membership

• Building Collective Action: Lessons from our Membership Engagement Month

  A message from Lysa John, Secretary-General of CIVICUS   

  Dear CIVICUS members and allies,   

  Across 10 November to 10 December last year, we coordinated a series of events to mark our very first ‘Membership Engagement Month’. This four-week, annually recurring initiative is part of the commitment we have made to create more opportunities for Board, staff, members and allies to review and discuss lessons and outcomes relevant to our strategic plan for 2022-27.  

  The aim of CIVICUS Membership Month is to facilitate collective learning across the alliance with the aim of catalysing innovation and action to expand civic and democratic freedoms. In 2022, specific objectives for the engagement were to facilitate proactive engagement between the CIVICUS Board and across members, provide space to query our strategy and increase visibility of and engagement with alliance-wide objectives and initiatives. As part of this effort, we aimed to test virtual and hybrid convening formats to foster connections; socialize collaborative and institutional initiatives across the alliance and create spaces for collective learning around models for activism and change. Events and exchanges were coordinated through CIVICUS’ online community, which was launched in 2021 and enables secure, real-time, peer-to-peer interactions across a verified group of members. 

  

  A ‘Digital Fair for Collective Action’ was the highlight of our online activities during the Membership Engagement Month. 700 CIVICUS members registered for this event, which was designed to enable visit to and focused conversations around 11 virtual booths hosted by a range of networks, including Innovation for Change, Connect Humanity, End Water Poverty, Fair Share for Women Leaders, KujaLink and Peace Direct. Fourteen CIVICUS members also showcased initiatives linked to ‘16 Days of Activism to end Gender based Violence’ during this period.  

  The virtual fair format was appreciated for providing a creative way to connect with human rights defenders worldwide and facilitate insightful conversations. On the downside, participants expressed challenges with internet connectivity and the learning curve required to navigate the tech-based platform. Overall, we are excited and encouraged by our first experience with the CIVICUS Digital Fair and look forward to expanding this initiative during its second iteration across 10 Nov to 10 Dec 2023. The launch of a series of online learning experiences was another highlight of the Membership Engagement Month. Over 1400 members registered for the two programs announced in this period, which were ‘Building Blocks for Organising’ and ‘Community Accountability Accelerator’ trainings. A third training program on digital security will be launched in early 2023.  

  

  Last but not the least, over 200 CIVICUS members also took part in the ‘AGM’ (Annual General Body Meeting) which was coordinated through two sessions held across 30 November 2022. The AGM provides a platform for members to engage directly with the Board and Secretariat on progress made against CIVICUS’ strategic plan. In the meetings held on 30 November, representatives of the Board and Senior Leadership Team presented key aspects of CIVICUS’ annual report and financial statements for 2021/22, following which voting members were invited to confirm the adoption of the annual report. We encourage all our members to look out for this engagement opportunity in November 2023. Your active engagement with this key governance moment will help strengthen our strategic progress and relevance! 

  If you haven’t already, please take a look at our annual report for 2021/22 here, and stay tuned to announcements from our Online Community to get involved with upcoming engagements aimed at strengthening governance accountability, strategic coherence and collective action!  

  In solidarity, 

  Lysa John 

• Construir la acción colectiva: Lecciones del Mes de participación de la membresía

  Mensaje de Lysa John, secretaria general de CIVICUS    

  Estimados miembros y aliados de CIVICUS,    

  Del 10 de noviembre al 10 de diciembre del año pasado, coordinamos una serie de eventos para celebrar nuestro primer "Mes de participación de la membresía". Esta iniciativa de cuatro semanas, que se repite anualmente, forma parte del compromiso que hemos asumido de crear más oportunidades para que la Junta, el personal, la membresía y los aliados revisen y discutan las conclusiones y los resultados relevantes para nuestro plan estratégico para 2022-27.   

  El objetivo del Mes de la membresía de CIVICUS es fomentar el aprendizaje colectivo en toda la alianza con el fin de catalizar la innovación y la acción para ampliar las libertades cívicas y democráticas. En 2022, los objetivos específicos de este compromiso consistían en facilitar un diálogo proactivo entre la Junta de CIVICUS y la membresía, proporcionando un espacio para hacer consultas sobre nuestra estrategia y aumentando la visibilidad y el compromiso con los objetivos e iniciativas de toda la alianza. Como parte de este esfuerzo, nos propusimos probar formatos de convocatoria virtuales e híbridos para fomentar las conexiones; socializar iniciativas colaborativas e institucionales en toda la alianza y crear espacios para el aprendizaje colectivo en torno a modelos de activismo y transformación. Los eventos y los intercambios se coordinaron a través de la comunidad en línea de CIVICUS, que se puso en marcha en 2021 y permite interacciones seguras, en tiempo real y entre pares a través de un grupo verificado de miembros.

