Interviews

Featured

GLOBAL GOVERNANCE: ‘We cannot address 21st-century challenges with 20th-century foundations’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Nudhara Yusuf, Executive Coordinator of the Global Governance Innovation Network at the Stimson Center, about the deficits of the current global governance system and civil society’s proposals for reform.
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INDIA: ‘The once-cosmopolitan state of Manipur is now divided into two rival communities’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about ethnic violence and a humanitarian crisis in the Indian state of Manipur with Mangneo Lhungdim and Sulekha Thapa, Executive Director and Deputy Director of Oasis India.
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TAIWAN: ‘China has tried to intimidate voters and pressure Taiwanese civil society organisations’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Taiwan’s upcoming presidential election with Brian Hioe, one of the founders of New Bloom Magazine.
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BOLIVIA: ‘Forest fires translate into loss of biodiversity and a low quality of life’

Interviews
  CIVICUS speaks with Jordi Surkin, conservation director of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Bolivia, about recent fires in four of Bolivia’s nine departments.
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BELARUS: ‘Despite the repression, we haven’t halted our work for a single day’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Marina Kostylianchenko of Viasna about the closure of civic space and criminalisation of activism in Belarus.
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MEXICO: ‘The criminalisation of human rights defenders threatens the whole collective in order to deactivate it’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with members of the Collective for the Freedom of Kenia Hernández about the criminalisation of activism in Mexico.
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NIGER: ‘We seek to cut the umbilical cord with the former colonial power’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the situation in Niger since the July military coup with Clément Kocou Gbedey, National Coordinator in Niger of the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP).
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PALESTINE: ‘Lack of a political horizon leading to the liberation of Palestinians has brought us here’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the ongoing conflict in Gaza with Abdalaziz Alsalehi, senior researcher at the Social and Economic Policies Monitor (Al-Marsad).

NETHERLANDS: ‘We call on potential coalition partners to stand up for our country’s international reputation’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the far-right victory in the snap elections that took place in the Netherlands on 22 November with Niels Hoogerheijde, Policy Advisor at Partos, the Dutch membership body for civil society organisations (CSOs) working in international development.
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LATVIA: ‘The legalisation of same-sex civil partnerships has brought instant conservative backlash’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Kaspars Zālītis, a human rights activist and board member of Mozaika, about the recent legalisation of same-sex civil partnerships in Latvia.
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NEPAL: ‘The TikTok ban signals efforts to control the digital space in the name of national sovereignty’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the recent TikTok ban in Nepal with Anisha, provincial coordinator for Gandaki Pradesh at Body and Data.
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SPAIN: ‘Territory will become the backbone of Spanish politics’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Spanish political scientist and political consultant Eva Silván about the recent re-election of Pedro Sánchez as Spanish prime minister at the head of a coalition with left-wing and pro-independence parties, in a country deeply divided by the Catalonia issue.
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ALGERIA: ‘Civil society aspires to a more democratic and rights-centred environment’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the ongoing repression of dissent in Algeria with Rachid Aouine, Director for SHOAA for Human Rights.
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GLOBAL GOVERNANCE: ‘We must take up the declaration of human rights to lead the way’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about global governance challenges with Marta Benavides, a spiritual leader who has led numerous sustainable peace initiatives in and outside of El Salvador, for which she has had to go into exile several times.
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BOLIVIA: ‘The minimisation of forest fires and the lack of response from the authorities is ecocide’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Andrea Barrientos, Senator of the Citizen Community (Comunidad Ciudadana) party for the department of Cochabamba, about recent fires in four of Bolivia’s nine departments.
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KOSOVO: ‘Civil society has done most of the effort when it comes to dealing with our recent history’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about intensifying inter-ethnic violence in north Kosovo and civil society’s ongoing peacebuilding efforts with Bjeshkë Guri, coordinator of the ‘Dealing with the Past’ programme at Youth Initiative for Human Rights Kosovo (YIHR-KS).
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YEMEN: ‘We are caught in limbo, neither at war nor at peace, with state institutions nearly collapsed’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about Yemen’s ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis with Radhya Almutawakel, co-founder and chairperson of Mwatana for Human Rights (Mwatana).
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GLOBAL GOVERNANCE: ‘It may take a crisis as big as the one that originated the system to produce the reform it needs’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with John Vlasto, Board Chair of the World Federalist Movement (WFM), about the deficits of the existing global governance system and civil society’s proposals for reform.
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PAKISTAN: ‘The authorities must guarantee the human rights of Afghan asylum seekers’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the move to expel Afghan refugees from Pakistan with Habib Malik Orakzai, president of Pakistan International Human Rights Organization (PIHRO).
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GLOBAL GOVERNANCE: ‘The current system is dysfunctional, but we still depend on it in crucial ways’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Natalie Samarasinghe, Global Director for advocacy at the Open Society Foundations (OSF), about the need for global governance reform and the proposal for a civil society envoy within the United Nations (UN) system.
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CHILE: ‘The proposed constitution reflects the country’s division rather than being an instrument for its union’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Patricia Reyes, director of Fundación Multitudes, about the process to develop a new constitution in Chile since a previous draft was rejected in a referendum in September 2022.
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SDGs: ‘Radical policy changes are our only hope of ending global poverty’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Andy Sumner about the prospects for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the underlying dysfunctions of the current global governance system.
Featured

