Interviews

SPAIN: ‘Democratic rules are being used to promote an anti-rights ideology’

January 29, 2020

SPAIN: ‘Democratic rules are being used to promote an anti-rights ideology’

CIVICUS speaks about the recent election in Spain with Núria Valls, president of the Ibero-American League of Civil Society Organisations (Liga Iberoamericana), a platform…

PAKISTAN: ‘I was told the people who detained me were from the Army Intelligence Agency’

January 28, 2020

PAKISTAN: ‘I was told the people who detained me were from the Army Intelligence Agency’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks with Mohammed Ismail, a longstanding member of CIVICUS’ Affinity Group of National Associations (AGNA), a network of 90 national and regional civil…

CUBA: ‘Dissidents are in the millions; there aren't enough jail cells for so many people’

January 21, 2020

CUBA: ‘Dissidents are in the millions; there aren't enough jail cells for so many people’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks with Juan Antonio Blanco, director of the Cuban Observatory of Conflicts (Observatorio Cubano de Conflictos), an autonomous civil society project supported by…

#UN75: ‘Human rights are at the centre of multilateral diplomacy’

January 20, 2020

#UN75: ‘Human rights are at the centre of multilateral diplomacy’

in Interviews

2020 marks 75 years since the founding of the United Nations (UN). CIVICUS is speaking with civil society activists, advocates and practitioners about…

CHILE: ‘There's radical discontent with how the country's been ruled for decades’

January 06, 2020

CHILE: ‘There's radical discontent with how the country's been ruled for decades’

in Interviews

Protests broke out in Chile in October 2019, initially led by students rejecting an increase in the price of transport and quickly escalating into…

‘Due to the communications blockade in Kashmir, news of protests went largely underreported’

December 18, 2019

‘Due to the communications blockade in Kashmir, news of protests went largely underreported’

in Interviews

On 5 August 2019, the government of India revoked Articles 370 and 35A of the Constitution, which guaranteed the autonomous status and rights of…

#ShiftThePower, exciting possibilities and challenges for resourcing

December 11, 2019

#ShiftThePower, exciting possibilities and challenges for resourcing

in Interviews

Left to Right: Dumiso Gatsha, SDGs Goalkeeper and founder of Success Capital NGO & Degan Ali, Executive Director at Adeso A growing movement of people is…

CHILE: ‘There has been a citizen awakening of historical proportions’

November 27, 2019

CHILE: ‘There has been a citizen awakening of historical proportions’

in Interviews

Protests broke out in Chile in October 2019, initially led by students rejecting an increase in the price of transport and quickly escalating into…

BANGLADESH: ‘Out of fear, people are being silent’

November 20, 2019

BANGLADESH: ‘Out of fear, people are being silent’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks with Aklima Ferdows, who works with the Centre for Social Activism in Bangladesh, about civil society’s challenges and support needs in the…

MALAYSIA: ‘We need global solidarity to push back on attacks on rights’

November 20, 2019

MALAYSIA: ‘We need global solidarity to push back on attacks on rights’

in Interviews

As part of our 2019 thematic report, we are interviewing civil society activists and leaders about their experiences of backlash from anti-rights groups and…

Letter from Jail: Members of poetry troupe in Myanmar

November 15, 2019

Letter from Jail: Members of poetry troupe in Myanmar

in Interviews

Letter from Zeyar Lwin and Paing Ye Thu members of the Peacock Generation in Myanmar Seven members of the Peacock Generation—Kay Khine Tun, Zayar…

TAIWAN: Same-sex marriage legalisation a joint effort of government and civil society

November 11, 2019

TAIWAN: Same-sex marriage legalisation a joint effort of government and civil society

in Interviews

In May 2019 Taiwan became the first nation in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage. CIVICUS speaks to Minister Audrey Tang about this historical decision…

CHILD RIGHTS: ‘Anti-child rights groups are making up stories to convince the public’