  

  Lo más destacado de las distintas actividades realizadas en línea durante el Mes de participación de la membresía fue la "Feria digital para la acción colectiva". 700 miembros de CIVICUS se inscribieron en este evento, que fue diseñado para que pudieran visitar y mantener conversaciones en torno a 11 stands virtuales organizados por diversas redes, entre ellas Innovación para el Cambio, Connect Humanity, End Water Poverty, Fair Share for Women Leaders, KujaLink y Peace Direct. Catorce miembros de CIVICUS presentaron también iniciativas relacionadas con los "16 días de activismo para poner fin a la violencia de género". 

  El formato de feria virtual fue valorado positivamente por ofrecer una forma creativa de conectar con las personas defensoras de los derechos humanos de todo el mundo y facilitar conversaciones enriquecedoras. Por otro lado, los participantes expresaron sus dificultades con la conexión a Internet y la curva de aprendizaje necesaria para navegar por la plataforma tecnológica. En conjunto, consideramos que esta primera experiencia con la Feria digital de CIVICUS fue satisfactoria y esperamos volver a llevarla a cabo en su segunda edición, del 10 de noviembre al 10 de diciembre de 2023. Otro punto destacado del Mes de participación de la membresía fue el lanzamiento de una serie de experiencias de aprendizaje en línea. Más de 1400 miembros se inscribieron en los dos programas anunciados en este periodo, que fueron "Building Blocks for Organising" y "Accountability Accelerator". A principios de 2023 se pondrá en marcha un tercer programa de formación sobre seguridad digital.

  

  Por último, pero no menos importante, más de 200 miembros de CIVICUS también participaron en la "AGM" (“Asamblea general anual de miembros de CIVICUS”) que se celebró en dos sesiones durante el 30 de noviembre de 2022. La AGM ofrece una plataforma para que la membresía participe directamente con la Junta directiva y el Secretariado sobre los progresos realizados en relación con el plan estratégico de CIVICUS. En las reuniones celebradas el 30 de noviembre, representantes de la Junta y del Equipo de Liderazgo Senior presentaron los principales elementos del informe anual y del estado financiero de CIVICUS para 2021/22, tras lo cual se invitó a los miembros con derecho a voto a que confirmaran la aprobación del informe anual. Invitamos a nuestra membresía a aprovechar esta oportunidad de participación en noviembre de 2023. La participación activa en este momento decisivo de la gobernanza contribuirá a reforzar el avance de nuestra estrategia y su pertinencia. 

  Si aún no lo has hecho, consulta nuestro informe anual para 2021/22 aquí, y no te pierdas los anuncios de nuestra comunidad en línea para participar en los próximos encuentros destinados a reforzar la rendición de cuentas en materia de gobernanza, la coherencia estratégica y la acción colectiva.   

  En solidaridad,  

  Lysa John 

• Construire une action collective : les leçons du Mois de l'engagement des membres

  Message de Lysa John, secrétaire générale de CIVICUS    

  Chers membres et alliés de CIVICUS,    

  Du 10 novembre au 10 décembre de l'année dernière, nous avons coordonné une série d'événements pour célébrer notre premier " mois de l'engagement des membres ". Cette initiative de quatre semaines, répétée chaque année, s'inscrit dans le cadre de notre engagement à créer davantage d'opportunités pour le Conseil d'administration, le personnel, les membres et les partenaires d'examiner et de discuter des conclusions et des résultats pertinents pour notre plan stratégique pour 2022-27.   

