Our impact
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Action
Providing an unmatched platform for exchange and joint action for civil society leadership, i.e. Vision Works, Leading Together, Global Perspectives
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Partnerships
Coordinating global multi stakeholder partnerships, i.e. Leave No One Behind, International Civic Forum
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Incubation
Incubating sector wide initiatives such as Accountable Now, the Civic Charter and Solidarity Action Network
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Innovation
Providing trend scanning and sector innovation via formats such as Scanning the Horizon, the Futures of Localisation
Our history
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2007
Centre established
Founded as the Berlin Civil Society Centre by Peter Eigen and Burkhard Gnärig.
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2008
Vision Works launch
Annual leadership retreats begin, giving CEOs space to discuss shared challenges and shape civil society’s future.
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2009
First shareholders join
Christian Blind Mission (CBM), Amnesty International, Transparency International, and Oxfam International become the Centre’s first shareholders.
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2013
New name
Berlin Civil Society Centre becomes the International Civil Society Centre.
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2013
German SDG conference
The Centre facilitated Germany’s main SDG event, ensuring civil society voices shaped the global agenda.
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2013-2021
Accountability charter
Partnered with Accountable Now to develop and spread the Global Accountability Charter.
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2015
Scanning the horizon
Initiative launched with Rockefeller Foundation support, later becoming a futurist and strategist community.
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2016-2019
Civic charter initiative
Framework to protect civic rights introduced at Global Perspectives conference in Berlin, later transferred to ActionAid International.
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2017
Leave no one Behind
Partnership launched to generate community-driven data on marginalised groups for SDG monitoring.
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2017
Joining forces
The six largest child-focused organisations, all then shareholders of the Centre, formed - Joining Forces for Children.
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2018
Power shift lab
First Governance Power Shift Lab held in Berlin, sparking the Accelerating Inclusive Power Shift project.
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2019
Innovation report
Published first Innovation Report on populism, winning an award for its design.
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2019
Solidarity action network
Network created to strengthen collective action on shrinking civic space.
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2022
Digital dialogue
Initiated with Civic Tech Innovation Network (CTIN) to address digital-era civic space challenges.
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2023
Affiliate status
CyberPeace Institute, WACSI, and ICVA join as first affiliates.