Interviews

INDONESIA: “Peaceful pro-independence activists may be labeled as terrorists”

May 28, 2021

INDONESIA: “Peaceful pro-independence activists may be labeled as terrorists”

CIVICUS speaks to Samuel Awom, Coordinator of the human rights group KontraS Papua, which monitors human rights violations, advocates for victims and works for…

MYANMAR: “The military turned medical workers from heroes to criminals overnight”

May 06, 2021

MYANMAR: “The military turned medical workers from heroes to criminals overnight”

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks to Nay Lin Tun, a medical doctor who regularly volunteers with rescue teams in emergency areas in the city of Yangon, Myanmar.…

PHILIPPINES: ‘The charges against me are part of the government’s efforts at silencing its critics’

May 03, 2021

PHILIPPINES: ‘The charges against me are part of the government’s efforts at silencing its critics’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks with the chairperson of human rights group Karapatan, Elisa ‘Tita’ Lubi, who currently faces fabricated charges of attempted murder. She was accused…

KYRGYZSTAN: ‘The citizens' choice in the referendum will be decisive for our future’

March 29, 2021

KYRGYZSTAN: ‘The citizens' choice in the referendum will be decisive for our future’

in Interviews

CIVICUS and the International Partnership for Human Rights speak to Ulugbek Azimov, legal expert at the Legal Prosperity Foundation, about the protests that took…

BANGLADESH: “To address rape we need a thorough reform of the legal system”

March 05, 2021

BANGLADESH: “To address rape we need a thorough reform of the legal system”

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks to Aparajita Sangita, a Bangladeshi human rights activist and an international award-winning independent filmmaker. Aparajita has worked on several films on discrimination…

MIGRANTS’ RIGHTS: ‘Europe instrumentalises human suffering to deter migration’

March 04, 2021

MIGRANTS’ RIGHTS: ‘Europe instrumentalises human suffering to deter migration’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks about the situation of migrants and refugees in Greece with Maya Thomas-Davis, an Advocacy and Communications Officer at the Legal Centre Lesvos…

THAILAND: ‘Young people question the government abusing their rights and compromising their future’

March 01, 2021

THAILAND: ‘Young people question the government abusing their rights and compromising their future’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks to Amnesty International Thailand’s executive director, Piyanut Kotsan, about the Thai pro-democracy movement and the repression of protests. Established in Bangkok in…

SLOVENIA: ‘The government has taken advantage of the pandemic to restrict protest’

February 26, 2021

SLOVENIA: ‘The government has taken advantage of the pandemic to restrict protest’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks about the recent right-wing shift in Slovenia with Brankica Petković, a researcher and project manager at the Peace Institute in Ljubljana. Founded…

INDIA: ‘CSOs that dare speak truth to power are attacked with politically motivated charges’

February 23, 2021

INDIA: ‘CSOs that dare speak truth to power are attacked with politically motivated charges’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks to human rights lawyer and researcher Mrinal Sharma about the state of civic freedoms in India. Mrinal works to help unlawfully detained…

ECOCIDE: ‘Perpetrators of environmental destruction should be prosecuted just like war criminals are’

February 22, 2021

ECOCIDE: ‘Perpetrators of environmental destruction should be prosecuted just like war criminals are’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks with Jojo Mehta, co-founder and Executive Director of Stop Ecocide International and Chair of the Stop Ecocide Foundation. The Stop Ecocide campaign…

GREECE: ‘We need a change in narratives as well as in policies towards migration’

February 17, 2021

GREECE: ‘We need a change in narratives as well as in policies towards migration’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks about the situation of migrants and refugees in Greece and the role of civil society in policymaking with Lefteris Papagiannakis, Head of…

UNITED NATIONS: ‘The existing human rights system must be criticised, while still being defended’

February 16, 2021

UNITED NATIONS: ‘The existing human rights system must be criticised, while still being defended’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks with Brian Schapira, Director of Institutional Relations at the Center for Latin America´s Opening and Development (Centro para la Apertura y el…

ETHIOPIA: ‘The June 2021 election is between democratic life and death’

February 15, 2021

ETHIOPIA: ‘The June 2021 election is between democratic life and death’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks to Mesud Gebeyehu about the political conflict in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia and the highly contested upcoming Ethiopian national election, scheduled…

MYANMAR: “If this coup is not overturned, there will be many more political prisoners”

February 10, 2021

MYANMAR: “If this coup is not overturned, there will be many more political prisoners”

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks about the recent military coup in Myanmar with Bo Kyi, a former political prisoner and co-founder of the Assistance Association of Political…

ANGOLA: “The ruling party sees local elections as a threat”

January 30, 2021

ANGOLA: “The ruling party sees local elections as a threat”

in Interviews

View the original interview in Portuguese here CIVICUS speaks about the situation in Angola with Pascoal Baptistiny, Executive Director of MBAKITA – Kubango Agricultural Benevolent…

COSTA RICA: ‘The protests highlighted unresolved structural problems’

January 27, 2021

COSTA RICA: ‘The protests highlighted unresolved structural problems’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks about the recent protests in Costa Rica with Carlos Berríos Solórzano, co-founder of Asociación Agentes de Cambio-Nicaragua (Association Agents of Change –…

NAMIBIA: ‘Protests against gender-based violence were triggered by collective hope’

January 26, 2021

NAMIBIA: ‘Protests against gender-based violence were triggered by collective hope’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks to Bertha Tobias about the recent protests against femicide and gender-based violence (GBV) in Namibia. Bertha is a youth leader and an…

PERU: ‘Constitutional debate has taken on new relevance as a result of the protests’

January 20, 2021

PERU: ‘Constitutional debate has taken on new relevance as a result of the protests’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks about recent protests in Peru with Rafael Barrio de Mendoza, a researcher on processes of territorial transformation from Grupo Propuesta Ciudadana, a…

