On behalf of ECNL, Katerina Hadzi-Miceva-Evans participated. In her remarks, Katerina emphasized the importance of the fact that civil society is diverse and heterogeneous, and it includes various actors beyond NGOs. Regarding the continued restrictions and threats civil society faces, she added that cross-sectorial, collective effort and consistent response is needed from all with influence to protect civil society.
She also emphasized that coalition takes effort and resources, and therefore actors need to focus on how to better utilize the resources from the networks that already exist. As a good example how focusing on issues of joint concern may achieve success, Katerina brought up ECNL’s work on FATF, which has had a real influence on global policy relating to CSOs and terrorist financing. Here, ECNL and its partners in the Nonprofit FATF Platform managed to positively influence a change of key FATF policy which now recognizes that CSO space and freedoms must be respected when dealing with counter-terrorism policies. This achievement would not have been possible without the voices of 70+ organizations that came together and sent letter and comments.
Finally, she explained that legal framework creates and protects the space for people to have conversations or disagreements to challenge or react to the push-backs, and to ensure that these freedoms are available to all. The specifics of the argument are not the issue - the issue is that the place to have a proper debate exists, is open and is protected.
Dr Danny Sriskandarajah, Secretary General of CIVICUS also agreed on the importance of heterogeneity, and emphasized the need to go beyond organised civil society and the need to find ways to promote bottom-up and Southern-led movements (rather than grand committees). He believes that bottom-up strengthening of national and regional networks in the Global South is critical. He also pointed out that when it comes to threats to civic space, it would help if more of the big INGOs weighed in to push back against restrictions.
Find out what other international CSO experts and activists had to say on these issues and a lot more. Visit The Guardian’s website for the full Q&A here.
For an overview of the panelists' suggestions, read 10 ways how to build a global civil society.
See Twitter stream of the event at #globdevlive.