  L'objectif du mois des membres de CIVICUS est de favoriser l'apprentissage collectif à travers l'alliance afin de catalyser l'innovation et l'action pour étendre les libertés civiques et démocratiques. En 2022, les objectifs spécifiques de cet engagement étaient de faciliter un dialogue proactif entre le conseil d'administration de CIVICUS et les membres, en fournissant un espace de consultation sur notre stratégie et en augmentant la visibilité et l'engagement avec les objectifs et les initiatives de l'alliance. Dans le cadre de cet effort, nous avons entrepris de tester des formats de réunion virtuels et hybrides pour favoriser les connexions, socialiser les initiatives collaboratives et institutionnelles à travers l'alliance, et créer des espaces d'apprentissage collectif autour de modèles d'activisme et de transformation. Les événements et les échanges ont été coordonnés par la communauté en ligne CIVICUS, qui a été lancée en 2021 et permet des interactions sécurisées, en temps réel, de pair à pair à travers un groupe de membres vérifiés. 

  

   Le point culminant des diverses activités en ligne pendant le mois de l'engagement des membres a été la " Foire numérique pour l'action collective ". 700 membres CIVICUS se sont inscrits à cet événement, conçu pour leur permettre de visiter et de discuter autour de 11 stands virtuels organisés par différents réseaux, dont Innovation pour le changement, Connect Humanity, End Water Poverty, Fair Share for Women Leaders, KujaLink et Peace Direct. Quatorze membres de CIVICUS ont également présenté des initiatives liées aux "16 jours d'activisme pour mettre fin à la violence basée sur le genre". 

  Le format de la foire virtuelle a été apprécié comme un moyen créatif d'entrer en contact avec des défenseurs des droits humains du monde entier et de faciliter des conversations enrichissantes. D'autre part, les participants ont exprimé des difficultés avec la connexion internet et la courbe d'apprentissage nécessaire pour naviguer sur la plateforme technologique. Dans l'ensemble, nous avons trouvé cette première expérience avec la Foire numérique CIVICUS satisfaisante et nous espérons la renouveler lors de sa deuxième édition, du 10 novembre au 10 décembre 2023. Un autre point fort du mois de l'engagement des membres a été le lancement d'une série d'expériences d'apprentissage en ligne. Plus de 1400 membres se sont inscrits aux deux programmes annoncés au cours de cette période, à savoir "Building Blocks for Organising" et "Accountability Accelerator". Un troisième programme de formation sur la sécurité numérique sera lancé au début de 2023.   

  

  Enfin, plus de 200 membres de CIVICUS ont également participé à l'AGM ("Assemblée générale annuelle des membres de CIVICUS") qui s'est tenue en deux sessions le 30 novembre 2022. L'AGM fournit une plateforme permettant aux membres de s'engager directement avec le Conseil d'administration et le Secrétariat sur les progrès réalisés par rapport au plan stratégique de CIVICUS. Lors des réunions du 30 novembre, les représentants du Conseil d'administration et de l'équipe dirigeante ont présenté les principaux éléments du rapport annuel et de l'état financier de CIVICUS pour 2021/22, après quoi les membres votants ont été invités à confirmer l'approbation du rapport annuel. Nous invitons nos membres à profiter de cette occasion pour participer à Novembre 2023. Une participation active à ce moment critique de la gouvernance permettra de renforcer l'avancement de notre stratégie et sa pertinence. 

  Si vous ne l'avez pas encore fait, consultez notre rapport annuel pour 2021/22 ici, et restez à l'écoute des annonces de notre communauté en ligne pour participer aux prochaines réunions visant à renforcer la redevabilité de la gouvernance, la cohérence stratégique et l'action collective.   

  En toute solidarité, 

  Lysa John 

• Have your say: Feedback channels to hold us to account

  By Tamryn Lee Fourie

  CIVICUS exists to defend people power. With a growing alliance of over 4000 members in 175 countries, we believe that together we are stronger. But, as an alliance, we need EVERYONE (our members, constituents, donors, wider civil society, general public) to tell us how the CIVICUS Secretariat is doing and to hold us to account on how strategies and approaches are implemented. A new and easy way to do this is through the online feedback and complaints form, launched in July 2018. Putting people at the centre of our work, enabling more iterative and participatory programming and allowing faster responses when changes in direction are required – this is what CIVICUS’ new Accountability Framework aims to establish, with your help.

  Accountability, shifting the power

  As part of our mission to strengthen civil society and mobilise citizens to fight for a more just, inclusive and sustainable world, the CIVICUS Secretariat continuously ask ourselves the question - what tools and strategies will help us to achieve the change necessary to achieve this mission? More specifically from an Impact and Accountability perspective, what data and accountability strategies, assets or tools can help us shift this power?

