On Nov 1, some 1000 activists from around the world will gather in Bangkok for “International Civil Society Week 2025 (ICSW)”, which will be held until Nov 5.
The world’s largest civil society gathering begins Saturday 1 November in Bangkok, Thailand, co-hosted by global civil society alliance Civicus and the Asia Democracy Network (ADN). The five-day event includes more than 120 sessions and cultural events led by more than 75 organisations from around the world.
ICSW 2025 takes place at a time when civic freedoms are being curtailed in most countries, with civil society under severe attack in 116 of 198 countries and territories and significant attacks on freedoms of expression, association and assembly. Under the theme “Celebrating citizen action: reimagining democracy, rights and inclusion for today’s world”, ICSW 2025 will provide an open space for civil society organisations, activists, human rights defenders, journalists, academics, labour organisers and allies for discussion, collaboration, innovation and action.
Participants in the week’s events include some of the world’s largest international civil society organisations like Oxfam and Amnesty International, as well as many grassroots organisations from across the globe. Topics for discussion range from climate justice to disability rights to artificial intelligence to protecting democracy, protest and freedom of expression.
This year’s events are the first to take place in Thailand. Sessions will take place at Thammasat University’s Tha Prachan Campus, while Bangkok’s Mahidol University will host the Youth Assembly. To highlight the vital role of free, independent journalism in safeguarding civic space, this year, Civicus and ADN have launched a new Journalism Fellowship bringing journalists from 16 countries to Bangkok.