Argentina Plunges into the Unknown
Opinions & Features
By Inés M.
Opinions & Features
Mauritius' court ruling shows southern Africa leads the way in LGBTQIA+ rights in Africa
Opinions & Features
By Sylvia Mbataru and Mawethu Nkosana
The Mauritius decision is part of a wider trend of Southern African courts protecting LGBTQIA+ rights following sustained strategic litigation and advocacy by activists and civil society organisations.
Advocacy at African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Arusha, Tanzania
Opinions & Features
On the margins of the 77th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) held in Arusha, Tanzania, CIVICUS, through the Consortium for Human Rights and Media in Sub-Saharan Africa (CHARM) project hosted a side event on Environmental Rights and Human Rights Defenders in Africa on 21 October 2023.
Gaza: Immediate ceasefire needed
Opinions & Features
Long-term solutions must also be advanced to respect human rights
By CIVICUS Staff
An immediate ceasefire is needed to stop the slaughter of civilians in Gaza and enable full humanitarian access to supply the essentials a besieged population needs and is currently being denied.
UN's impact is hamstrung by scant civil society participation
Opinions & Features
Mandeep Tiwana, chief officer for evidence and engagement at CIVICUS and Lysa John, Secretary General of CIVICUS
Let’s not beat around the bush: this year’s United Nations General Assembly was a letdown.
Intergenerational Movement For Change: CIVICUS Uniting For A Just And Sustainable Future
Opinions & Features
By Secretary General, Lysa John and Chief Officer of Evidence and Engagement Mandeep Tiwana
Defending people power and striving to promote excluded voices — this is the mission of CIVICUS, a global alliance of civil society organizations and activists dedicated to strengthening citizen action and civil society throughout the world.
The UN’s Own Relevance Is at Stake at This Year’s General Assembly
Opinions & Features
By Mandeep Tiwana, Chief Officer for evidence and engagement + representative to the UN headquarters at CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance
This September, world leaders and public policy advocates from around the world will descend on New York for the UN General Assembly.
Niger coup – military intervention by Ecowas could prove costly for human rights
Opinions & Features
By David Kode, CIVICUS' Advocacy and Campaigns Lead
Mohamed Bazoum’s ascension to the presidency in 2021 in a rare political transition was a major boost for Niger’s democracy.
Lessons from our work across 2017 to 2022 and implications for our current strategic action
Opinions & Features
A message from Lysa John, Secretary-General of CIVICUS
Dear CIVICUS members and allies
At the close of our 2017-2022 Strategic Plan period, we committed to review the most significant outcomes achieved and lessons learnt from its implementation.
The Civic Space Crisis in Africa and How Civil Society Responds
Opinions & Features
Introduction
The state of civic space globally and the environment for civil society continues to deteriorate.
Cloud Lingers over Sierra Leone’s Election
Opinions & Features
By Andrew Firmin CIVICUS Editor-in-Chief, co-director and writer for CIVICUS Lens and co-author of the State of Civil Society Report.
MYANMAR: MILITARY JUNTA GETS A FREE PASS
Opinions & Features
By Andrew Firmin, CIVICUS Editor-in-Chief, co-director and writer for CIVICUS Lens and co-author of the State of Civil Society Report.
Thailand: Time for Democracy
Opinions & Features
By Andrew Firmin CIVICUS Editor-in-Chief, co-director and writer for CIVICUS Lens and co-author of the State of Civil Society Report.
Chile: New Constitution in the Hands of the Far Right
Opinions & Features
By Inés Pousadela, Senior Research Specialist, co-director and writer for CIVICUS Lens and co-author of the State of Civil Society Report.
Celebrating our #1 position on the FAIR SHARE of Women Leaders Monitor
Opinions & Features
Dear members and allies,
CIVICUS has just been recognised as the top-ranking organisation in the annual FAIR SHARE for Women Leaders Monitor.
Civil society in a world of crisis: An overview of the 2023 State of Civil Society Report
Opinions & Features
Mandeep S.
Agenda 2030: Why civic participation is key to meeting UN sustainability targets
Opinions & Features
Mandeep S.
Uzbekistan: A President for Life?
Opinions & Features
By Andrew Firmin
Where will you be in 2040? For Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the answer is: in the Kuksaroy Presidential Palace.
Localisation: A Paradigm Shift Towards Local Leadership in the Global South
Opinions & Features
By Deborah Mowesley, Innovation For Change InternIn recent years, words like “localisation” and “locally-led” have garnered significant attention.
Fiji: Deeper Democracy or Continuing Danger?
Opinions & Features
It’s been a time of significant change in Fiji following the country’s December 2022 election.
Sudan conflict marks failure of transition plan
Opinions & Features
By Andrew Firmin, CIVICUS Editor-in-Chief, co-director and writer for CIVICUS Lens and co-author of the State of Civil Society Report
On one side is the army, headed by Sudan’s current leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
Global solidarity needed to address Taliban’s attacks on women’s rights
Opinions & Features
By David Kode, Advocacy and Campaigns Lead at CIVICUS
Matiullah Wesa’s crime was to try to ensure young people got an education in Afghanistan.
Cuba: elections without choices
Opinions & Features
By Ines Pousadela, CIVICUS Senior Research Specialist
The uncertainty that’s the hallmark of a democratic election was absent on 26 March, the day Cubans were summoned to appoint members of the National Assembly of People’s Power, the country’s legislative body.