  Through our accountability strategy and data approaches, we strive to see the diversity of those we work with reflected in our data sources (survey respondents, interviews, focus group participants etc.) and provide opportunities for our constituents to capture data on issues that are most relevant to them. We want to develop inclusive processes that not only take into account but shine a light on underlying power inequalities when it comes to sourcing data. We also want the data analysis and outputs, to be consumable, user-friendly and relevant to individual citizens and local decision makers to dialogue and make informed decisions together.

• What “Global Citizenship” means to you - if anything

  

  Marina Cherbonnier, CIVICUS membership engagement specialist and Bridge 47 steering group member.

  Do you consider yourself as a citizen of the world? Alternatively, do you feel uncomfortable, threatened or simply blank when hearing the term “global citizenship”? It fascinates me that the concept is crystal clear to some but does not resonate at all with others. It largely depends on the experience and exposure we have of the world - but not only.

  In the highly conceptual world that “International Development” evolves in, there is a project called Bridge 47. It works towards providing “global citizenship education” for all as a means towards building a world that is fair and resilient. The name “Bridge 47” resonates with the “SDG 4.7” framework: the 4^th Sustainable Development Goal on Education for All, of which item 7 focuses on global citizenship education.

  Learning to be a citizen of the world, in brief, is to grow the consciousness that everything is connected. For instance, child labour is not far from you if you buy products prepared by children. Learning to be a citizen of the world means building the spirit and competencies to make day-to-day decisions and actions that will have a positive impact on ourselves, our communities and the rest of the world all together.

  2-4 October 2018 marked the first gathering of Bridge 47 staff and steering group – which CIVICUS has been a part - since the launch of the project. The objective was to take stock of the project’s progress since then. We identified challenges and addressed them on a strategic and practical level, by looking at the four aspects of the project: innovation, advocacy, networking and partnership. It also brought together a hundred potential partners to strengthen the network around the project.

  The event gathered a fascinating group of diverse, international and enthusiastic people driven by social values and principles, and convinced about the power of working together. Most importantly, Global Citizenship (and my job) took all its meaning when appreciating how the CIVICUS delegation of members present united spontaneously as a family, despite their differences. Take Khurram: a senior monitoring and evaluation expert from Pakistan, Claudia: a young student in special education from Angola, Jamil: a SDG educational program implementer from Palestine. Their only apparent similarity was in their work on education. They bonded immediately and used each other as safety net while engaging with other participants.

  Over the past 10 years of working with international networks, it is precisely the connection that operates amongst members that has nurtured my faith for universal peace and care. The sense of belonging that a global community spurs is magical. CIVICUS membership IS global citizenship in spirit and practice.

  Yet, what strikes me is that those of us who have been convinced about the necessity of working collectively are yet to identify how to do this in a more efficient and cohesive way. How do we move from less “Blabla” to more “Boom Boom”, as eloquently put by one of my previous partners? As long as we stay in our own conceptual sphere, with our own language, how far will we go? How do we translate ideas into concrete actions? “How do we get real?” It is time to move from convincing ourselves of the need to work together. Implementing activities and showing what global citizenship means in practice are the next steps for Bridge 47 in 2019 onward. Stay tuned.

• What constituents say about CIVICUS

  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. We received 442 insightful responses from members and non-members.

  It is clear that CIVICUS constituents value the work we are doing as an Alliance: CIVICUS’ power in connecting people, spurring collective action, creating avenues for Civil Society to be heard by other stakeholders etc. At the same time, they want more of it. They want members to truly drive CIVICUS as a member-based organisation, more diversity and inclusion and leveraging the work of the global alliance for more synergy and action on national and regional level.

  Check the infographic below to see the Top 10 members’ asksto improve CIVICUS work and the Top 10 of what members see as CIVICUS’ success!

  The CIVICUS Secretariat has been working on strengthening CIVICUS messaging on what it does, why, and how to get involved as a member. Stay tuned in the coming weeks! We are having further discussions with respondents, members and staff to define the action points that will meet members’ needs in 2019.  

  Feel free to share your reactions and thoughts on the infographic’s key findings, by writing to .

  Also, we take CIVICUS’ commitment to transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement very seriously. We count on CIVICUS members, allies and supporters to reach out to us whenever they have questions or concerns about the alliance’s work and activities. Do you think we are accountable? If not, go ahead and hold us to account via our new online feedback mechanism, which was just launched in July 2018. You can find more information in this blog post on how our new feedback channel will help to implement CIVICUS’ Accountability Framework.