Interviews

Featured

FRANCE: ‘As civil society, we must mobilise our forces to defend the democratic principles of our country’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses recent changes in the French political landscape with Valentin Stel, Co-Director of SOS Racisme, a civil society organisation that has been working for 40 years to improve public policy and tackle racism, antisemitism and racial discrimination in France.
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NORTH MACEDONIA: ‘Protesters are calling for immediate justice and long-term reforms’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses recent protests in North Macedonia with Borjan Eftimov, a student activist from the local group YOUth Choose.
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BOTSWANA: ‘Political leadership may have changed, but the state still controls the narrative and excludes civil society’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Botswana’s new government with Dumiso Gatsha, director of Success Capital, a local youth-led LGBTQI+ organisation.
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USA: ‘Rebuilding trust in democracy requires reclaiming power from the few to ensure it delivers for all’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses global democratic decline with Soheïla Comninos, consultant at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University and lead author alongside Scott Warren, Fellow at the Institute, of its new report, Global Democracy Theory of Change.
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MEXICO: ‘The discovery of the torture centre exposed the state’s complicity with organised crime’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses enforced disappearances in Mexico with Anna Karolina Chimiak, co-director of the Justice Centre for Peace and Development (CEPAD).
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TURKEY: ‘This new law will push LGBTQI+ people and communities into deeper invisibility and precarity’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Turkey’s proposed law targeting LGBTQI+ rights with an activist from Women for Women’s Human Rights Association, a civil society organisation fighting for equality and non-discrimination in Turkey.
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PHILIPPINES: ‘Duterte’s arrest reinforces the principle that leaders are not above international law’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the arrest of former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte with Maria Sol Taule, deputy secretary general of the human rights organisation Karapatan.
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GLOBAL: ‘Energy Transfer’s lawsuit against Greenpeace is an attempt to drain our resources and silence dissent’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Daniel Simons, Senior Legal Counsel Strategic Defence for Greenpeace International, about the lawsuit brought by an oil and gas company against Greenpeace and its broader implications for civil society.
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BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA: The new foreign agents’ law isn’t about transparency – it’s about silencing dissent’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the foreign agents’ law recently adopted in Republika Srpska, one of the two main political entities that make up Bosnia and Herzegovina, with Damjan Ožegović, Senior Researcher and Legal Affairs Associate at Transparency International (TI) Bosnia.
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SERBIA: ‘Student protests have sparked solidarity, empathy and a renewed belief in collective action’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses recent protests in Serbia with Alma Mustajbašić, researcher at Civic Initiatives, a Serbian civil society organisation that advocates for democracy, human rights and citizen engagement.
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GLOBAL: ‘Civil society is pushing for transparent, rights-centred AI governance’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses military applications of AI and the urgent need for regulation with Franco Giandana Gigena, Policy Analyst at Access Now, a digital rights organisation that advocates for human rights in the technological age.
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KOSOVO: ‘Civil society works day in and day out to build democracy’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses challenges following Kosovo’s election with Taulant Hoxha, Executive Director of the Kosovar Civil Society Foundation (KCSF), an independent civil society organisation (CSO) that supports local groups to develop a more participatory and democratic society.
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AMERICAS: ‘The exclusion of women limits the options and talent available to lead the OAS’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the election of the next Organization of American States (OAS) Secretary General with Viviana Krsticevic, Executive Director of the Centre for Justice and International Law (CEJIL), a civil society organisation that works to ensure the full enjoyment of human rights in the Americas through the use of the inter-American system and other international mechanisms.
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DRC: ‘If the root causes of the conflict are not addressed, the cycle of violence is likely to persist’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses recent developments in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with Reagan Miviri, researcher and analyst at Ebuteli (‘staircase’), a Congolese research institute focused on issues of politics, governance and conflict.
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NAMIBIA: ‘Legal rights must translate into real protections, and the fight for marriage equality must continue’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses LGBTQI+ rights struggles and the backlash in Namibia with Miguel Gomes Antonio, Executive Director of the Southern African Christian Initiative (SACHI), a regional civil society organisation (CSO) that advocates for social and political development, democracy and good governance, social and economic justice and peace, religious tolerance and interfaith dialogue.
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GUYANA: ‘Journalists often avoid critical reporting to protect themselves from harassment’

