The global pandemic has plunged democracies across the world into a state of emergency, prohibiting and punishing mass protest, outlawing social gathering, and restricting commonly held, fundamental rights and freedoms. A strong civil society is essential to ensure that when the pandemic eases, the restrictions are not just repealed but reclaimed with a renewed sense of energy and purpose. Through engaging partners primarily drawn from ACFID’s work on the Global Standard, on 26 September 2020, ACFID organized a panel to bring together global perspectives on the challenges facing civil society from around the world. On the online event, the civil society leaders discussed on what they see in their context, what they imagine for the future, and how we can confront this challenge together. BCSDN ED Ilina Neshikj was one of the panelists on the online event. She discussed the effects the pandemic has had on civic space in our region and civil society’s role in managing the crisis. CSOs urged donors not to withdraw from funding democracy as the pandemics just emphasized the democratic gaps in our countries. Read more here.
Source: ACFID