Civil Society Strikes Back!

Civil society is under attack globally. In November 2018, the space for civil society was either closed, suppressed or destabilised in 111 countries around the world, according to CIVICUS Monitor. The situation is getting worse, and it is becoming increasingly common for governments to crack down on citizens’ most basic rights – freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of association – which are all fundamental for a well-functioning democracy.

Global Focus' Civic Space Working Group initiated "Civil Society Strikes Back" with the purpose of collecting recommendations to counterstrategies against crackdowns on civic space. The working groups consisted of Danish humanitarian and devlopment organisations who regularly met to coordinate work on civic space. 

Global Focus, members and international partners, dad throughout the series of events “Civil Society Strikes Back” highlight the counterstrategies used by civil society globally in the fight against the shrinking of civic space. Furthermore, we asked how the Danish civil society, private sector and Danish Government can better support these efforts. 

“Civil Society Strikes Back” consisted of three steps:

1. Several Learning Events throughout Fall 2018.
2. A Civil Society Meeting, 13 December 2018.
3. An International Civic Space Conference, 4-5 March 2019.

For more information, contact Sara Brandt at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.