Reclaiming Local Civil Society space

The world is faces tremendous challenges. The recent scenes from the US and other states around the world demonstrate the rise of the populist and authoritarian leaders and highlights the deterioration of democratic institutions and lack of transparency and accountability. The CIVICUS State of Civil Society Report 2020, confirms that “The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated, accelerated and further exposed crucial global challenges that came to the fore in 2019: restricted civic and democratic freedoms, economic policies that fail most people, widespread exclusion, limited international cooperation and a failure to follow the science and act on the global emergency of climate change…..Civil society’s role is more vital than ever. CSOs, always on the frontline of crisis response, provided healthcare, food, shelter and other essentials to those in need. The kind of solidarity that civil society nurtures and mobilises, from the local to the global levels, proved critical in getting people through the crisis”. Read More