Interviews

Featured

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

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 General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).
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SERBIA: ‘The political crisis will deepen as a large number of people lack representation’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Ivana Teofilović about the causes of recent protests and the government’s reaction to them, as well as about the elections held in Serbia under the COVID-19 pandemic.
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CHILE: ‘This historic constituent moment was achieved by citizens’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Marcela Guillibrand De la Jara, Executive Director of the Chilean Volunteer Network (Red de Voluntarios de Chile) and General Coordinator of Now It’s Our Time to Participate (Ahora Nos Toca Participar).
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NIGERIA: ‘The global anti-racist protests renewed the call for police accountability’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks to Nelson Olanipekun, a human rights lawyer and the founder and team lead of Citizens’ Gavel, a Nigerian civic tech organisation that works to increase the pace of the delivery of justice by promoting access to justice, citizens’ engagement and the use of digital technologies.
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POLAND: ‘We invented new forms of protest because we had to’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks to Klementyna Suchanow, an activist, author and researcher based in Warsaw, Poland, about the recent announcement by the Polish government that it will begin the process to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention on Violence against Women.
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HONG KONG: ‘The National Security Law infringes on freedom of expression and is intensifying self-censorship’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Patrick Poon, an independent human rights researcher, on the human rights situation in Hong Kong after a new National Security Law (NSL) was passed in June 2020.
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#BEIJING25: ‘We are outraged at discrimination and are turning our claims into action’

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 and experts about the progress achieved and the challenges ahead.
Featured

BURUNDI: ‘The election of new leaders is not synonymous with democracy’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the recent elections in Burundi with a civil society activist who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons.
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SRI LANKA: ‘Media control gave the government a definite advantage’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks to Sandun Thudugala, Head of Programmes at the Law and Society Trust (LST), about the legislative elections held in Sri Lanka on 5 August 2020, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Featured

COVID-19: ‘Refugees paid a heavier price during a crisis that many believed impacted on us all equally’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the situation of climate refugees and increasing challenges under the COVID-19 pandemic with Amali Tower, founder and executive director of Climate Refugees.
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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: ‘We are part of a global anti-racist movement’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Elena Lorac, coordinator of Reconoci.
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COVID-19: ‘We need public policies that reduce and redistribute unpaid care work’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on gender inequalities and civil society responses with Gala Díaz Langou, director of the Social Protection Programme of the Center for the Implementation of Public Policies for Equity and Growth (Centro de Implementación de Políticas Públicas para la Equidad y el Crecimiento, CIPPEC).
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BOLIVIA: ‘The pandemic became a justification for tightening information control’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the Bolivian political landscape and upcoming elections in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic with Cristian León, programme director of Asuntos del Sur and coordinator of Public Innovation 360, a project focused on strengthening democracy at the subnational level which is currently being implemented in three Latin American countries.
Featured

TURKEY: ‘If we withdraw from Istanbul Convention, it means we don't believe in gender equality’

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 and experts about the progress achieved and the challenges ahead.
Featured

MALAWI: ‘Civil society expects new gov. to place rights at the top of its agenda’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Michael Kaiyatsa, acting Executive Director of the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR), about the recent presidential election in Malawi, which were held in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and led to a change of government.
Featured

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: ‘The times ahead may bring positive change’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the recent elections in the Dominican Republic, held in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, with Hamilk Chahin, coordinator of the Citizen Manifesto for Electoral Transparency, and Addys Then Marte, executive director of Alianza ONG.
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SINGAPORE: ‘Opposition parties were given unfavourable coverage by the state media and had difficulty accessing voters’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks to human rights defender Jolovan Wham about the recent elections in Singapore, which were held in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Featured

ARGENTINA: ‘We must stop attempts to go back to the injustices of the pre-pandemic era’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the COVID-19 crisis and civil society responses with Sebastián Pilo, co-director of Civil Association for Equality and Justice (Asociación Civil por la Igualdad y la Justicia, ACIJ), a civil society organisation (CSO) dedicated to defending the rights of the most disadvantaged groups and strengthening democracy in Argentina.
Featured

HUNGARY: ‘Trans people are having our rights being taken away’

Interviews
  A new law in Hungary, passed at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, prevents trans people from legally changing their gender.
Featured

