Opinions & Features

Does greater accountability mean greater resilience? Findings from our research so far

Opinions & Features
By Kingsley Orievulu and Jack Cornforth When ActionAid Uganda faced attacks from the government for their work, including freezing the organisation’s bank account, unrelenting support from local partners and credible local leadership ensured massive popular support during the ensuing legal battle (and eventual victory) against the government.
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Asia home to largest number of indigenous peoples: Activists building a movement in face of attacks

Opinions & Features
By Josef Benedict, Civic Space Research Officer The 9th of August, marks International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples.
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G20: Why civil society should be at the table

Opinions & Features
Spanish by Inés M.

We need new ways to protect people in the digital era

Opinions & Features
By Danny Sriskandarajah In an age of ever-advancing, ever-encroaching technology, how do we ensure that our basic rights are protected? New technologies and the speed of progress these days may have many positive impacts on our lives but the fact that they are poorly regulated and hardly understood by the public, poses serious threats.

Partnerships for sustainability

Opinions & Features
By Siok Sian Pek-Dorji, from Bhutan Centre for Media and Democracy and CIVICUS member delegate to the EC Partnership Forum 2018.

Have your say: Feedback channels to hold us to account

Opinions & Features
By Tamryn Lee Fourie CIVICUS exists to defend people power.
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Unanswered Questions: How Civil Society’s Contributions to Sustainable Development are Undermined at the HLPF

Opinions & Features
By Lyndal Rowlands, CIVICUS UN Advocacy Officer  As Colombia joined 45 other countries in New York last month to review progress towards achieving the 2030 Agenda, four grassroots activists were killed as they fought for sustainable development in Colombian communities.

Local NGOs joining the “Giants”’ Table

Opinions & Features
By Lusanda Magwape, from Dream Factory Foundation, South Africa, and CIVICUS delegation’s member at the EC Partnership Forum 2018.

After elections, hard work starts for Zimbabwe’s civil society

Opinions & Features
By Teldah Mawarire, CIVICUS Campaigns and Advocacy Officer For many Zimbabwean voters, casting their ballots on July 30 is sure to be a somewhat surreal experience.

Desde Perú a Bélgica, juntos somos más Fuertes

Opinions & Features
English  Por Jorge Vallejo, de la Red Latinoamericana de Jóvenes por la Democracia, Peru, y miembro de la delegación de CIVICUS al foro de asociación de la CE 2018.

Can Zim exiles finally return home?

Opinions & Features
By Teldah Mawarire, Advocacy and Campaigns Coordinator  I know many Zimbabweans in the diaspora.

The Echo of

Opinions & Features
By Ekaterina Porras Sivolobova, from Project 189, Kuwait and CIVICUS member delegate to the EC Partnership Forum 2018.

Digitaalinen turvallisuus kuuluu kaikille

Opinions & Features
English Auli Starck, Kepa, Suomi, CIVICUS-jäsenjärjestö GDPR-viestit, uutiset Facebookin tietoturvaongelmista ja sähköpostin tietojenkalasteluviesteiltä.
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Should not meeting the Sustainable Development Goals get you fired?

Opinions & Features
By Danny Sriskandarajah The problem with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), was that no one ever lost their job for failing to meet an MDG target.
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10 Young Activists using Art to Create Change

Opinions & Features
Politics and art have always been deeply connected.

Why the Human Rights Council matters to grassroots activists

Opinions & Features
Ten good reasons for the #US to leave the UN Human Rights Council.

Opening up to Local Fundraising

Opinions & Features
By Mr.
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Mexico’s elections: The battle at the ballot box, the easiest one ahead

Opinions & Features
By Inés Pousadela  In a study released earlier this month, researchers from El Colegio de México (Colmex) were emphatic about what they found to be the biggest challenge facing Mexico, as voters prepared to go to the polls on July 1.
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Tanzania’s Illiberal Tilt

Opinions & Features
By Teldah Mawarire  Immediately after his 2015 election, Tanzanian President John Magufuli appeared poised to lead one of Africa’s most stable democracies to a bright future.
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Corruption in Zambia: 42 fire trucks for $42m

Opinions & Features
By Teldah Mawarire and Laura Miti The African Union (AU) will host a heads of state summit in Mauritania on June 25, under the theme Winning the Fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa's Transformation.

A Platform for Africanism, Identity and Action

Opinions & Features
By Rawand Boussama, Afrika Youth Movement The day I arrived to Ghana, I had the opportunity to network with people from Greece, Sudan and Nigeria.

European Youth Event 2018: from reflection to action

Opinions & Features
By Elena Ceban, Center for Intercultural Dialogue Imagine a space where over 8000 young people would come together to discuss, debate, share their opinions on political, social and cultural issues and have a dialogue with policy makers on how the life of young people can be improved.

Reflections on resource mobilisation realities for youth movements and organisations

Opinions & Features
By Alex Farrow Youth movements and organisations are always at the forefront of campaigning for human rights and social change.

5 CIVICUS members to attend the European Commission’s partnership forum

Opinions & Features
Some months ago, a call was sent to CIVICUS members inviting them to apply to attend the European Commission’s partnership forum to be held on 25th and 26th June 2018.

Appetite, Buzzwords, and Capacity Gaps

Opinions & Features
What the Resilient Roots accountability pilot project application process has taught us so far By Jack Cornforth The Resilient Roots initiative recently launched two open calls to find pilot projects around the world which will test the hypothesis that organisations that are more accountable and responsive to their roots - namely, their primary constituencies - are more resilient against external threats.
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Incertidumbre en Colombia: La paz en tiempos de elecciones

Opinions & Features
Por Inés Pousadela  Lo que en cualquier democracia “normal” sería considerado un dato rutinario devino recientemente en Colombia un hecho de significación histórica: las elecciones legislativas de marzo de este año, en las cuales las ex guerrillas FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia) debutaron como partido político, se desarrollaron sin incidentes graves.

