On 17th June, Tanja Hafner Ademi, the Executive Director of BCSDN, presented the Monitoring Matrix for Enabling Environment for Civil Society Development at the CIVICUS-AGNA (Affinity Group of National Associations) “Workshop on Civic Space Monitoring and Enabling Environment” held in Istanbul, Turkey. The aim of the workshop was to reflect on civil society led tools in the assessment of enabling environment and civic space and how to use their results for advocacy and policy influencing.
Attended by 17 representatives of national civil society associations from all continents (Europe, Middle East, Latin America, Africa, Central and South Asia including Japan and Philippines), the workshop also included presentation of the newly developed CIVICUS Civic Space Monitor. Participants discussed and agreed that key challenges for civil society around the globe lie in authorities narrowing space for basic freedoms of association, assembly and expression, but also that CSOs face common long-term term challenges such as occupation of civil society by GONGOs. Participants agreed that AGNA’s main role lies in providing space for exchange, stock-tacking and supporting national civil society associations’ advocacy vis-à-vis national Governments. To find out more about CIVICUS-AGNA click here.