CIVICUS LENS: PERSPECTIVES FOR A CHANGING WORLD

 
Building on 10 years of State of Civil Society Reports, CIVICUS Lens offers timely analysis of the major events of the day from a civil society perspective. Complementing their ongoing tracking of civic space on the CIVICUS Monitor, CIVICUS Lens highlights stories of civic action and civil society breakthroughs; they explore contemporary political, economic and social trends and their impact on civil society, and also and most importantly, the ways in which people’s movements are responding, innovating and scoring victories.

Deeply rooted in the global south, CIVICUS Lens stand firmly for social justice and on the side of those who defend human rights, call the powerful to account, demand democratic freedoms and fight for progress on the great issues of today: problems like the climate crisis, systemic racism, widening inequalities and democratic regression.

 

CIVICUS Lens intends to demystify complex issues, encourage reflection and promote solidarity, allyship and progressive action, showcasing a plurality and diversity of experiences and voices, including through interviews and consultations. IPS Inter Press Service North America and its UN Bureau are partnering with CIVICUS Lens to raise questions about some of the predominant biases in how the world is understood and how current events are analysed.

CONTACT: research@civicus.org


Papua New Guinea: election chaos poses integrity questions

Rebuilding trust in the electoral process yet another challenge for the new government…

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Victory against anti-rights backlash at the UN

Civil society advocacy rewarded with renewal of mandate to protect LGBTQI+ people…

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Antigua and Barbuda: a step forward for LGBTQI+ rights

Court rules government’s ban on same-sex acts is unconstitutional…

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Saudi Arabia: clean as new

Oil diplomacy turns a blind eye to the regime’s human rights violations…

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Sri Lanka: change falls short of protest demands

New president extends state of emergency and amps up protest repression…

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Chad: democracy still on hold

With France’s backing, military leaders keep repressing demands for democracy…

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Democracy cancelled: Tunisia’s new constitution

Low-turnout referendum confirms president’s absolute power…

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Changing times in Oceania?

China’s pursuit of a pan-Pacific deal has raised the stakes in an overlooked region…

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Ethiopia: peace desperately needed

Recent wave of violence in Oromia region adds to grim litany of rights violations…

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Gabon and Togo offer renewed test of Commonwealth values

Two new members join the Commonwealth – despite repressing democracy and human rights…

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Uzbekistan: protests further show need for democracy

State’s failure to spot the warning signs of anger leads to rare protests and avoidable violence…

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Migrants pay the deadly cost of Spain’s harsh approach

Full investigation needed into multiple deaths at attempted crossing of Morocco-Spanish border…

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Republicanism on the rise in the Caribbean

Commonwealth Caribbean coming to terms with history to forge its own path forward…

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Pride and politics: a renewed urgency to demands for LGBTQI+ rights

2022 Pride events defy anti-rights backlash and democratic regression…

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Cuba: a year on from historic pro-democracy protests

Repression and criminalisation prevent anniversary protest – but deep discontent is guaranteed to resurface…

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Tanzania: Maasai people resist forced evictions

Indigenous people face government plan to forcibly remove them for tourism development…

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Abortion rights in the USA: regression against the tide


Against global trend, US Supreme Court ruling eliminates federal protection of abortion rights…

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20 years of the International Criminal Court


Two decades on, the ICC has proved its value although challenges remain…

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Rohingya refugees: still far from home


Struggle of the Rohingya people continues six years on from campaign of violence that made them refugees…

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The four-day workweek: the future of work?


Thousands of UK workers join a six-month trial to test the viability of the four-day workweek…

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Colombia’s historic left turn


Gustavo Petro becomes country’s first leftist president, and Francia Márquez its first female and Afro-Colombian vice-president…

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Ecuador: protests over or only on hold?


Negotiations bring uneasy truce after more than two weeks of protests but divisions remain…

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Wanted: UN High Commissioner for Human Rights


The next High Commissioner must be a global rights champion who stands up to authoritarian states…

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Sudan: military needs to make way for democracy


Small recent concessions granted by military government shouldn’t appease international community…

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Five Takeaways from the 2022 State of Civil Society Report


2022 is halfway through. It’s clear this is a year of immense disruption, mayhem and contestation….

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Civil Society Holding the Line in Contested Times: 2022 CIVICUS State of Civil Society Report


Published at the halfway point of 2022, the State of Civil Society Report shines a light on a time of immense upheaval and contestation…

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Somalia: drought and conflict a dual threat

Millions on the brink of starvation as Somalia experiences its worst drought in decades…

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LGBTQI+ rights in the Commonwealth: time for change

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting an opportunity to address colonial legacy of discrimination…

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Palestine: activism gone digital

Technology is playing a key role in human rights work – and bringing backlash…

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Iran: food price rises fuel renewed protests

Government responds by vilifying protesters and unleashing yet more violence…

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El Salvador: ‘war on gangs’ accelerates slide into authoritarianism

Fundamental rights under attack, with 38,000 arrests so far…

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Thailand: king’s critics criminalised

Thailand’s democracy activists are being criminalised for questioning royal power…

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Starbucks workers: partners in shared success?