TUNISIA: ‘The official response has failed to consider the gendered aspects of the pandemic’

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 and experts about the progress achieved and the challenges ahead.
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COSTA RICA: ‘Once legal change achieved, public policy should continue to focus on structural exclusion’

Interviews
On 26 May 2020, Costa Rica became the first country in Central America to recognise same-sex marriage.
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MEXICO: ‘Violence against women is a historical pandemic’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Wendy Figueroa, director of the Red Nacional de Refugios (National Network of Shelters), a Mexican civil society organisation (CSO) that has been active for more than 20 years.
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MALAWI: ‘Girls need protection against COVID-19, and against endemic violations of their rights’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Ephraim Chimwaza, Executive Director of the Centre for Social Concern and Development (CESOCODE), a Malawian reproductive health and women’s rights civil society organisation (CSO).
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LEBANON: ‘Change begins by handing over the mic to grassroots feminist organisations’

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 and experts about the progress achieved and the challenges ahead.
Featured

JAPAN: ‘The vulnerability of the homeless is the result of contemporary society’s built-in social exclusion’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks to Tsubasa Yuki of Moyai Support Centre for Independent Living about the situation of homeless people amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.
Featured

ASIA: ‘Under the pandemic, racism against Indigenous peoples has intensified’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks to Gam Shimray, Secretary General of the Asian Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP), about the situation of Indigenous groups in Asia amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Featured

MALAYSIA: ‘Migrants are amongst the first to be victimised and discriminated during the pandemic’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks to Adrian Pereira, the Executive Director of North South Initiative (NSI), about the situation of migrant workers in Malaysia amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Featured

POLAND: ‘People are more understanding and supportive of LGBTQI+ issues than politicians’

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 in facing anti-rights backlash and their strategies to strengthen progressive narratives and civil society responses.
Featured

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

Interviews
CIVICUS has received letters from Dano Anes Tabuni and Charles Kossay around their arrest and detention.
Featured

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

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 and experts about the progress achieved and the challenges ahead.
Featured

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

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.
Featured

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

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 challenges they face in their contexts and the actions they are taking.
Featured

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

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 international cooperation, and in particular for his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea.
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#UN75: ‘There is often a lack of transparency on how civil society’s inputs are reflected in UN work’

Interviews
2020 marks 75 years since the founding of the United Nations (UN).
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COLOMBIA: ‘The protection of the environment is inseparable from the success of the peace process’

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 challenges they face in their contexts and the actions they are taking.
Featured

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

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 for greater controls in the international arms trade to end the human suffering caused by the irresponsible arms trade, and to stop arms transfers that fuel conflict, systemic armed violence, poverty and serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.
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AGAINST DISINFORMATION: ‘Enabling each to tell their story offers an opportunity to share our truths’

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 tools to civil society organisations (CSOs).
Featured

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

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 challenges they face in their contexts and the actions they are taking.
Featured

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

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Rory Daniels about the 2019 elections in the UK and the dangers that disinformation poses to democracy.
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G20: ‘Civil society is treated as a second-class partner; its recommendations often go unheard’

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 degree to which it can influence decision-making processes, and the successes achieved and challenges encountered in 2019 by the C20, the engagement group for civil society within the G20.
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PHILIPPINES: ‘If we don’t fight against the system, people will continue to die’

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 challenges they face in their contexts and the actions they are taking.
Featured

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

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 protests that began in Lebanon in October 2019, the changes achieved and the challenges encountered.
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#UN75: ‘The UN cannot afford to miss opportunities for civil society engagement’

Interviews
2020 marks 75 years since the founding of the United Nations (UN).
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COLOMBIA: ‘Citizens are outraged and tired of the policies that have plunged them into poverty’

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

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 data revolution for sustainable development.
Featured

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

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 backlash from anti-rights groups and their strategies to strengthen progressive narratives and civil society responses.
Featured

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

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks to Barnaby Willitts-King, Senior Research Fellow at the Overseas Development Institute (ODI).
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PAPUA NEW GUINEA: ‘If we allow seabed mining everyone is at risk’

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 challenges they face and the actions they are taking.
Featured

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

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 New York University School of Law and Professor of Law Emerita at the City University of New York School of Law.
Featured

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

Interviews
2020 marks 75 years since the founding of the United Nations (UN).

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