By Lysa John, outgoing Secretary General of CIVICUS. Presently the Executive Director of the Atlantic Institute.
When I joined CIVICUS in 2019, I came in with two decades of work on influencing and monitoring public policies through grassroots and global activism. Joining CIVICUS as Secretary-General felt familiar, like returning home after a period of separation. My first international role in 2006 – as Campaign Director of the Global Call to Action against Poverty – was initially hosted by CIVICUS. One of my most memorable campaign endeavours, The World We Want 2015, was conceptualised in the basement of CIVICUS House in 2011.
My predecessors – Danny Sriskandarajah, Ingrid Srinath, Katsuji Imata, Kumi Naidoo and Miklos Marshall – had made significant contributions to the direction and outcomes of the alliance. I was grateful for the opportunity to serve this remarkable network dedicated to strengthening civil society and civic action. Little did I know that I would be leading CIVICUS through one of the most challenging periods for the world and for civil society.
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