Interviews

SWITZERLAND: ‘Enabling machines to make life and death decisions is morally unjustifiable’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses autonomous weapons systems and the campaign for regulation with Nicole van Rooijen, Executive Director of Stop Killer Robots, a global civil society coalition of over 270 organisations that campaigns for a new international treaty on autonomous weapons systems.

JAPAN: ‘The roots of young people’s political disengagement lie in their lack of representation’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Japan’s upcoming election for its upper chamber of parliament with Aoi Horiuchi, Senior Advocacy Officer at the Japan NGO Center for International Cooperation (JANIC), a network of civil society organisations (CSOs) working to address global issues.

United States: ‘It’s time for states to commit to binding reforms of the international financial system’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses financing for development with Elena Marmo, Head of Advocacy and Campaigns at the Transparency, Accountability and Participation (TAP) Network, an international civil society coalition working to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the pursuit of more peaceful, just and inclusive societies.

ITALY: ‘Referendums reaffirm citizens’ right to be protagonists in their country’s democratic life’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the results of a recent Italian referendum on citizenship and workers’ rights with Andrea Oleandri, Co-Executive Director of the Italian Coalition for Freedom and Civil Rights (CILD), a civil society network working to promote and protect civil liberties.

POLAND: ‘The new president will reject anything he perceives as conflicting with conservative and national values’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the results of Poland’s presidential election with Filip Pazderski, Programme Manager for Civil Society of the Stefan Batory Foundation, a civil society organisation that promotes democratic governance.

ETHIOPIA: ‘The algorithm increases harmful content’s reach, raising exposure and the risk of real-world harm’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Mercy Mutemi, a Kenyan tech lawyer at Nzili and Sumbi Advocates and legal counsel for petitioners challenging Facebook’s role in hate and violence in Ethiopia.

GUINEA: ‘The referendum could be used to consolidate the junta’s power rather than transition to democracy’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses prospects for democracy in Guinea with Omolara Balogun, Head of Policy Influencing and Advocacy at the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI), a civil society organisation that promotes civic space and youth and women’s leadership and leverages technology for development.

MEXICO: ‘In the face of funding cuts, civil society has taken a leading role in the humanitarian response’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the closure of offices of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Mexico with members of Integral Human Rights In Action (DHIA), a Mexican civil society organisation (CSO) that promotes and defends human rights in contexts of mobility.

ROMANIA: ‘While the far right may be losing ground, populist rhetoric cuts across party lines’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the results of Romania’s presidential election with Anda Serban, Executive Director of the Resource Center for Public Participation, a civil society organisation that promotes public participation and transparency in decision-making.

UNITED KINGDOM: ‘Live facial recognition treats everyone as a potential suspect, undermining privacy and eroding presumed innocence’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the dangers of live facial recognition technology with Madeleine Stone, Senior Advocacy Officer at Big Brother Watch, a civil society organisation that campaigns against mass surveillance and for digital rights in the UK.

SOUTH AFRICA: ‘The top-down era of global health is over’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the need for community-centred approaches to global health funding and governance with Solange Baptiste, Executive Director of ITPC Global, a South Africa-based global organisation working to achieve health and social justice for all.

SUDAN: ‘The dismissal of Sudan’s case against the UAE exposes the limits of international law’

Interviews
On 5 May, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) dismissed a case brought by the Sudan government against the United Arab Emirates (UAE), alleging violations of the Genocide Convention due to the UAE’s alleged funding and arming of Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militias in Sudan’s ongoing civil war.

HUNGARY: ‘Those who promote accountability, democratic values and human rights are branded enemies of the state’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Hungary’s foreign agents bill with Márta Pardavi, co-chair of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, a human rights organisation that defends human dignity through legal and public advocacy.

URUGUAY: ‘Truth and justice have no statute of limitations; the state must assume its responsibility’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses struggles for historical justice with Graciela Montes de Oca, a member of Mothers and Relatives of Detained and Disappeared Uruguayans, a Uruguayan civil society organisation that seeks truth, justice and prevention of future crimes like those committed under dictatorship.

ZAMBIA: ‘The NGO bill strengthens legal mechanisms designed to discredit or silence critical civil society voices’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Zambia’s Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) bill with Josiah Kalala, Executive Director of Chapter One Foundation, a Zambian civil society organisation (CSO) that promotes constitutionalism, human rights and the rule of law.

SOUTH KOREA: ‘As far-right forces gain ground, the political landscape is shifting to the right’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses South Korea’s upcoming presidential election with Hyun-Phil Na, Executive Director of the Korean House for International Solidarity, a civil society organisation that promotes democracy and human rights across Asia and the Pacific.