Interviews
Tensions between Guyana and Venezuela have escalated following an alleged attack on Guyanese soldiers near the Cuyuni River.
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NEPAL: ‘The Social Network Bill is part of a broader strategy to tighten control over digital communication’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Nepal’s Social Network Bill with Dikshya Khadgi, a Nepali feminist digital rights lawyer and activist and a member of AALAWYA, a feminist advocacy and movement lawyering collective rooted in the values of justice, equality, radical care and cross-movement building.
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ARGENTINA: ‘Society must prepare to act collectively to defend rights and democracy’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses attacks on women’s and LGBTQI+ people’s rights with Natalia Gherardi, Executive Director of the Latin American Team on Justice and Gender (ELA), an Argentinean civil society organisation that works at the regional level.
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KENYA: ‘The Family Protection Bill threatens to escalate violence against LGBTQI+ people’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Kenya’s proposed Family Protection Bill with Arsenekah Ezekiel, executive director of World Post Changers Network, a Kenyan civil society organisation (CSO) that advocates for LGBTQI+ rights.
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UKRAINE: ‘Civil society remains resilient and responsive, but financial constraints now hamper its efforts’

Interviews
After three years of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, CIVICUS discusses the civil society response with Mykhailo Savva, member of the Expert Council of Ukraine’s Center for Civil Liberties, a civil society organisation (CSO) dedicated to the protection and promotion of human rights.
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NICARAGUA: ‘The regime counts on the disappearance of civil society, but people will always look for ways to organise themselves’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses civil society in Nicaragua with Amaru Ruiz, a Nicaraguan activist, president of Fundación del Río and president of the board of the Central American Association for Development and Democracy (ACDD).
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CAR: ‘Civil society must be at the heart of any human rights protection system’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the current crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR) with an activist and human rights defender who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons.
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GAZA: ‘True peace requires an inclusive approach, where everyone involved has a voice’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas with Yossi Mekelberg, Professor of International Relations and Senior Consulting Fellow at Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa Programme.
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MYANMAR: ‘The junta’s sham election cannot pave the way for real political change and should not be legitimised’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Myanmar’s upcoming election with Nyein, a human rights advocate and researcher with the Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma (ALTSEAN-Burma).
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GREENLAND: ‘Greenland’s people have the right to decide the nature of their relations with other countries’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the USA’s ambitions towards Greenland with Rachael Lorna Johnstone, Professor of Law at the University of Akureyri in Iceland and the University of Greenland, and Fulbright Arctic IV Scholar.
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INDIA: ‘The new criminal laws mark a shift from a ‘rule of law’ to a ‘rule by law’ model that prioritises state control’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses India’s new criminal laws with Aditya Shrivastava, a human rights lawyer, civil society activist and researcher with the Contested Democracy Platform at Södertörn University in Sweden.
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BELARUS: ‘The work of human rights defenders in exile is crucial in keeping the democratic movement alive’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Natallia Satsunkevich, human rights defender and interim board member of the Viasna Human Rights Centre, about the state of civil society in Belarus, the impact of repression on opposition movements and the role of the international community in supporting democracy.
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CARIBBEAN: ‘We need to accept people with disabilities and include them in our communities’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Andrew Sharpe, president of the Authentic Caribbean Foundation (ACF) and the newly formed Caribbean Disability Network, about civil society work for disability rights in the Caribbean.
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GERMANY: ‘A key element of resistance to the far right is the firewall – which a major party has just breached’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the growth of the right-wing extremist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party with Cynthia Freund-Möller and Matthias Meyer, project lead and research associate at the Right-Wing Studies Knowledge Network (Wi-REX).
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AUSTRALIA: ‘Attacks on the right to protest are escalating’

Interviews
Brenna McNeil is coordinator of Melbourne Activist Legal Support (MALS), an all-volunteer organisation that provides training for protest movements, offers information and resources on the right to protest and trains and fields legal observer teams that monitor and report on the policing of protests in Australia’s Victoria state.
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ZIMBABWE: ‘Democratic rules shouldn’t be changed just because they are inconvenient to those in power’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with civic educator and activist Munashe Masiyiwa about a recent proposal to extend presidential terms in Zimbabwe.
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ECUADOR: ‘This election campaign offers two opposing visions of how to tackle insecurity’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Ecuador’s upcoming elections with Jorge Tapia de los Reyes, Coordinator of the Democracy and Politics Department and Funding Observatory of the Citizenship and Development Foundation (CDF).
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GUINEA-BISSAU: ‘Protests showed the power of popular mobilisation in forcing the government to respond’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the challenges of democracy in Guinea-Bissau with Malam Sanha, human rights activist and secretary general of the Forum for Social Participation of Young Girls (FINSJOR).
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THAILAND: ‘Thailand’s treatment of Uyghur refugees violates international standards’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks to Rushan Abbas, activist, human rights defender and executive director of Campaign for Uyghurs, a US-based civil society organisation that advocates for the rights and freedoms of Uyghur people in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, also known as East Turkistan, and around the world.
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DRC: ‘Rwandan support for the M23 threatens to turn the conflict into a regional crisis’

