Civil society organizations are facing increasing political restrictions all over the world. This so-called ‘closing space’ phenomenon has received growing attention by civil society activists, policymakers and academics. Especially, initiatives on how best to address and push back on closing space around civil society are at the forefront of these discussions.
The report of the CSIS Human Rights Initiative “An Overview of Global Initiatives on Countering Closing Space for Civil Society” by Jana Baldus, Annika Elena Poppe, and Jonas Wolff maps institutionalized initiatives - by governments, regional bodies, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) - that have been created in response to the global phenomenon of increasing restrictions on civil society space. In varying ways, the featured initiatives pursue the goal of reclaiming civic space and countering governments’ attempts to close space: spanning from advocacy from afar to financial support as well as legal and technical assistance provided to and by civil society on the ground.
The report is available through the Center for Strategic and International Studies.