathers, sisters, sons, daughters, brothers, friends.
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Grassroots Organising Points the way in Fight Against Rising Repression

Opinions & Features
By Lysa John, CIVICUS Secretary General This article is part of a series on the current state of civil society organisations (CSOs), which will be the focus of International Civil Society Week (ICSW), scheduled to take place in Belgrade, April 8-12.

The quest for resilience

Opinions & Features
By  Patricia Deniz, Senior Research and Development Officer CIVICUS  Civil society, more than ever, is in dire need to reinvent itself, at least figure out how to be flexible, adaptable and resurgent in an ever-changing, uncertain and increasingly restrictive environment.
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Egypt hosting the African Commission to cover human rights abuses?

Opinions & Features
By David Kode, CIVICUS Advocacy and Campaigns Lead  The timing could not have been more perfect for Egyptian President Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi.

"Stubbornly optimistic": Reflections from Lysa John, CIVICUS SG

Opinions & Features
FRANÇAIS It has been a little over 60 days since I took on my new role with CIVICUS and the question I get asked most frequently is: How does it feel to be SG? Fortunately, this query has an easy answer! It involves being reminded on a daily basis of the need to celebrate and reinforce efforts taken to defend and strengthen rights-based values and freedoms by individuals and organisations worldwide.

“La inclusión es una ilusión”

Opinions & Features
English | French  Ochoa Ayala, Fundación 11:11, México ¿A quién no le gusta sentir que pertenece a un lugar, comunidad, espacio, algo? El sentido de pertenencia tiene que ver con la identidad que cada individuo va desarrollando a lo largo de su vida, da una muestra de quienes somos; por ejemplo yo, soy una mujer, joven, mexicana, activista, soñadora etc.

Decluttering Diversity and Inclusion

Opinions & Features
French | Spanish By Jose Maria “Lloyd” Nunag, Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights and CIVICUS member from the Philippines ‘What does Diversity and Inclusion means to you?’ This is a question I have been pondering (and decluttering) in the last few years and even until now.

CIVICUS GLE Testimonial: Building communities for inclusive action

Opinions & Features
French | Spanish by Vandita Morarka, One Future Collective, India I was a participant at the Global Learning Exchange and the ensuing AGM held by CIVICUS in Montevideo, Uruguay, 16th December, 2018, onwards, representing One Future Collective.
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Human Rights, Participation and the 2030 Agenda

Opinions & Features
By Mandeep Tiwana, CIVICUS Chief Programmes Officer  This January, the UN organised a much-needed dialogue in Geneva on the link between human rights and Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development.
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Civil society accountability in times of declining trust: CIVICUS’s journey

Opinions & Features
By Merle Rutz CIVICUS Impact and Accountability Coordinator & Tamryn-Lee Fourie Impact and Accountability Lead (article on page 76) Under attack about their legitimacy and accountability, CSOs defending citizens’ rights have to maintain credibility among their constituency and the wider public.
Credit: Projet Jeune Leader

Remise en question des structures verticales de prise de décisions dans le secteur des Organisations de la Société Civile (OSCs) à travers l'amélioration des pratiques de redevabilité

Opinions & Features
Par Gaetan Mertens (Accountability Lab) et Resilient Roots (CIVICUS) Resilient Roots est une initiative de CIVICUS, menée en partenariat avec Keystone Accountability et Accountable Now.

Sketching Dreams Together

Opinions & Features
Reflections From CIVICUS’ Youth Co-Design Workshop In Montevideo By Gioel Gioacchino In December, as part of my work researching the resourcing landscape for youth-led civil society, I had the chance to witness and participate in a youth co-design workshop in Montevideo.
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Right-Wing nationalism threatens democratic norms, human rights & press freedom

Opinions & Features
By Thalif Deen, Director & Senior Editor, UN Bureau, Inter Press Service interview  with Lysa John, CIVICUS Secretary General  The steady decline in multilateralism—accompanied by a rise in unilateralism– is beginning to threaten democratic norms, including press freedom, global governance, civic participation and human rights across Asia, Africa, South America and the Middle East.

Inspired and Challenged: Message from Lysa John, CIVICUS SG

Opinions & Features
French  As I write this, I am heading into my second week as Secretary-General of CIVICUS – and each day has been an opportunity to understand a new dimension of this global alliance.
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We need to reimagine democracy to create a better life for all

Opinions & Features
By Mandeep Tiwana, CIVICUS Chief Programmes Officer As 2019 gets going, it’s a time for many of us to reflect on the year past, consider our current situation and to contemplate resolutions for change in the future.
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Do referendums improve democracy?