SWITZERLAND: ‘Right-wing populists pose a true threat when other parties meet their demands’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Lea Schlenker, board member of Operation Libero, about the rise of right-wing populism in Switzerland’s recent elections.
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ARGENTINA: ‘Milei’s victory expresses the rejection of the previous governments’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Yanina Welp, researcher at the Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy, about the results of Argentina’s runoff presidential election, won by a far-right outsider.
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KOSOVO: ‘Civil society plays a crucial role in maintaining communication in difficult times’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Milica Andric Rakic, project manager at New Social Initiative (NSI), about intensifying inter-ethnic violence and deteriorating civic space in Kosovo.
Featured

NETHERLANDS: ‘A strong sense of solidarity endures with those who are left-behind’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about snap elections taking place in the Netherlands on 22 November with Niels Hoogerheijde, Policy Advisor at Partos, the Dutch membership body for civil society organisations (CSOs) working in international development.
Featured

IRAN: ‘It is clear that most people don’t support the regime anymore and want it gone’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Iranian activist Asal Abasian about the situation more than a year since the start of the protest wave triggered by Mahsa Amini’s killing by the morality police and the prospects for change in Iran.
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INDIA: ‘Media and journalists are under tremendous pressure from the government’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Geetartha Pathak, president of the Indian Journalists Union (IJU), about the increasing violation of press freedoms in India.
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SERBIA: ‘The government is allergic to pluralism and keeps discrediting dissenting voices’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about Serbia’s upcoming parliamentary elections and civic space conditions with Vukosava Crnjanski, founder and director of the Centre for Research, Transparency and Accountability (CRTA).
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VENEZUELA: ‘The opposition could once again become a credible threat to the authoritarian regime’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Rafael Uzcátegui, general coordinator of the Venezuelan Programme for Human Rights Education Action (Provea), about the results of recent opposition primaries ahead of the 2024 elections.
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EQUATORIAL GUINEA: ‘The government uses violence to dominate through fear’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Alfredo Okenve, president of the Centre for Studies and Initiatives for the Development of Equatorial Guinea (CEIDGE), about the political context in which civil society operates in Equatorial Guinea.
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PAKISTAN: ‘We appeal to the international community to share the responsibility of welcoming Afghan refugees’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the current move to expel undocumented migrants from Pakistan with Muhammad Mudassar, Chief Executive Officer of the Society for Human Rights and Prisoners’ Aid (SHARP-Pakistan).

