This program aims to counter efforts to restrict civic space by supporting civil society in three areas: coalition building, knowledge production, and collective action. Focusing on the most urgent local issues, it engages with actors best positioned to make a difference in Colombia, Indonesia, Malawi and the occupied Palestinian territory. It works on different sectors and interests, particularly with marginalized groups such as women, youth, LGBTIQ+ persons, Indigenous people, and displaced people.
Why the program is focusing on civic space
All around the world, those in power are increasingly imposing restrictions on people who want to freely express themselves, protest against systemic injustices, or form coalitions and movements to defend fundamental human rights.
Civil society organizations that defend and expand civic space also face a combination of political, institutional, legal and societal forces actively working against their goals.
By supporting efforts to defend and expand civic space, the project aims to create a more enabling environment for civil society to promote and defend democratic governance, human rights, and sustainable development.
How Connect, Defend, Act! works
Connect, Defend, Act! supports coalition building among diverse civil society actors – including human rights defenders, rightsholder-led civil society organizations, and independent media actors. These coalitions are grounded in evidence gathering and knowledge production, and are facilitated by context-specific Communities of Action.
To sustain these coalitions, civil society actors require safe spaces for study, training, and strategizing, the right skills to deal with digital attacks, and access to funding.
So the program also builds safe and inclusive digital collaboration spaces for civil society actors, provides holistic digital security training, supports digital knowledge production, and makes active referrals to digital protection providers when needed.
The program additionally bolsters civil society actors’ ability to rapidly respond to changes in civic space through organizational capacity strengthening and strategic funding for sustainable action.
Where
Colombia, Indonesia, Malawi and the occupied Palestinian territory
Period and budget
April 2024 to 2029, 67,173,000 Norwegian Kroner (6, 354,452 USD)
Donor
Partners
Yayasan Humanis (in Indonesia only)