Opinions & Features
By Inés M.

CIVICUS’ AGM comes to a close with an approved Annual Report and Solidarity Fund!

Opinions & Features
Spanish | French  In December 2018, CIVICUS members from all over the world gather in Montevideo, Uruguay, to attend a multiplicity of convenings.

Going forward hopeful: Reflections and farewell from outgoing SG of CIVICUS

Opinions & Features
Spanish | French  As my time at CIVICUS draws to a close, I wanted to say a proper farewell to those who matter most at CIVICUS – the alliance of members and partners - who make this organisation unique and so special.
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Harassment and persecution of the voices that denounce the repression in Nicaragua

Opinions & Features
By Natalia Gomez Peña is Advocacy & Engagement Officer at CIVICUS On Wednesday, December 12, the National Assembly of Nicaragua voted to cancel the legal personality of the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (CENIDH).

Climate change as a matter of peace

Opinions & Features
By Flávia Bellaguarda, Co-Founder and COO, Youth Climate Leaders The Youth Climate Leaders (YCL) was honored to be selected to attend the first edition of the Paris Peace Forum, from 11th to 13th November, and to showcase our startup in the environmental village among other 119 projects from all over the world.

Civil society is blurring? Let’s remember our whys and get creative!

Opinions & Features
Reflection from “Money, Culture and Change” - a participatory action research process on the sustainability of youth-led civil society organisations (CSOs) in Medellin, Colombia.
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The restriction of basic freedoms has become the global norm

Opinions & Features
By Cathal Gilbert, CIVICUS Head of Civic Space Research Imagine inviting your ten closest friends to dinner but only four of them show up.

Disability inclusion benefits us all

Opinions & Features
by Lieke Scheewe, policy advisor & coordinator at DCDD Today is World Disability Day – a great day to celebrate the value of human diversity! That’s why the Dutch Coalition on Disability and Development (DCDD) is making a case today for the value of a disability inclusive society, by launching a ‘social business case’.

What if ‘bottom-up’ wasn’t the answer?

Opinions & Features
By Marina Cherbonnier, CIVICUS membership engagement specialist As I was walking around the stands, agoras and meet-ups of the very interactive and lively first edition of the Paris Peace Forum, I couldn’t help but keep stumbling across the by-now well-known expression ‘bottom-up approach’, used as a way to build a fair and better world.
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Renewing democracy: proposals and ideas from civil society

Opinions & Features
By Mandeep Tiwana, CIVICUS Chief Programmes Officer  If we could reimagine the kind of democracy we live in and the way we experience democracy, what would it look and be like? This was the question our global civil society alliance CIVICUS put to thought leaders and activists from nearly 80 countries across the globe, in a year-long Reimagining Democracy initiative.
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Turning data-driven accountability into meaningful action for civil society

Opinions & Features
By Merle Rutz, CIVICUS Accountability and Impact Coordinator Are we representing and amplifying the right voices? Are our programmes and campaigns geographically inclusive? How can we support our vision with actual data in order to make good strategic decisions? These are some of the pressing questions we in civil society today are having to ask – and answer.
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Climate of repression a dark cloud over upcoming elections in Fiji

Opinions & Features
By Josef Benedict, Civic Space Research Officer,CIVICUS   Powdery white beaches.

Thinking about how to measure your organisation’s accountability?

Opinions & Features
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Latin America | The Escazú Agreement: a light of hope for those standing up for the environment

Opinions & Features
By Natalia Gomez Peña, Advocacy & Network Engagement Officer, CIVICUS In Latin America, environmental activists risk their lives as a consequence of the vital work they do.

Global Citizenship Education as a Sustainable Development course: My first class

Opinions & Features
By Claudia Cassoma, writer, student in special education and teaching and CIVICUS member Considering Sustainable Development as the program of study, the major, perhaps the end goal; let's look at Global Citizenship Education as the required course and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as the elective ones.

My Participation in the Bridge 47 Event and its Impact on our Education Program in Palestine

Opinions & Features
By Jamil Derbashi, from Palestinian Centre for Communication and Development Strategies (PCCDS), Palestine, and CIVICUS member How the Bridge 47 project relates to our work in Palestine My participation in the Bridge 47 Event in Brussels was one of my most important international meeting involvement in 2018.
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African Union Makes Moves to Neutralise Africa’s Main Human Rights Body

Opinions & Features
By David Kode, CIVICUS Advocacy and Campaigns lead For many African activists based on the continent, getting to a major human rights summit just underway in The Gambia is likely to have been a challenging exercise.