#UN75: ‘Moving forward, the UN should continue to provide access through accessible virtual platforms’

January 19, 2021

#UN75: ‘Moving forward, the UN should continue to provide access through accessible virtual platforms’

in Interviews

Following the 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations (UN), CIVICUS is having conversations with civil society activists, advocates and practitioners about the…

GUATEMALA: ‘The protests were a reflection of both social organisation and citizen autonomy’

January 15, 2021

GUATEMALA: ‘The protests were a reflection of both social organisation and citizen autonomy’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks about recent protests in Guatemala with Sandra Morán Reyes, an advocate of women’s and LGBTQI+ rights. With a long history of participation…

#BEIJING25: ‘More women in public office translates into better government and a more robust democracy’

December 17, 2020

#BEIJING25: ‘More women in public office translates into better government and a more robust democracy’

in Interviews

For the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, CIVICUS is interviewing civil society activists, leaders and experts about the progress achieved and…

UNITED STATES: ‘The 2020 election is a political and moral mandate against fascism’

December 16, 2020

UNITED STATES: ‘The 2020 election is a political and moral mandate against fascism’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks about voter suppression and its implications for US democracy with Yael Bromberg, Chief Counsel for Voting Rights at The Andrew Goodman Foundation,…

#BEIJING25: ‘All efforts towards gender equality must be built upon intersectionality and power-shifting’

December 04, 2020

#BEIJING25: ‘All efforts towards gender equality must be built upon intersectionality and power-shifting’

in Interviews

For the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, CIVICUS is interviewing civil society activists, leaders and experts about the progress achieved and…

RUSSIA: ‘Human rights activism can be expected to increase in reaction to repression’

November 25, 2020

RUSSIA: ‘Human rights activism can be expected to increase in reaction to repression’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks with Leonid Drabkin, a coordinator with OVD-Info, an independent human rights civil society organisation (CSO) that documents and helps the victims of political…

UGANDA: ‘No candidate can possibly win the election without young people’s votes’

November 13, 2020

UGANDA: ‘No candidate can possibly win the election without young people’s votes’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks with Mohammed Ndifuna, Executive Director of Justice Access Point-Uganda (JAP). Established in 2018, JAP aims to kickstart, reignite and invigorate justice efforts…

SOUTH KOREA: ‘North Korean defectors and activists face increasing pressure to stay silent’

November 06, 2020

SOUTH KOREA: ‘North Korean defectors and activists face increasing pressure to stay silent’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks with Ethan Hee-Seok Shin, a legal analyst with the Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG), a Seoul-based civil society organisation (CSO) founded by…

ITALY: ‘The Sardines movement is all about building self-confidence in the progressive side of politics’

November 03, 2020

ITALY: ‘The Sardines movement is all about building self-confidence in the progressive side of politics’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks to Andrea Garreffa, one of the founders of the Sardines movement (Movimento delle Sardine), a grassroots political movement that began in November…

ARGENTINA: ‘Cultural change enabled legal change, and legal change deepened cultural change’

October 30, 2020

ARGENTINA: ‘Cultural change enabled legal change, and legal change deepened cultural change’

in Interviews

Ten years after the Equal Marriage Law, a milestone for Latin America, was passed in Argentina, CIVICUS speaks with LGBTQI+ leader María Rachid about…

COVID-19: ‘This is not just a health crisis but also a justice crisis’

October 28, 2020

COVID-19: ‘This is not just a health crisis but also a justice crisis’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks to Abigail Moy, Director of the Legal Empowerment Network, the largest community of grassroots justice defenders in the world. Convened by the…

MYANMAR: ‘Opposition parties complain that the election body censors their messaging'

October 15, 2020

MYANMAR: ‘Opposition parties complain that the election body censors their messaging'

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks to award-winning journalist Cape Diamond (Pyae Sone Win) about the upcoming elections in Myanmar. Cape is a multimedia journalist based in Myanmar,…

UN75: ‘Civil society needs to be the conscience of the global community’

October 01, 2020

UN75: ‘Civil society needs to be the conscience of the global community’

in Interviews

To mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations (UN), CIVICUS is having conversations with civil society activists, advocates and practitioners…

LEBANON: ‘This crisis should be handled with a feminist vision’

September 23, 2020

LEBANON: ‘This crisis should be handled with a feminist vision’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks to Lina Abou Habib, a feminist activist based in Beirut, Lebanon, about the civil society response to the emergency caused by the…

KAZAKHSTAN: ‘The quarantine became a sort of cover for the government to persecute civil society’

September 22, 2020

KAZAKHSTAN: ‘The quarantine became a sort of cover for the government to persecute civil society’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks to Asya Tulesova, an environmental and civic rights defender from Kazakhstan. On 8 June 2020, Asya was arrested and detained after taking…

POLAND: ‘The crisis of democracy and human rights will deepen’

September 15, 2020

POLAND: ‘The crisis of democracy and human rights will deepen’

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks with Małgorzata Szuleka about Poland’s recent presidential elections, held under the COVID-19 pandemic, and the ruling party’s use of anti-LGBTQI+ rhetoric to…

#UN75: ‘The COVID-19 pandemic showed that multilateral institutions are essential’

September 11, 2020

#UN75: ‘The COVID-19 pandemic showed that multilateral institutions are essential’

in Interviews

To mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations (UN), CIVICUS is having conversations with civil society activists, advocates and practitioners…

COVID-19: ‘We need a new social contract founded on rights and the principle of shared…

September 10, 2020

COVID-19: ‘We need a new social contract founded on rights and the principle of shared…

in Interviews

CIVICUS speaks about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and emergency measures on labour rights, and the civil society response, with Owen Tudor, Deputy…