The analysis presented here draws from our ongoing analysis initiative launched in January 2022, CIVICUS Lens, and is directly informed by the voices of civil society affected by and responding to the major issues and challenges of the day. It offers a civil society perspective of the world as it stands in early 2023: one plagued by conflict and crises, including of democratic values and institutions, but in which civil society continues to strive to make a crucial difference in people’s lives.