Pakistan: “Global Citizenship”, a western perspective?

Opinions & Features
By Khurram Riaz, CIVICUS member from Pakistan With 207.
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5 Ways New Movement Leaders Are Effecting Change

Opinions & Features
By Michael Silberman, Global Director of Mobilisation Lab, a network that equips social change-makers and their organisations to deliver more effective, people-powered campaigns in order to win in the digital age.

What constituents say about CIVICUS

Opinions & Features
By Marina Cherbonnier, CIVICUS Membership Engagement Specialist Spanish | French Early 2018, we asked CIVICUS constituents to tell us about how they perceive CIVICUS’ work - what’s successful and what can be improved.
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Moving beyond resistance

Opinions & Features
By Danny Sriskandarajah  Just a few years ago, it felt like the dawn of a new era of citizen participation.
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Agenda 2030 marred by MDG mindsets on steroids

Opinions & Features
By Mandeep Tiwana, CIVICUS' Chief Programmes Officer Business as usual is bad news for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, arguably the greatest human endeavour ever attempted to create just, equal and sustainable societies.

What “Global Citizenship” means to you - if anything

Opinions & Features
Marina Cherbonnier, CIVICUS membership engagement specialist and Bridge 47 steering group member.
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“Listen to us and let us have a direct say,” say citizens worldwide

Opinions & Features
By Andrew Firmin, CIVICUS' Editor-in-Chief A group of women fighting back against sexual harassment in Trinidad and Tobago.
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Are women the last line of defence against Brazil’s authoritarian shift?

Opinions & Features
By Ana Cernov, human rights activist and Inés Pousadela, Senior Research Specialist at CIVICUS In a matter of days, 2.
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Cameroon elections promise more trouble, not solutions for Anglophones

Opinions & Features
By Teldah Mawarire, Campaigns and Advocacy Officer and Ine van Severen, Civic Space Research Officer For nations in crisis, free and fair elections usually can bring much-needed reprieve.
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Treaty pushes for environmental justice in Latin America and the Caribbean

Opinions & Features
By Danny Sriskandarajah, CIVICUS Secretary General Despite closing space for civil society, the new Escazú Agreement—which offers protection measures for environmental groups and defenders—is a shining example of citizens organizing in creative ways to fight for social justice.
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Can SA uphold its reputation for human rights on the UN Security Council?

Opinions & Features
By Masana Ndinga-Kanga, Crisis Response Fund Coordinator and Advocacy Officer for the Middle East/North Africa region and Lyndal Rowlands, CIVICUS UN Advocacy Officer.

Resilience in times of shrinking civic space: How Resilient Roots organisations are attempting to strengthen their roots through primary constituent accountability

Opinions & Features
Soulayma Mardam Bey (CIVICUS) and Isabelle Büchner (Accountable Now) The systematic crackdown on peaceful protests and demonstrations across the world has shaped our understanding of repression against civil society organisations (CSOs).

Ganar espacio desde la raíz

Opinions & Features
Escrito por Analía Bettoni – Instituto de Comunicación y Desarrollo En su reciente artículo The revolution will not be televised: Can NGOs learn to adapt? , Dom Perera, investigador del CIVICUS Monitor plantea que si bien en los últimos 25 años ha habido un crecimiento explosivo en el número de organizaciones no gubernamentales (ONG), su papel en generar un cambio social se cuestiona.
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Our heritage is a successful civil society

Opinions & Features
By William Gumede, Executive Chairperson of Democracy Works Foundation The publication of this piece was facilitated by CIVICUS as part of our 25th anniversary celebrations As we celebrate our diverse cultures during Heritage Month, worth celebrating too is a civil society culture that has not only promoted cultural diversity but is also itself diverse, with a hard-won heritage of tirelessly fighting for the rights of the people in this country.

Every Voice Counts: UN Puts Spotlight on Children as Human Rights Defenders

Opinions & Features
By Lena Ingelstam and Ulrika Cilliers, Save the Children, Tor Hodenfield, CIVICUS, and Beatrice Schulter, Child Rights Connect Many children want to defend their rights and the rights of others and when children speak out things change.
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Alarm bells ring as EU governments take aim at funding to ‘Political’ NGOs

Opinions & Features
By Cathal Gilbert, Civic Space Research Lead at CIVICUS and Giada Negri, Research and Advocacy Officer with the European Civic Forum Increasingly, public figures across Europe are twisting the meaning of “political activity” by claiming that NGOs overstep the mark when they campaign publicly for social or policy change: that they somehow encroach on territory reserved exclusively for political parties.

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