ALBANIA: ‘Diaspora voting ensured every citizen, regardless of location, could exercise their right to vote’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Albania’s recent election with Erida Skëndaj, Executive Director of the Albanian Helsinki Committee (AHC), a non-partisan civil society organisation (CSO) dedicated to promoting fair and democratic elections.

UNITED STATES: ‘The funding freeze has damaged the support systems that protect human rights defenders’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the impact of the US funding freeze with Ginna Anderson, Associate Director of the American Bar Association Center for Human Rights and leader of its Justice Defenders Program.

ISRAEL: ‘The groups targeted are those that promote a two-state solution and defend peace and human rights’

Interviews
The Israeli Parliament is debating a controversial bill that would impose an 80 per cent tax on foreign donations to civil society organisations primarily funded by ‘international political entities’.

NICARAGUA: ‘The regime seeks to consolidate absolute control by eliminating all external oversight’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Nicaragua’s withdrawal from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and other international organisations with Wisthon Noguera, an activist, student and deputy coordinator of the National Youth Platform of Nicaragua.

TAJIKISTAN: ‘Authorities silence dissent by accusing activists of extremism, terrorism and spreading false information’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses civic space conditions in Tajikistan with Leila Seiitbek, a human rights lawyer and chairperson of Freedom for Eurasia, a civil society organisation that documents and exposes corruption, kleptocracy and human rights abuses.

PORTUGAL: ‘Civil society must engage to prevent discussions devolving into demagoguery’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Portugal’s recent election with Jorge Máximo, a board member of Transparency International (TI) Portugal, a civil society organisation (CSO) that tackles corruption, promotes transparency and good governance and defends human rights and democratic values.

VENEZUELA: ‘Venezuela is on the road to becoming an entrenched authoritarian regime tolerated by the international community’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Venezuela’s legislative and regional elections and the consolidation of its authoritarian regime with Rafael Uzcátegui, a human rights defender, sociologist and co-director of Laboratorio de Paz, a Venezuelan civil society organisation working for democracy, human rights and civil society strengthening.

ZIMBABWE: ‘The new NGO law is a political weapon targeting civil and political rights work’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses restrictions on civil society with Glanis Changachirere, founding director of the Institute for Young Women Development, a Zimbabwean civil society organisation (CSO) working for women’s rights and against structural inequalities.

UNITED KINGDOM: ‘We need a funding system where everyone contributes, everyone benefits and everyone has a say’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses international development funding with Harpinder Collacott, executive director of the Global Public Investment Network (GPIN).

MALI: ‘The democratic ideal is alive and well and no one can govern for long without credible elections’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with two representatives of Malian civil society – Modibo Diakite, president of the Association for the Socio-Economic and Technological Development of Youth (ADEJ-Mali), and Fakassi Fofana, coordinator of a partner humanitarian organisation – about the likely consequences of a draft law to tax civil society organisations (CSOs).

THE NETHERLANDS: ‘Large investors must accept that climate risk is financial risk and act accordingly’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Mark van Baal, founder and director of Follow This, about its decision to pause filing climate-related shareholder resolutions.

INDONESIA: ‘We are witnessing ecocide in West Papua, one of the world’s richest biodiversity centres’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the devastating impact of palm oil extraction in West Papua with Tigor Hutapea, legal representative of Pusaka Bentala Rakyat, an organisation campaigning for Indigenous Papuan people’s rights to manage their customary lands and forests.

PAKISTAN: ‘The ceasefire offers a narrow window for real change’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses recent tensions between India and Pakistan with Altaf Hussain Wani, chair of the Kashmir Institute of International Relations, a think tank focused on peace research and advocacy based in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, in the disputed Kashmir region.

TURKEY: ‘The Turkish republic has never been a state governed by the rule of law’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses ongoing protests in Turkey with lawyer Eren Keskin, chair of the Human Rights Association (IHD).

UNITED STATES: ‘At a time of widespread violence and division, Pope Leo XIV is prepared to be a Pope of peace’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the election of Pope Leo XIV with Paul Elie, senior fellow at Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs, and regular contributor to The New Yorker.

NEPAL: ‘Despite deep-rooted prejudice against Dalits, encouraging shifts are emerging among young urban people’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the challenges facing Nepal’s Dalit community with Rup Sunar, chairperson of the Dignity Initiative, a Kathmandu-based research and advocacy organisation working to dismantle caste-based discrimination.

