Dear CIVICUS members, partners and allies,
At the time of writing, many of us are still reeling from the surprise cancellation of Rights Con, the world’s premier gathering at the intersection of tech and human rights. Our partner, Access Now’s statement on what transpired is illuminating.
Notably, we are living in a world of profound global tumult. An axis of unaccountable power is trying hard to reverse a lifetime of civil society gains on peace, justice, equality and sustainability. Yet, it is in times like these that our work to hold the line and defend civic freedoms through citizen action matters. Authoritarians, populists and oligarchs who rule by diktat want us to believe that they are unstoppable and that their power is boundless. Their greatest weapon is manufactured hopelessness. Our greatest weapon is resistance through an unshakeable belief in our common humanity and refusal to accept the obscene, the bizarre, and the profane as the new normal.
Understanding the political economy of oppression is key. Decades of concerted push to entrench market fundamentalism and privatisation discourse has led to extreme inequality and state capture of institutions by elites in almost every country. We are now witnessing the full impact of the results of billionaire influence on governance which began in earnest in the MDG era.
Resistance and the 2026 State of Civil Society Report
In March this year, we released the 15th edition of our annual State of Civil Society report. This year’s report includes resistance as a constant theme without glossing over the challenges that lie before us. Powerful states are attempting a neo-colonial carve up of the world into spheres of influence where they can freely exploit natural resources and subjugate peoples by projecting military and economic prowess. In the process they are weakening the rule of law and international institutions to entrench impunity. Despite the generally hostile environment, our report includes myriad examples of civil society advances on issues ranging from climate justice to marriage equality, proving that even in difficult circumstances change is possible.
Upstanding people around the world are consciously choosing courage over despair. Street protests, including youth and Gen Z protests, are emerging as an effective form of resistance to nepotism and pervasive corruption. Civil society work is still continuing through community engagement even in closed and dangerous civic spaces. Further, painstaking evidence gathering and efforts to activate institutions are leading to results, such as the prosecution of powerful politicians and militia leaders responsible for mass atrocities.
Reimagining the Future of Civil Society
This April, I had the opportunity to join the Reimagining the future of Civil Society gathering in Buenos Aires, organised by our AGNA (Affinity Group of National Associations) member RACI. It was a valuable space to share hard truths and test new ideas.
Three realisations stood out. First, civil society cannot flourish without public legitimacy. We need stronger public-facing communications that bring out the value of civil society as a public good and an end in itself. Second, we must break out of rigidities and linear habits of viewing social change as a project based activity. Progress on rights and justice isn’t formulaic. It involves a dynamic process of movement building. Third, the funding landscape is changing fast. The dominant philanthropy and development assistance model that many of us have come to know is under strain due to political upheavals in the global North. We need to adapt by diversifying strategies for resource mobilisation and deepening our legitimacy with our constituencies. In sum, we should measure our relevance by public support, not donor approval. Relationships with funders matter, but public support is critical for long-term sustainability.
Ottawa Civic Space Summit: Solidarity and Renewed Urgency
The Inaugural Ottawa Civic Space Summit organised by Cooperation Canada and Resilient Societies from 21-23 April was a hopeful gathering that left myself and many others enthused. It brought together a critical mass of civil society leaders, thinkers and justice seekers to collectively reflect on solidarity actions to resist repression, reclaim civic power, and reimagine a more inclusive democratic future. It reinforced a simple message: democratic governments that claim to support rights must back their commitments with principled diplomacy and be willing to stand firm with civil society facing harsh restrictions.
At the same time, those of us who work in organised civil society have a lot to learn from active citizens, youth movements and community groups who are not waiting for funding surges to ‘save the world’ but are rather responding to the widespread public dissatisfaction with the present state of affairs by mobilising people online and on the streets.
Highlights from our teams:
CIVICUS Monitor Watchlist
Our CIVICUS Monitor Watchlist (March 2026) has flagged serious concerns about declining civic freedoms and attacks on civil society actors in Benin, Ecuador, Georgia, Iran, and the Philippines. We will continue to track developments in each of these countries to push for improvements.
Funding Civil Society Freedom Report
We worked together with Peace Direct, ADD International, Global Fund for Community Foundations, Global Giving Foundation, NEAR and The Share Trust, to launch the Funding Civil Society Freedom report which is worth a read.
Building Pro-Civic Space Narratives:
From 21–24 April in Bangkok, CIVICUS and Asia Centre convened communicators and narrative builders from across Asia to collectively reflect on how to amplify pro‑civic space narratives in increasingly restrictive contexts. The convening created space for shared learning, solidarity, and collaboration, highlighting the power of shared storytelling and people-centered communication.
53rd Session of the Universal Periodic Review
During the 53rd session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR 53), we made joint submissions on civic space conditions in Papua New Guinea, Tajikistan, Tanzania and Thailand. The submissions include several practical recommendations for action.
Moving forward, let us keep reimagining and reinventing ourselves to be fit for purpose in these times. Those of us who work in organised civil society can meet the moment by focusing efforts on supporting bottom-up people driven change. The limits of driving top-down policy changes through proximity to powerful decision makers without creating meaningful connections with communities have been laid bare.
In solidarity,
Mandeep S. Tiwana
Secretary General, CIVICUS
Stay updated with news, analysis, and updates from our teams here.