Interviews
Steward Muhindo is an activist with LUCHA (Lutte pour le changement), a non-violent, non-partisan civic movement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
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INDONESIA: ‘The transmigration plan threatens Papua’s autonomy and Indigenous ways of life’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks to Budi Hernawan, human rights defender and senior lecturer at Driyarkara School of Philosophy in Jakarta.
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ETHIOPIA: ‘Reconciliation will require robust transitional justice and accountability mechanisms’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the ongoing conflict in Ethiopia’s Amhara region with Hone Mandefro, advocacy director at the Amhara Association of America, and Henok Ashagray, PhD candidate and project officer at the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria.
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‘Areas essential to the global climate are being threatened by economic projects’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses activism against oil auctions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with François Kamate, founder and coordinator of the young environmental volunteer movement Extinction Rebellion Rutshuru.
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VENEZUELA: ‘Each failed attempt at democratic transition reinforces the power of the authoritarian government’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the expectations of Venezuelan civil society following Nicolás Maduro’s inauguration with Carlos Torrealba, a Venezuelan academic and researcher at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
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ARGENTINA: ‘The closure of Meta’s US fact-checking programme is a major setback in the fight against disinformation’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Olivia Sohr about the challenges of disinformation and the consequences of the closure of Meta’s fact-checking programme in the USA.
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THAILAND: ‘Once-safe havens for political exiles have become dangerous territories’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses ongoing repression in Southeast Asia with Phil Robertson, director of Asia Human Rights and Labor Advocates.
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SRI LANKA: ‘Journalists who challenge authority continue to face potentially deadly consequences’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses restrictions on press freedom in Sri Lanka with human rights defender and journalist Sunanda Deshapriya.
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KENYA: ‘The goal is clear: to silence those who demand accountability and cower others into submission’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses protests in Kenya with human rights defender Maxie Daniel.
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NICARAGUA: ‘With the new financial law the Ortega-Murillo regime consolidates its absolute control’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Nicaraguan lawyer and activist Juan Barberena about recent legal changes and their impact on civil society in Nicaragua.
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PERU: ‘They’re trying to restrict us because our criticisms of rights violations make those in power uncomfortable’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses a proposed NGO law in Peru with Susana Chávez, Director of Advocacy at PROMSEX, a Peruvian feminist organisation that promotes autonomy, dignity, justice and equality in decisions about sexuality and reproduction.
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GUINEA: ‘The international community can support a democratic transition by backing a truly participatory process’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses Guinea’s delayed democratic transition with Alix Boucher, assistant research fellow at the US-based Africa Center for Strategic Studies.
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SYRIA: ‘Syria’s recovery and democratic transition require a combination of international solidarity and local ownership’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the future of Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s authoritarian regime with Alaaiddien Ayoub, founder and director of EPISA, a civil society organisation (CSO) that supports sustainable development, democratic approaches, peacebuilding processes and inclusion in Syria.
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POLAND: ‘Legal gaps make it difficult to prosecute anti-LGBTQI+ hate crimes’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses an initiative to recognise hate speech against LGBTQI+ people as a hate crime with Olga Pawłowska-Plesińska, Advocacy Coordinator at the Campaign Against Homophobia, a Polish civil society organisation.
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URUGUAY: ‘The far right is still marginal; there’s a majority commitment to democracy’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the results of 2024 presidential elections and the imminent inauguration of a leftist government in Uruguay with Alicia Lissidini, professor and researcher at the School of Politics and Government of the National University of San Martín in Argentina.
Featured

COP16: ‘For the first time, a UN environmental convention formally recognises Indigenous traditional knowledge’

Interviews
CIVICUS discusses the recent United Nations (UN) biodiversity summit, COP16, with Viviana Figueroa, Global Technical Coordinator of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB).

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