Strengthening Citizen Engagement and Participation in the Civic Space: Challenges and Recommendations
Opinions & Features
By Deborah Mowesley, Innovation For Change InternAs an intern at CIVICUS for the past two months, I have had the opportunity to gain valuable insight into the workings of civic engagement and participation.
Civil Society a Vital Force for Change Against the Odds
Opinions & Features
By Andrew Firmin and Inés M.
Georgia: danger averted, for now
Opinions & Features
By Andrew Firmin is CIVICUS Editor-in-Chief, co-director and writer for CIVICUS Lens and co-author of the State of Civil Society Report.
Civic space – the bedrock of democracy – is scarce and contested
Opinions & Features
By Mandeep Tiwana, Chief of Programmes, CIVICUS
On 29 and 30 March, the US government, in partnership with Costa Rica, Netherlands, South Korea and Zambia, will co-host the second virtual Summit for Democracy.
Belarus: A Prison State in Europe
Opinions & Features
By Andrew Firmin, Editor-in-Chief, CIVICUS
Last October, Ales Bialiatski was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Tunisia’s nascent democracy is fast eroding
Opinions & Features
By David Kode, Advocacy and Campaigns Lead at CIVICUS
In the space of less than three weeks, Tunisian President Kais Saied has rounded up and arrested at least thirteen people from different walks of life who share one thing in common: they have all publicly criticized the consolidation of power by the president.
Building Collective Action: Lessons from our Membership Engagement Month
Opinions & Features
A message from Lysa John, Secretary-General of CIVICUS
Dear CIVICUS members and allies,
Across 10 November to 10 December last year, we coordinated a series of events to mark our very first ‘Membership Engagement Month’.
Russia and Ukraine: Civil Society Repression and Response
Opinions & Features
By Andrew Firmin, Editor-in-Chief at CIVICUS
Over the year since the start of Russia’s war on Ukraine, on one side of the border civil society has shown itself to be a vital part of the effort to save lives and protect rights – but on the other, it’s been repressed more ruthlessly than ever.
Deborah Mowesley’s Internship Reflection Piece
Opinions & Features
Excited to have completed my first month as the Communications Intern at CIVICUS under the Innovation for Change Cluster.
Eswatini: Democracy a Matter of Life and Death
Opinions & Features
By Andrew Firmin, Editor-in-Chief at CIVICUS
Thulani Maseko knew speaking out in Eswatini was a risky business.
Collective Activism Paying Dividends In Tanzania And Zambia
Opinions & Features
By David Kobe, Advocacy and campaigns Lead for CIVICUS
When President Samia Suluhu Hassan took over as President of Tanzania on 19 March 2021, following the death of President John Magufuli, civil society in Tanzania was under siege.
Year in review – Protesters take to the streets across Africa in 2022 despite restrictions
Opinions & Features
By Ine Van Severen, Civic Space Researcher at CIVICUS
Over the past year, protests have been recorded in more than 30 countries across the continent, finds a new global report by the Civicus Monitor.
Looking ahead: Expanding our efforts to protect civic space
Opinions & Features
A message from Lysa John, Secretary-General of CIVICUS
Dear CIVICUS members and allies,
We were excited to host the CIVICUS Board and representatives from our key networks – Affinity Group of National Associations (AGNA) and the Youth Action Team (YAT) – in Johannesburg this November! It is the first time we have met together in South Africa since the start of the pandemic.
Women activists are standing up against the assault of the Taliban on rights and freedoms
Opinions & Features
Horia Mosadiq, is an Afghan women human rights defender (HRD) and founder of Safety and Risk Mitigation Organization (SRMO) and a CIVICUS member.
What can we learn from Brazil’s election?
Opinions & Features
By Ana Addobbati, CIVICUS Board Member and Feminist Activist
Photo credit: Andressa Anholete / Getty Images
Brazil has one of the largest democratic populations in the world.
Supporting grassroots groups better through shifts in resourcing and practices
Opinions & Features
By Nosibabalwe Socikwa, Membership and Network Intern.
Safety & Cyber Security: 8 Tips for Civil Society Digital Defense
Opinions & Features
The month of October is officially declared as CyberSecurityAwarenessMonth, and the digital age has ushered in a new era of human rights activism, journalism, and social justice.
CIVICUS At UNGA77: Key Highlights & Takeaways
Opinions & Features
A message from Lysa John, Secretary-General of CIVICUS
Dear CIVICUS members and allies,
For the first time in three years, this September, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session and associated meetings were organised in person.
Uyghur Violations a Litmus Test for Global Governance and Rules-Based International Order
Opinions & Features
By Mandeep Tiwana, Head of Programs and United Nations Representative at CIVICUS
This week is a momentous one for the world’s premier human rights body.
9/11’s anti-human rights legacy in Eswatini
Opinions & Features
By Kgalalelo Gaebee, Communications Officer and David Kode, Lead of Advocacy and Campaigns at CIVICUS
Twenty-one years on, the legacy of the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 still reverberate.
CIVICUS' New Strategic Period: A Time to Actively Engage Members and Allies
Opinions & Features
A message from Lysa John, Secretary-General of CIVICUS
Dear CIVICUS members and allies,
On July 1st, we marked the beginning of a new strategy period for the CIVICUS alliance.
