Interviews

Letter from Jail: West Papuan activists speak about their prosecution in Indonesia

March 26, 2020

Letter from Jail: West Papuan activists speak about their prosecution in Indonesia

CIVICUS has received letters from Dano Anes Tabuni and Charles Kossay around their arrest and detention. Political activists Dano Anes Tabuni, Charles Kossay, Ambrosius…

WOMEN’S RIGHTS: ‘At this pace, it will take us nearly a century to reach equality’

March 12, 2020

WOMEN’S RIGHTS: ‘At this pace, it will take us nearly a century to reach equality’

in Interviews

In the run-up to the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, due in September 2020, CIVICUS is interviewing civil society activists, leaders…

EGYPT: ‘There's been severe deterioration in the rule of law & respect for human rights’

March 11, 2020

EGYPT: ‘There's been severe deterioration in the rule of law & respect for human rights’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks about recent protests in Egypt and their repression with a woman activist and protester who, for security reasons, asked to remain anonymous.…

GHANA: ‘Work in the corner of your community has a potential to cause change at…

March 10, 2020

GHANA: ‘Work in the corner of your community has a potential to cause change at…

in Interviews

Following a year marked by massive mobilisation on the climate emergency, CIVICUS is interviewing civil society activists, leaders and experts about the main environmental…

ETHIOPIA: ‘For civil society, 2019 has been a new beginning’

March 09, 2020

ETHIOPIA: ‘For civil society, 2019 has been a new beginning’

in Interviews

In 2019, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed Ali, “for his efforts to achieve peace and…

#UN75: ‘There is often a lack of transparency on how civil society’s inputs are reflected…

March 06, 2020

#UN75: ‘There is often a lack of transparency on how civil society’s inputs are reflected…

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 the…

COLOMBIA: ‘The protection of the environment is inseparable from the success of the peace process’

March 05, 2020

COLOMBIA: ‘The protection of the environment is inseparable from the success of the peace process’

in Interviews

Following a year marked by massive mobilisation on the climate emergency, CIVICUS is interviewing civil society activists, leaders and experts about the main environmental…

ARMS CONTROLS: ‘Greater women’s participation in male-dominated mechanisms would increase prospects for peace’

March 04, 2020

ARMS CONTROLS: ‘Greater women’s participation in male-dominated mechanisms would increase prospects for peace’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks with Aaron Lainé, Policy and Government Liaison Officer, and Raluca Muresan, Programme Manager at Control Arms, a civil society coalition that advocates…

AGAINST DISINFORMATION: ‘Enabling each to tell their story offers an opportunity to share our truths’

March 03, 2020

AGAINST DISINFORMATION: ‘Enabling each to tell their story offers an opportunity to share our truths’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks to Chris Worman, Vice President of Alliances and Program Development at TechSoup, a non-profit international network that provides technical support and technological…

BANGLADESH: ‘Protecting water amounts to protecting basic human rights in all nations’

March 02, 2020

BANGLADESH: ‘Protecting water amounts to protecting basic human rights in all nations’

in Interviews

Following a year marked by massive mobilisation on the climate emergency, CIVICUS is interviewing civil society activists, leaders and experts about the main environmental…

DISINFORMATION: ‘The fact that profit drives content creation on the internet is dangerous to democracy’

February 28, 2020

DISINFORMATION: ‘The fact that profit drives content creation on the internet is dangerous to democracy’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks with Rory Daniels about the 2019 elections in the UK and the dangers that disinformation poses to democracy. Rory is a student,…

G20: ‘Civil society is treated as a second-class partner; its recommendations often go unheard’

February 27, 2020

G20: ‘Civil society is treated as a second-class partner; its recommendations often go unheard’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks with María Emilia Berazategui, Transparency International’s Global Advocacy Coordinator, about the role of civil society in international and inter-governmental forums and the…

PHILIPPINES: ‘If we don’t fight against the system, people will continue to die’

February 26, 2020

PHILIPPINES: ‘If we don’t fight against the system, people will continue to die’

in Interviews

Following a year marked by massive mobilisation on the climate emergency, CIVICUS is interviewing civil society activists, leaders and experts about the main environmental…

LEBANON: ‘Increased popular awareness is irreversible, it will remain despite any setbacks’

February 25, 2020

LEBANON: ‘Increased popular awareness is irreversible, it will remain despite any setbacks’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks with Ziad Abdel Samad, Executive Director of the Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND), and Zahra Bazzi, ANND Programmes Manager, about the…

#UN75: ‘The UN cannot afford to miss opportunities for civil society engagement’

February 24, 2020

#UN75: ‘The UN cannot afford to miss opportunities for civil society engagement’