Solidarity? From mutual support to working as a collective

Opinions & Features
By Marina Cherbonnier, CIVICUS membership engagement specialist CIVICUS Board and Staff annual meetings were held recently.

The Coming Wave of Climate Displacement

Opinions & Features
By Kumi Naidoo Not since 1951 has the international community produced a treaty to protect the legal status of the world's refugees.

Civic Space Restrictions in Africa

Opinions & Features
By David Kode Across Africa, major advances in democracy have been affected by restrictions on civic space and on the activities of civil society organisations (CSOs), the media and individual activists.

China’s growing power is a new challenge for civil society

Opinions & Features
By Andrew Firmin  In one of the world’s most powerful countries, merely wanting to speak your own language can be risky.

A young rural woman activist at CSW62

Opinions & Features
By Nadia Sanchez, She Is Foundation.

Agenda 2063: Youth taking charge of Africa's transformation

Opinions & Features
By Esther Kariuki Every active citizen would by now have heard of "Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development" or, simply, the SDGs.
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Police reforms must go beyond IPCMC

Opinions & Features
By Josef Benedict The change of government on May 9 has offered a real opportunity for Malaysians to fix the gaps and problems that currently plague the various state institutions in the country.
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Burundians kept in the dark ahead of controversial referendum

Opinions & Features
By David Kode  Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza has intensified his brutal campaign to stay in power by stifling international news reporting of his government’s repressive actions, events ahead of his controversial referendum to extend presidential term limits.
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Reclaiming civic space: global challenges, local responses

Opinions & Features
By Danny Sriskandarajah and Mandeep Tiwana  From attacks on human rights defenders to limits on civil society’s work, we are facing an emergency on civic space.
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Why community philanthropy enables people-powered, sustainable development from the ground up

Opinions & Features
By Clara Bosco Across the board, civil society groups are finding it increasingly difficult to organize in ways that pursue a radical transformation of the current social and economic structures, while also mobilizing the resources needed to keep on keeping on.
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2018 points to a new wave of citizen activism

Opinions & Features
By Ines Pousadela When looking back at 2017, it is hard to lose sight of the fact that restrictions on fundamental freedoms were imposed at an ever-growing pace, even in countries that believed themselves to be immune to authoritarian temptations.
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Steady old hand of repression seeks to strangle new media in East Africa

Opinions & Features
By Teldah Mawarire and Grant Clark  In African countries where journalists are targeted with killings and beatings while traditional news outlets have been muzzled by governments and other actors unhappy with criticism, bloggers and social media users have become the new independent media by providing much-needed coverage, commentary and analysis.

Report: The Fight Back Against Rising Repression in On

Opinions & Features
By Andrew Firmin  In the face of rising restrictions and brazen attacks on fundamental freedoms, citizens across the globe are responding with resolute resistance, in creative, and powerful ways.
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As global tensions rise, the UN stands on the sidelines

Opinions & Features
By  Mandeep Tiwana It’s tempting to lay the blame for unresolved conflicts at the UN’s door but the reality is that the UN can only deliver when it has the support of member states and the buy-in of citizens.
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Human rights at risk for ASEAN citizens

Opinions & Features
By Ichal Supriadi (Asia Democracy Network) and Josef Benedict (CIVICUS) As the 10 heads of state from ASEAN gather for the group’s latest summit in Singapore this week to discuss security, trade, and tensions in the South China Sea, the state of human rights and democracy in the region will once again be sidelined.
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Why we need a digital Geneva Convention

Opinions & Features
By Danny Sriskandarajah As Western governments look for ways to punish Russia for its brazen attacks abroad, one idea that has been getting a lot of media attention is the possibility of state-sponsored cyberattacks on Russia.
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The Commonwealth's 2.4 billion citizens — what are their rights?

Opinions & Features
By Cathal Gilbert and Trinanjan Radhakrishnan There has been a lot of talk of shared values ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), due to be held in London from 16th to 20th April.
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Civil Society, Resolute Resistance and Renewed Purpose

Opinions & Features
By Mandeep Tiwana Each year, CIVICUS publishes the State of Civil Society Report, which chronicles major global developments and key trends impacting civil society.
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International NGOs should ensure women are at the centre of daily operations

Opinions & Features
By Mouna Ben Garga (CIVICUS) and Ngozi Izuora (Innovation for Change- Hub Afrique) Many states are known for their strategy to exploit women’s rights for political purposes.
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The aid sector must enforce standards, rebuild trust to survive abuse scandals

Opinions & Features
By Anabel Cruz, Chair of the Board of CIVICUS Critics are using the recent scandals to delegitimise aid and humanitarian efforts.

Decisive leadership needed from SADC to address DRC crisis

Opinions & Features
By David Kode The announcement of a date for general elections in a country roiled in political conflict and ruled by an unpopular leader should be regarded as a positive move.
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Russia’s presidential election: a decline in citizen rights

Opinions & Features
By Natalia Taubina and Bobbie Jo Traut The re-election of Vladimir Putin has been preceded by a significant crackdown on freedom of assembly and rule of law.
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“Walk in My Shoes”: Change starts with us!

Opinions & Features
By Patrick Newton Bondo Chief Executive Officer/ Social Justice Activist/ Main NGOs Representative To United Nations Every day we are inspired by the stories our girls, youth, women and young families share with us.
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Citizen rights and the upcoming presidential elections in Africa

Opinions & Features
By David Kode It is a big year for democracy on the African continent.

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