November 11, 2019

CHILD RIGHTS: ‘Anti-child rights groups are making up stories to convince the public’

in Interviews

As part of our 2019 thematic report, we are interviewing civil society activists, leaders and experts about their experience of facing backlash by anti-rights…

Mexico: Beyond a trend, community philanthropy has been essential to build people power

November 04, 2019

Mexico: Beyond a trend, community philanthropy has been essential to build people power

in Interviews

This article is part of the #StoriesOfResilience series, coordinated by CIVICUS to feature groups and activists on their journey to promote better resourcing practices…

SRI LANKA: ‘Trolls accusing people of being traitors are organised and political’

October 31, 2019

SRI LANKA: ‘Trolls accusing people of being traitors are organised and political’

in Interviews

Ahead of the Sri Lankan presidential elections on 16 November 2019, CIVICUS spoke with Sandya Ekneligoda, a human rights defender and campaigner for justice…

CLIMATE CHANGE: Feminists have pushed for marginalised voices to be heard

October 25, 2019

CLIMATE CHANGE: Feminists have pushed for marginalised voices to be heard

in Interviews

As calls grow for climate action to be more responsive to frontline communities, CIVICUS spoke to Maria Nailevu, a feminist climate activist from Fiji,…

SUDAN: Young activists show climate solidarity through drought, floods and tears

October 24, 2019

SUDAN: Young activists show climate solidarity through drought, floods and tears

in Interviews

بالعربية CIVICUS speaks to Nisreen Al Sayeem, Chair of the Sudan Youth Organization on Climate Change and Coordinator of Youth and Environment - Sudan…

Zombies in Post-Apartheid South Africa: Satirical protest & mobilisation against Apartheid-era policies in Cape Town

October 18, 2019

Zombies in Post-Apartheid South Africa: Satirical protest & mobilisation against Apartheid-era policies in Cape Town

in Interviews

On 30 September 2019 an unusual scene flooded Cape Town as ‘zombie’ protesters fled through the inner city in a satirical protest against the…

ANTI-RIGHTS GROUPS: ‘Their true objective is to eliminate all government policies related to gender’

October 14, 2019

ANTI-RIGHTS GROUPS: ‘Their true objective is to eliminate all government policies related to gender’

in Interviews

As part of our 2019 thematic report, we are interviewing civil society activists, leaders and experts about their experiences of backlash from anti-rights groups…

Civil Society in Latin America makes its way into sharing economy

October 03, 2019

Civil Society in Latin America makes its way into sharing economy

in Interviews

This article is part of the #StoriesOfResilience series, coordinated by CIVICUS to feature groups and activists on their journey to promote better resourcing practices…

CONSPIRACY THEORIES: ‘When social trust has been eroded, people don’t know what to believe’

September 30, 2019

CONSPIRACY THEORIES: ‘When social trust has been eroded, people don’t know what to believe’

in Interviews

As part of our 2019 thematic report, we are interviewing civil society activists, leaders and experts about their experience of facing backlash by anti-rights…

CLIMATE CHANGE: ‘There is no respect for the role of civil society’

September 27, 2019

CLIMATE CHANGE: ‘There is no respect for the role of civil society’

in Interviews

Portuguese CIVICUS speaks with Adriana Ramos, advisor at Instituto Socioambiental (ISA), a Brazilian civil society organisation that has worked since 1994 to propose solutions to…

MIGRANTS’ RIGHTS: ‘Hate speech is driven by unequal power relations and negative stereotypes’

September 26, 2019

MIGRANTS’ RIGHTS: ‘Hate speech is driven by unequal power relations and negative stereotypes’

in Interviews

As part of our 2019 thematic report, we are interviewing civil society activists, leaders and experts about their experience of facing backlash by anti-rights…

ETHIOPIA: ‘Civil society can play a key role in overcoming divisions’