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 the…

COLOMBIA: ‘Citizens are outraged and tired of the policies that have plunged them into poverty’

February 21, 2020

COLOMBIA: ‘Citizens are outraged and tired of the policies that have plunged them into poverty’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks with Alexandra González Zapata, coordinator for democracy and social protest at the Solidarity Committee with Political Prisoners Foundation, and a member of…

SDGs: ‘Gaps in data coverage are most likely to exclude the poorest people’

February 20, 2020

SDGs: ‘Gaps in data coverage are most likely to exclude the poorest people’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks to Dr Claire Melamed, CEO of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data, an open, independent, multi-stakeholder network aimed at harnessing the…

LGBTQI+ RIGHTS IN UGANDA: ‘Intolerance is fuelled by anti-rights groups and leaders’

February 19, 2020

LGBTQI+ RIGHTS IN UGANDA: ‘Intolerance is fuelled by anti-rights groups and leaders’

in Interviews

Following our 2019 special report on anti-rights groups and civil society responses, we are interviewing civil society activists and leaders about their experiences of…

DIGITAL DIVIDE: ‘The uncritical adoption of technology is particularly risky in humanitarian crises’

February 18, 2020

DIGITAL DIVIDE: ‘The uncritical adoption of technology is particularly risky in humanitarian crises’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks to Barnaby Willitts-King, Senior Research Fellow at the Overseas Development Institute (ODI). Established in 1960 and currently working in 50 countries around…

PAPUA NEW GUINEA: ‘If we allow seabed mining everyone is at risk’

February 17, 2020

PAPUA NEW GUINEA: ‘If we allow seabed mining everyone is at risk’

in Interviews

Following a year marked by massive mobilisation around the climate emergency, CIVICUS is interviewing civil society activists, leaders and experts about the main environmental…

CHINA: ‘Its international role both originates in and enables domestic political control’

February 14, 2020

CHINA: ‘Its international role both originates in and enables domestic political control’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks about China’s growing international role with Sharon Hom, Executive Director of Human Rights in China (HRIC), Adjunct Professor of Law at the…

#UN75: ‘Commitments to the Women, Peace and Security agenda are going unfulfilled’

February 13, 2020

#UN75: ‘Commitments to the Women, Peace and Security agenda are going unfulfilled’

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 the…

‘Chile has entirely privatised water, which means that theft is institutionalised’

February 12, 2020

‘Chile has entirely privatised water, which means that theft is institutionalised’

in Interviews

Following a year marked by massive mobilisation on the climate emergency, CIVICUS is interviewing civil society activists, leaders and experts about the main…

BOLIVIA: ‘We empower young people so they can lead the climate movement’

February 11, 2020

BOLIVIA: ‘We empower young people so they can lead the climate movement’

in Interviews

Following a year marked by massive mobilisation on the climate emergency, CIVICUS is interviewing civil society activists, leaders and experts about the main environmental…

HONG KONG: ‘This is a leader-full movement, ran by countless small networks of talented people’

February 10, 2020

HONG KONG: ‘This is a leader-full movement, ran by countless small networks of talented people’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks about the protests that have rocked Hong Kong since June 2019 with Johnson Ching-Yin Yeung, democracy movement organiser and chairperson of the…

BOLIVIA: ‘Civil society, like political society, is deeply divided’

February 07, 2020

BOLIVIA: ‘Civil society, like political society, is deeply divided’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks about the 2019 protests and elections in Bolivia with Eliana Quiroz, Executive Director of Fundación Internet Bolivia (Bolivia Internet Foundation), an organisation…

ANTI-RIGHTS GROUPS: ‘Protesting once is not enough; we need to fight back every single day’

February 06, 2020

ANTI-RIGHTS GROUPS: ‘Protesting once is not enough; we need to fight back every single day’

in Interviews

Following our 2019 special report on anti-rights groups and civil society responses, we are interviewing civil society activists and leaders about their experiences of…

#UN75: ‘The system is slow and not at all agile’

February 05, 2020

#UN75: ‘The system is slow and not at all agile’

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 the…

#UN75: ‘It is time for the UN to be bold again!’

February 04, 2020

#UN75: ‘It is time for the UN to be bold again!’

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 the…

#UN75: ‘The Human Rights Council has made a positive difference in addressing human rights violations’

February 03, 2020

#UN75: ‘The Human Rights Council has made a positive difference in addressing human rights violations’

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 the…

#UN75: ‘Governments use the UN to sanitise their image before the international community’

January 30, 2020

#UN75: ‘Governments use the UN to sanitise their image before the international community’

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 the…

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’

in Interviews

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…