Recent unionisation victories are breathing fresh life into the US labour movement…

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Philippines: democracy in mourning

Alliance of two autocratic dynasties takes power after glorifying repressive past…

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Elections bring a breath of fresh air to Lebanese politics

Voices of protest now have the chance to make themselves heard in parliament…

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Escazú Agreement: promising beginnings

Civil society plays its part in first summit and pushes for more ratifications…

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Change on the cards in Australia

New government must act on the upsurge of voter concern about climate change…

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South Africa: the deadly impacts of climate change

Civil society responds to huge floods that left hundreds dead and thousands homeless…

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Pandemic treaty: will the world be ready for the next crisis?

Civil society perspectives needed to shape treaty to improve pandemic performance…

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Nigeria: students hope to go back to school

University students demand government reaches an agreement with striking teachers so classes can resume…

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Indonesia: breakthrough on gender-based violence

Long-term civil society advocacy pays off with passing of law against forced marriage and sexual abuse…

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Twitter: takeover talk sparks hate speech fears

Elon Musk’s potential purchase of Twitter shows the need for greater regulation of social media companies…

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India: horror heatwaves bring civil society response

Civil society is helping people cope – but also calling for climate action…

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Hong Kong: another step closer to China

Hard-line pro-Beijing security chief takes power in a walkover election…

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India: hijab row the latest show of Hindu nationalism

Right-wing populist politicians target Muslim women to inflame divisions and win elections…

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Civil society campaigning achieves forced labour victory in Uzbekistan

Seventeen years of advocacy and activism leads to the end of state-imposed forced and child labour in country’s cotton industry…

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Fresh hope for civil society: right-wing populist defeated in Slovenia

Victory of new party raises hope that civic freedoms will be respected…

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Game not over: resistance against East African Crude Oil Pipeline

Victories of civil society campaign on financing sow doubts on project’s fate…

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Sri Lanka: economic meltdown sparks mass protests

Protest movement demands an end to unaccountable presidential power…

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Mexico: recall referendum ruse leaves no one satisfied

President López Obrador fails to benefit from manipulating direct democracy mechanism…

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Asylum in the UK: a one-way trip to Rwanda?

Deal to be used by UK to remove asylum seekers will enable Rwanda to deflect human rights concerns…

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CSW66: a mixed moment for women’s rights

Latest edition of the UN Commission on the Status of Women sees some successes but also wasted opportunities…

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A close call for French democracy

Even if it loses this time, the fear is that the far right is getting closer to power…

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Sleeves rolled up: Ukraine’s civil society responds to war

Activism in response to invasion shows the value of an enabled and empowered civil society…

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Costa Rica at the polls: voting or gambling?

Apathy and fragmentation yield unexpected results…

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Hungary’s election a grim day for civil society

Viktor Orbán’s latest win signals a further assault on rights…

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Ukraine war exposes weaknesses of international system

Mixed international response to Russia’s aggression makes the case for global governance reform…

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Afghanistan: back to school?

Against all odds, Afghan women and girls mobilise for their right to education…

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Peru’s oil spill raises corporate accountability questions

Campaigners call on oil giant Repsol to take full responsibility…

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Guatemala: anti-rights movement shows its teeth

Attempt to enact regressive anti-gender law defeated – for the time being…

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UAE: tyranny behind the glamour

Events like Expo 2020 and MENA Climate Week cannot conceal the reality of repression…

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Algeria: increasing repression belies promise of reform

Away from the international spotlight, country’s stable reputation depends on stifling dissent…

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Russia’s anti-war protests: Putin under pressure?

Brave protesters battle fearsome repression and relentless propaganda…

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Turkmenistan: tyranny mutates into dynasty

Ritualistic election enthrones president’s son – but his father retains power behind the throne…

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South Korean election: women’s rights the biggest loser

Presidential race winner profits from anti-feminist backlash…

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Ukraine’s refugees: will compassion prevail over prejudice?

All refugees should be treated with the empathy extended to Ukrainians fleeing conflict…

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Chile: winds of change for LGBTQI+ rights

With the Equal Marriage Law, Chile begins to catch up to the times…

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Two years of the pandemic: how civil society made the difference

Vital pandemic response makes the case for an effective and enabled civil society…

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Sisterhood back on the streets

Women’s movement emerges from pandemic in full force…

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Myanmar: junta’s economic power in the firing line

Businesses that prop up military rule under pressure to withdraw…

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Belarus: ceremonial referendum confirms Putin’s power

Constitutional changes open the door to Russia’s nuclear missiles…

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Canada: trucker protests set off alarms

No country is immune to the far-right challenge…

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Colombia rides the green wave

Constitutional Court judgment on abortion rights rewards feminist activism…

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El Salvador: regional human rights system delivers civil society victory

Landmark court ruling brings new promise for women’s rights in Latin America…

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Time’s up: UK police culture shift is long overdue

A new head won’t suffice – London’s police need a new approach…

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Energy transition: dilemmas and trade-offs

Victory in campaign against lithium mining highlights problems of transition to electric vehicles…

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Firm, unified response needed to Russia’s aggression

Putin must be made a pariah for tearing up the international rulebook…

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Divergent paths: abortion rights in Mexico and the USA

Progress south of the border as regression takes hold in the north…

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Spotify: power brings responsibilities

Podcast controversy points to need for greater corporate accountability…

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