State of Civil Society Report 2021

ABOUT THIS REPORT

Each year, CIVICUS publishes the State of Civil Society Report to analyse how contemporary events and trends are impacting on civil society and how civil society is responding to the major issues and problems of the day. This is the 10th edition of our report, focusing on civil society action and developments affecting civil society in 2020, looking back over 10 years of civil society activity and highlighting key ideas for action in civil society in 2021 and beyond.

Our report is of, from and for civil society, drawing from numerous in-depth interviews and online consultations with civil society activists, leaders and experts, and others close to the major stories of the year. Our 2021 report is also informed by CIVICUS’s ongoing programme of research, analysis and advocacy, and the work of our members, networks and partners, particularly the CIVICUS Monitor, our online platform that tracks civic space conditions in 196 countries.

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MYANMAR

BO KYI: "If this coup is not overturned, there will be many more political prisoners"

INTERNATIONAL

KEITH BEST: "Civil society needs to be the conscience of the global community"

SRI LANKA

SANDUN THUDUGALA: "Media control gave the government a definite advantage"

INTERNATIONAL

JOJO MEHTA: "Perpetrators of environmental destruction should be prosecuted just like war criminals are"

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

HAMILK CHAHIN AND ADDYS THEN MARTE: "The times ahead may bring positive change"

COSTA RICA

HERMAN DUARTE: "Once legal change achieved, public policy should continue to focus on structural exclusion"

RUSSIA

LEONID DRABKIN: "Human rights activism can be expected to increase in reaction to repression"

USA

PAKOU HANG: "More women in public office translates into better government and a more robust democracy"

TURKEY

ELIF EGE: "If we withdraw from Istanbul Convention, it means we don't believe in gender equality"

ARGENTINA

GALA DÍAZ LANGOU: "We need public policies that reduce and redistribute unpaid care work"

INTERNATIONAL

LYRIC THOMPSON: "All efforts towards gender equality must be built upon intersectionality and power-shifting"

TUNISIA

RAMY KHOUILI: "The official response has failed to consider the gendered aspects of the pandemic"

NAMIBIA

BERTHA TOBIAS: "Protests against gender-based violence were triggered by collective hope"

GUATEMALA

SANDRA MORÁN REYES: "The protests were a reflection of both social organisation and citizen autonomy"

LATIN AMERICA

MARCOS ORELLANA: "Escazú: A milestone on the road to ending Latin America’s environmental conflicts"

USA

YAEL BROMBERG: "The 2020 election is a political and moral mandate against fascism"

HONG KONG

PATRICK POON: "The National Security Law infringes on freedom of expression and is intensifying self-censorship"

INTERNATIONAL

VIVIANA KRSTICEVIC: "We are outraged at discrimination and are turning our claims into action"

SINGAPORE

JOLOVAN WHAM: "Opposition parties were given unfavourable coverage by the state media and had difficulty accessing voters"

POLAND

MAŁGORZATA SZULEKA: "The crisis of democracy and human rights will deepen"

INTERNATIONAL

LAURA O'BRIEN: "Moving forward, the UN should continue to provide access through accessible virtual platforms"

KAZAKHSTAN

ASYA TULESOVA: "The quarantine became a sort of cover for the government to persecute civil society"

HUNGARY

KRISZTINA KOLOS ORBÁN: "Trans people are having our rights being taken away"

NIGERIA

NELSON OLANIPEKUN: "The global anti-racist protests renewed the call for police accountability"

INTERNATIONAL

BRIAN SCHAPIRA: "The existing human rights system must be criticised, while still being defended"

COSTA RICA

CARLOS BERRÍOS SOLÓRZANO: "The protests highlighted unresolved structural problems"

GREECE

LEFTERIS PAPAGIANNAKIS: "We need a change in narratives as well as in policies towards migration"

LEBANON

LINA ABOU HABIB: "This crisis should be handled with a feminist vision"

SOUTH KOREA

ETHAN HEE-SEOK SHIN: "North Korean defectors and activists face increasing pressure to stay silent"

ARGENTINA

MARÍA RACHID: "Cultural change enabled legal change, and legal change deepened cultural change"

MALAWI

MICHAEL KAIYATSA: "Civil society expects new government to place rights at the top of its agenda"

BOLIVIA

CRISTIAN LEÓN: "The pandemic became a justification for tightening information control"

POLAND

KLEMENTYNA SUCHANOW: "We invented new forms of protest because we had to"

INTERNATIONAL

MARÍA EMILIA BERAZATEGUI: "Civil society is treated as a second-class partner; its recommendations often go unheard"

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

ELENA LORAC: "We are part of a global anti-racist movement"

SERBIA

IVANA TEOFILOVIĆ: "The political crisis will deepen as a large number of people lack representation"

BANGLADESH

APARAJITA SANGITA: "To address rape we need a thorough reform of the legal system"

CHILE

MARCELA GUILLIBRAND: "This historic constituent moment was achieved by citizens"

INTERNATIONAL

AMALI TOWER: "Refugees paid a heavier price during a crisis that many believed impacted on us all equally"

UGANDA

MOHAMMED NDIFUNA: "No candidate can possibly win the election without young people’s votes"

MALAYSIA

ADRIAN PEREIRA: "Migrants are amongst the first to be victimised and discriminated during the pandemic"

LEBANON

HAYAT MIRSHAD: "Change begins by handing over the mic to grassroots feminist organisations"

ITALY

ANDREA GARREFFA: "The Sardines movement is all about building self-confidence in the progressive side of politics"

THAILAND

PIYANUT KOTSAN: "Young people question the government abusing their rights and compromising their future"

GREECE

MAYA THOMAS-DAVIS: "Europe instrumentalises human suffering to deter migration"

INDIA

MRINAL SHARMA: "CSOs that dare speak truth to power are attacked with politically motivated charges"

BURUNDI

ANONYMOUS: "The election of new leaders is not synonymous with democracy"

INTERNATIONAL

DANIEL HÖGSTA: "All governments agree – at least nominally - that a world without nuclear weapons is a desirable goal; it’s time to hold them to their words"

PERU

RAFAEL BARRIO DE MENDOZA: "Constitutional debate has taken on new relevance as a result of the protests"

INTERNATIONAL

ANONYMOUS: "The COVID-19 pandemic showed that multilateral institutions are essential"

SLOVENIA

BRANKICA PETKOVIĆ: "The government has taken advantage of the pandemic to restrict protest"

KYRGYZSTAN

ULUGBEK AZIMOV: "The citizens’ choice in the referendum will be decisive for our future"

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