BANGLADESH: ‘The government is banishing the opposition in the run-up to the election’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Zaman Ashraf about the current pre-election crackdown in Bangladesh.
Featured

PHILIPPINES: ‘Climate change is no longer theoretical. It is a fact of life and a threat to our lives’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the impacts of climate change and the response of climate activism with Ronan Renz Napoto, founder and executive director of Balud, a youth-led movement from the Philippines that promotes ecological consciousness by engaging with and empowering young people.
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UK: ‘The anti-boycott bill is the latest government attempt to stifle civil liberties’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Daniel Lubin, co-founder of Na’amod (British Jews Against Occupation), about the UK government’s proposed anti-boycott bill that would prevent public bodies from using divestment as a strategy to meet human rights responsibilities and obligations.
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POLAND: ‘Civil society played a crucial role in ensuring the fairness of the election’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about Poland’s 15 October parliamentary election with Sonia Horonziak and Filip Pazderski, coordinator and head of the Democracy and Civil Society Programme at the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA).
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BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA: ‘Civil society has failed to spark people’s activist side’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about deteriorating civic space in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) with Aida Daguda and Dajana Cvjetkovic, director and programme manager at the Centre for Civil Society Promotion (CPCD).
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MEXICO: ‘When climate activism threatens powerful interests, it is labelled on the same level as terrorists and drug traffickers’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the role of civil society and its expectations for the upcoming COP28 climate summit with María Reyes, a young human rights and environmental activist from the Mexican state of Puebla.
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ECUADOR: ‘The election provided a temporary escape valve, but instability is not over’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the results of the 15 October runoff vote in Ecuador’s presidential election with Humberto Salazar, executive director of Fundación Esquel.
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ARMENIA: ‘Lack of compelling international action allowed the attack on Nagorno-Karabakh to occur’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh – the disputed territory within Azerbaijan that until recently was governed by ethnic Armenians – with Lida Minasyan, a feminist peace activist and Resource Mobilisation Consultant at the Central Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central and North Asia (CEECCNA) Collaborative Fund.
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MAURITIUS: ‘LGBTQI+ people no longer need to live with the constant fear of being criminalised’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Najeeb Ahmad Fokeerbux, founder of the Young Queer Alliance (YQA), about the recent ruling by the Mauritius Supreme Court that declared the criminalisation of same-sex relations unconstitutional.
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ARMENIA: ‘As people leave their homes in search of safety, humanitarian organisations must support their basic needs’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the civil society humanitarian response to the Azerbaijani blockade and military offensive against Nagorno-Karabakh – the disputed territory within Azerbaijan that until recently was governed by ethnic Armenians – with Shushanik Nersesyan, Media and Communication Manager at People in Need (PIN) Armenia.
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ECUADOR: ‘The new government must dialogue and seek political agreements that are public, not under the table’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the results of the 15 October runoff vote in Ecuador’s presidential election with Ruth Hidalgo, executive director of Participación Ciudadana (Citizen Participation).
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NORTH KOREA: ‘Since Kim Jong-un came to power, the surveillance and security system has increased dramatically’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about activism in the closed civic space of North Korea with Bada Nam, Secretary General of People for Successful Corean Reunification (PSCORE).
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BOTSWANA: ‘We must strategise so that we don’t merely react to crises and anti-rights action’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the struggle for LGBTQI+ rights in Botswana with Dumiso Gatsha, an LGBTQI+ activist and founder of Success Capital.
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AUSTRALIA: ‘There will be little change on First Nations people’s recognition, representation and rights’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Peter Lewis, president of Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR), about the recent defeat in a referendum of a proposal to recognise Indigenous Australians in the constitution and create a permanent institution so they can speak directly to government and parliament on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
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MOROCCO: ‘Support those who were there before the earthquake hit and will stay when the cameras are gone’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the role of civil society in the response to the recent earthquake in Morocco with Victoria Vrana, Chief Executive Officer at GlobalGiving.
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JAPAN: ‘Each victory brings backlash, but LGBTQI+ people will keep fighting for equality and dignity'

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the struggle for LGBTQI+ rights in Japan with Akira Nishiyama, Deputy Secretary General of the Japan Alliance for Legislation to Remove Social Barriers based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (Japan Alliance for LGBT Legislation, J-ALL).
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UGANDA: ‘Closure of the UN office will result in the loss of a crucial player in the field of human rights’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the human rights situation and the closure of the United Nations (UN) office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Uganda with Dr Livingstone Sewanyana, founder and Executive Director of the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI) and UN independent expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order.
Featured

BELGIUM: ‘Small extremist groups are reacting to all advances in women’s rights’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Céline Danhier, director of O’YES, about the recent conservative backlash to the implementation of a sex and relationships education programme in state schools in Belgium’s Walloon region.

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