INDONESIA: ‘Rather than strengthening democratic institutions, the government is entrenching military power’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses amendments to Indonesia’s national military law with Andrie Yunus, Deputy Coordinator for External Affairs at the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS), an organisation that advocates for human rights and the abolition of the death penalty.

UNITED STATES: ‘Our legal challenge of the funding freeze is testing the judiciary’s ability to check executive power’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Eric Bjornlund, President and CEO of Democracy International, about the impacts of the US foreign aid freeze and the resulting legal challenges the Trump administration is facing.

United Kingdom: ‘Trans rights are human rights, and those don’t stop at borders’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses a UK court ruling on gender definitions with Keyne Walker, political and strategic director at TransActual, a trans-led civil society organisation that focuses on healthcare and legal protections.
Featured

ROMANIA: ‘Our weak and corrupt institutions acted too late to address manipulation that destabilised democracy’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Romania’s presidential election with Anda Serban, Executive Director of Resource Center for Public Participation (CERE), a civil society organisation (CSO) that focuses on public participation and transparency in decision-making processes.

POLAND: ‘Despite the repeal of ‘LGBT-free zones’, LGBTQI+ people still lack basic legal protections’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses progress on LGBTQI+ rights in Poland with Annamaria Linczowska, Advocacy and Litigation Officer at Campaign Against Homophobia (KPH), a Polish LGBTQI+ rights group that works to counter violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity through political, social and legal advocacy.

UNITED STATES: ‘Trump is advancing a 21st-century US variant of fascism, backed by a white nationalist ideology’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about democratic decline in the USA with humanitarian and civil society activist Samuel Worthington, former president of the US civil society alliance InterAction and author of a new book, Prisoners of Hope: Global Action and the Evolving Roles of US NGOs.

AUSTRALIA: ‘Civil society groups play a vital role in protecting electoral integrity’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the Australian election with Saffron Zomer, Executive Director of the Australian Democracy Network, a local organisation that campaigns for a more accountable, fair, open and participatory democracy.

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: ‘Our fight for LGBTQI+ rights isn’t isolated from broader global south struggles against colonial legacies’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Trinidad and Tobago’s recent recriminalisation of same-sex relations with Angelique Nixon, Director of CAISO: Sex and Gender Justice, a feminist civil society organisation that promotes LGBTQI+ rights.
Featured

GREECE: ‘Without channels for constructive engagement, this crisis of legitimacy could empower far-right populist forces’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses protests in Greece with Stefanos Loukopoulos, Director of Vouliwatch, a civil society organisation that monitors parliamentary work and strengthens democratic institutions.

PERU: ‘In the name of transparency, the anti-NGO law seeks to silence civil society’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Peru’s controversial anti-NGO law with Álvaro Henzler, President of Asociación Civil Transparencia, an organisation working for quality democracy and fair political representation.

UNITED KINGDOM: ‘It takes non-violent, disruptive actions to make our government pay attention’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with members of Youth Demand about a recent police raid on their meeting.

CANADA: ‘We help combat disinformation aimed at eroding trust in democratic institutions’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Canada’s 28 April election with Beatrice Wayne, Director of Research and Policy at the Samara Centre for Democracy, a non-partisan civil society organisation (CSO) dedicated to strengthening Canadian democracy.

TURKEY: ‘If civil society doesn’t speak now, we risk having nothing left to defend in just a couple of years’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Turkey’s ongoing protests with Rümeysa Çamdereli, Research Director of the YADA foundation, a civil society organisation (CSO) that works to strengthen civil society’s impact.
Featured

PAKISTAN: ‘Protecting Afghan refugees is not merely a humanitarian gesture – it is a legal obligation’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with human rights lawyer Moniza Kakar about Pakistan’s controversial campaign to expel Afghan refugees.
Featured

ECUADOR: ‘Noboa did not receive a blank cheque: he will have to show tangible results’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Ecuador’s presidential election with Jorge Tapia de los Reyes, Coordinator of the Democracy and Politics Department and the Political Funding Observatory of the Citizenship and Development Foundation (FCD).
Featured

SOUTH SUDAN: ‘The risk of a return to full-scale war is very high – it’s only a matter of time’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about an escalating crisis in South Sudan with Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) South Sudan.
Featured

SOUTH AFRICA: ‘The recent attacks on activists echo apartheid-era repression, although this is supposedly a democracy’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the dangers facing civil society activists and whistleblowers in South Africa with Corlett Letlojane.
Featured

UKRAINE: ‘The international response should follow the principle of ‘nothing about us, without us’’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Ukrainian gender rights activist Maryna Rudenko about the gendered impacts of the war in Ukraine and the importance of including women in peacebuilding efforts.

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