Discover and learn from the Solidarity Playbook on cybersecurity
Strengthening cybersecurity
With increased digitalisation (international) civil society organisations – (I)CSOs – have faced an increase in digital threats and cyberattacks carried out by malicious actors interested in financial gains...
Learn MoreSolidarity Playbook: Discover and Learn from our Pilot Case Studies
Solidarity and collaboration are among strongest tools we have to push back against clampdowns on civil society. These pilot case studies – initiated by the Solidarity Action Network (SANE) – showcase best practices, challenges, and lessons learned from organisational resilience mechanisms and coalition responses to scrutiny and attacks. They show positive outcomes and new practices developed by civil society organisations and coalitions.
There is clearly a need to move from reactive mode – responding to clampdowns – to a more formal prepared footing. Our strength will be in building on these case studies and ensuring that there are stronger organisational and sectoral responses as a whole.
Also, read: Key Learnings for Civil Society Coalitions and Key Learnings for International Civil Society Organisations.
Click on the pictures for a case study summary or find each complete case study to download below.
Case Studies on Coalition Responses
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Case Studies on Organisational Resilience Mechanisms
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Background to our Pilot Solidarity Playbook Case Studies
Written by Sarah Pugh and Deborah Doane, these case studies first appeared in an in-house study called “Solidarity in Times of Scrutiny” presented at the International Civic Forum in Addis Ababa in October 2019.
We sincerely thank our case study partners for making their learnings available to a larger readership.
The presented case studies reflect the status of when they were written in October 2019. Naturally, the political situation as well as the organisations’ and coalitions’ learnings have since evolved and are constantly evolving.
Click on the buttons to read a complete case study.
Eva Gondor
Senior Project Manager
International Civil Society Centre
Eva leads on the Centre's civic space work - the Solidarity Action Network (SANE) aimed at strengthening resilience of and solidarity among civil society actors, and the International Civic Forum (ICF), our annual civic space platform to network and identify opportunities for collaboration. Prior to joining the Centre she worked at the Robert Bosch Stiftung (Foundation) in Stuttgart where she managed the foundation’s projects focusing on civil society and governance in Turkey, the Western Balkans, and North Africa.
Civilizáció (Civilisation): Coalition-building to fight back against government attacks on civil society in Hungary
The Civilisation, a cross-sector coalition of Hungarian CSOs, came together to defend against government attacks on civil society.
Read the summary and find the full case study at the bottom of the page.
About the coalition
| What launched the coalition? | Democratic backsliding, smear campaigns, and legislative reform concerning funding and registration of CSOs. |
| Who are the members? | Approximately 30 national CSOs form the inner circle of the network; they range across different sectors. |
| How does it work? | A part-time coordinator supports the work; regular in-person meetings occur; there are protocols on decision-making; email lists and info-sharing. |
Coalition action
| Outcomes | Members are now more resilient and better prepared for future threats; solidarity has been strengthend via the first cross-sector network in Hungary; they have conducted engagement with rural CSOs to try and undo the ‘chill factor’ of the government’s attacks. |
| Challenges | The coalition was established in reaction to restrictions, and worked well in resistance; but how do you maintain collaboration in ‘standby’ mode? |
| Lessons learned | How to cooperate, acknowledge different attitudes, approaches, appetites and agendas, and work with the diversity in a cross-sector coalition, as opposed to against it. |
Background to our Pilot Solidarity Playbook Case Studies
This case study is one of six that reviews best practices, challenges, and lessons learned for both ICSO internal mechanisms and coalition responses to scrutiny and attacks. They show positive outcomes and new practices that were initially triggered by an undue threat or attack.
Written by Sarah Pugh and Deborah Doane, these case studies first appeared in an in-house study called “Solidarity in Times of Scrutiny” presented at the International Civic Forum in Addis Ababa in October 2019.
Thanks go to our case study partners for making their learnings available to a larger readership.
The presented case studies reflect the status of when they were first written up in October 2019. Naturally, the political situation as well as the organisations’ and coalitions’ learnings have since evolved and are constantly evolving.
Eva Gondor
Senior Project Manager
International Civil Society Centre
Eva leads on the Centre's civic space work - the Solidarity Action Network (SANE) aimed at strengthening resilience of and solidarity among civil society actors, and the International Civic Forum (ICF), our annual civic space platform to network and identify opportunities for collaboration. Prior to joining the Centre she worked at the Robert Bosch Stiftung (Foundation) in Stuttgart where she managed the foundation’s projects focusing on civil society and governance in Turkey, the Western Balkans, and North Africa.
Spaces for Change: From informal networks and collaboration to the Action Group for Free Civic Space in Nigeria
The Action Group on Free Civic Space in Nigeria works to co-create a unified sector position and voice to defend civic space against security-induced restrictions.
Read the summary and find the full case study at the bottom of the page.
About the coalition
| What launched the coalition? | Successive proposed Bills focused on restricting internet freedoms, NGO operations, terrorism financing and anti-money laundering measures. |
| Who are the members? | A cross-sector and cross-regional movement of 61 national organisations and ICSO country offices. |
| How does it work? | This started as an informal, loose network, but has now crystallised into a formal group with a coordinating team, regular meetings and online communications. |
Coalition action
| Outcomes | The coalition built solidarity to ensure that government regulations (framed around national security, anti-money laundering (AML) and countering terrorism financing (CFT)) do not shrink civic space. Within a short time, the coalition grew in strength in numbers, shared expertise and research and built capacity amongst individual activists/bloggers, and created good working relationships with national and international AML/CFT regulators. |
| Challenges | Creating a sense of common ownership for a sector-wide response; balancing inclusion with other considerations e.g. expertise. |
| Lessons learned | It is vital to create a sense of ownership and buy-in, by driving coordination with a ‘back-end’ team. |
Background to our Pilot Solidarity Playbook Case Studies
This case study is one of six that reviews best practices, challenges, and lessons learned for both ICSO internal mechanisms and coalition responses to scrutiny and attacks. They show positive outcomes and new practices that were initially triggered by an undue threat or attack.
Written by Sarah Pugh and Deborah Doane, these case studies first appeared in an in-house study called “Solidarity in Times of Scrutiny” presented at the International Civic Forum in Addis Ababa in October 2019.
Thanks go to our case study partners for making their learnings available to a larger readership.
The presented case studies reflect the status of when they were first written up in October 2019. Naturally, the political situation as well as the organisations’ and coalitions’ learnings have since evolved and are constantly evolving.
Eva Gondor
Senior Project Manager
International Civil Society Centre
Eva leads on the Centre's civic space work - the Solidarity Action Network (SANE) aimed at strengthening resilience of and solidarity among civil society actors, and the International Civic Forum (ICF), our annual civic space platform to network and identify opportunities for collaboration. Prior to joining the Centre she worked at the Robert Bosch Stiftung (Foundation) in Stuttgart where she managed the foundation’s projects focusing on civil society and governance in Turkey, the Western Balkans, and North Africa.