September 25, 2019

ETHIOPIA: ‘Civil society can play a key role in overcoming divisions’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks to Yared Hailemariam, Executive Director of the Association for Human Rights in Ethiopia, about recent political reforms in Ethiopia, the opening opportunities…

UNITED NATIONS: ‘Civil society has proved itself to be an indispensable ally’

September 24, 2019

UNITED NATIONS: ‘Civil society has proved itself to be an indispensable ally’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks to Ben Donaldson, Head of Campaigns at the United Nations Association – UK (UNA-UK). Founded in 1945, UNA-UK is devoted to building…

HUMAN RIGHTS: ‘People have a great desire for positive stories’

September 23, 2019

HUMAN RIGHTS: ‘People have a great desire for positive stories’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks with Saleem Vaillancourt, a journalist and media producer who works to promote the rights of Iran’s Bahá’í community and to encourage positive…

CHILE: ‘The COP needs the participation of civil society’

September 20, 2019

CHILE: ‘The COP needs the participation of civil society’

in Interviews

In a context of great mobilisation on climate action around the world and in the run up to the next Conference of the Parties on…

ANTI-RIGHTS GROUPS: ‘They don’t think human rights are universal, or they don’t view all people…

September 19, 2019

ANTI-RIGHTS GROUPS: ‘They don’t think human rights are universal, or they don’t view all people…

in Interviews

As part of our 2019 thematic report, we are interviewing civil society activists, leaders and experts about their experience of facing backlash by anti-rights…

INDONESIA: ‘We often face threats for reporting on abuses in Papua’

September 18, 2019

INDONESIA: ‘We often face threats for reporting on abuses in Papua’

in Interviews

Since August 2019, there have been mass protests in Papua and West Papua, Indonesia. Protesters have demanded self-determination and called attention to racism by…

HATE SPEECH: ‘The fact that this is how online platforms are supposed to work is…

September 17, 2019

HATE SPEECH: ‘The fact that this is how online platforms are supposed to work is…

in Interviews

As part of our 2019 thematic report, we are interviewing civil society activists, leaders and experts about their experience of facing backlash by anti-rights…

MYANMAR: ‘The government needs to open the doors’

September 16, 2019

MYANMAR: ‘The government needs to open the doors’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks with Nay Lin Tun, a doctor and civil society humanitarian worker in Myanmar, about conflict in Rakhine State, the difficulties faced by…

VIETNAM: ‘The government is using non-state actors against minority religions’

September 10, 2019

VIETNAM: ‘The government is using non-state actors against minority religions’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks with Thang Nguyen of Boat People SOS (BPSOS), a civil society organisation based in the USA and Thailand, about the challenges for…

ANTI-RIGHTS GROUPS: ‘They want to stop us because we do make a difference’

September 09, 2019

ANTI-RIGHTS GROUPS: ‘They want to stop us because we do make a difference’

in Interviews

As part of our 2019 thematic report, we are interviewing civil society activists, leaders and experts about their experiences of facing backlash by anti-rights…

THAILAND: ‘Nobody should go to jail simply for expressing their opinions’

September 06, 2019

THAILAND: ‘Nobody should go to jail simply for expressing their opinions’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks with Sutharee Wannasiri, a human rights activist in Thailand who has been facing criminal prosecution and a civil lawsuit as a result…

BRAZIL: ‘Discrimination and hate speech are becoming normalised’

September 04, 2019

BRAZIL: ‘Discrimination and hate speech are becoming normalised’

in Interviews

As part of our 2019 thematic report, we are interviewing civil society activists, leaders and experts about their experiences of backlash from anti-rights groups…

ARTISTIC FREEDOM: ‘Artists are targeted because art is a powerful messaging vehicle’

September 03, 2019

ARTISTIC FREEDOM: ‘Artists are targeted because art is a powerful messaging vehicle’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks about the state of artistic expression with Srirak Plipat, Executive Director of Freemuse, the main international civil society organisation advocating for and…