Thousands of civil society organisations (CSOs) and activists are gathering in Bangkok during the International Civil Society Week from Nov 1-5. The event will be organised by the CIVICUS Alliance. CIVICUS is an international non-profit organisation focused on civil rights and citizen action. It was founded in 1993 and is based in Johannesburg, South Africa.
In a moment when we are witnessing a massive inequality and climate crisis and a global wave of restrictions for civil society, this will be a unique moment to vindicate and defend our role as fundamental to keeping governments accountable towards equality and social justice.
At the beginning of the 21st century, the world recognised the value of civil society as fundamental to preserving the right to associate. The United Nations Millennium Declaration “emphasised the importance of human rights and the value of non-governmental organisations”. A decade later, through the Istanbul Principles and the Busan agreements, governments agreed on key elements for civil society to operate.
In parallel, dramatic changes happened. The early years of the 21st century marked a new cycle of limitations to rights and liberties by means of aggressive securitisation policies. Years later, the Arab Spring movements for democracy and freedom were met with harsh repression.
Backlash against democracy
The arrival of populist and authoritarian governments in the last decades had a backlash on democratic values and contributed to political and economic elites remaining in power. They have imposed diverse restrictions to curb dissent and human rights, with restrictions on the freedom of assembly, expression and protest.
Diverse legislation put in place restricts CSOs’ close access to foreign funding and/or prohibits influencing policies. Penalties are disproportionate, with scarce means of defence in front of a frequently co-opted judiciary.
Biased or discriminatory narratives, especially against LGBTQI+ groups, feminist movements and progressive CSOs, have been widely replicated by mainstream media and social networks. Additionally, there’s been a dramatic increase in crackdowns on protests and killings of human rights defenders and journalists.
Well-funded organisations promoting regressive agendas abroad have gained great political influence in some African countries, but not limited to this region. These groups are based in deep patriarchal roots and manifest in nationalist, conservative, fundamentalist and social perspectives that promote gender stereotypes.
This context is complemented by a wide range of technological tools used by state and non-state actors to target critics, stifle dissent and restrict freedom of speech.
Asian governments increasingly use surveillance, internet shutdowns, arbitrary arrests and repressive laws. Peaceful protests — from farmers to students in South and Southeast Asia — have been met with violence. Even digital activism has faced military crackdowns.
It is no coincidence that, at the same time, global inequality has increased.
Since 2015, the richest 10% have gained at least $33.9 trillion, enough to end poverty 22 times over. In the case of Asia, as our recent inequality report shows, the top 1% now captures between 60% and 77% of national income in major regional economies.
At the rate of progress, it would take an estimated 300 years to end child marriage, 40 years for women to be represented equally in positions of power in the workplace and 47 years to achieve equal representation in parliaments.
Effects of inequality, such as poverty, poor public services, reduced social mobility and rupture of social cohesion, are the effects of a rigged economic system that is tied specifically to colonial, racist and sexist perspectives. Intentional shrinking of civic space is a deliberate strategy to protect privileges and perpetuate inequality.
Rebuilding civic space
Civic space is an integral part of our global strategy. Our goal is to mobilise the power of people to fight inequality, beat poverty and end injustice. Civic space is thus at the core of everything that CSOs, including Oxfam, do and a vital precondition for the changes we strive towards.
There are recent reasons for hope. Young activists have proved the power of organising and speaking out in Asia, Africa and South America. People are standing against inequality and injustice.
Nevertheless, if change is not followed by governments responding to communities’ needs, the countries face a vacuum that can rapidly be seized by new autocratic regimes. And civil society has a critical role here.
We need to deepen our feminist, decolonise and localise commitments, strengthen our accountability and enhance our solidarity with marginalised community groups, decolonial feminist movements, LGBTQI+ collectives and indigenous organisations.
Organisations need to mobilise influencing agendas at a global level to position the demands and realities of civil society and social movements, while supporting and mobilising resources for institutional strengthening, coordination and learning.
This includes advocating for more enabling environments that allow them to do their work safely and effectively, based on the rule of law, democratic values and international human rights standards.
Civic space is not only a concern for human rights organisations. Its defence and evolution require global and cross-sector alliances: movements, funders, journalists, lawyers, communities and even actors in the private sector working together. Civic space is the oxygen that enables critical voices to breathe and be heard.
With a space to speak out, claim rights and hold powerholders accountable, change towards a fairer, feminist and sustainable world is absolutely possible.