Posts with the tag
“civic space”

Never waste a good crisis

12th March 2025 by Wolfgang Jamann

The decisions of the new US administration to freeze aid and abolish USAID has sent shockwaves through the system. USA is the largest bilateral ODA (Official Development Assistance) donor, and this decision is already having significant impact, both within the US (job losses, cutback on domestic programs) and abroad (communities not receiving medical aid, local NGOs having to cease operations, fragile and poor countries expecting significant economic impact). 

Other donors have taken similar steps – the Netherlands has cut aid by 30%, redirecting funds to projects that directly contribute to Dutch interests. Belgium cut aid by 25%, while France reduced its budget by 37%. Swedish SIDA has linked its foreign aid strategy closer to Swedish interests and prohibits the use of their funding for political advocacy in ODA countries. Most recently, the UK has decided to reduce foreign aid by 40% while raising defense spending. Germany’s new government might be next in line, having to raise military spending significantly and possibly preparing financially for larger numbers of Ukrainian refugees. 

Linking aid cuts to increasing military funding is only one, yet problematic, relationship. We can also see the increasing instrumentalization of foreign aid to security, external policy, and economic interests of donor countries. Furthermore, the ‘value-based’ or ‘rights-based’ development cooperation is under direct attack by those who are propagating a regressive and chauvinistic world view, in which NGOs and civil society are seen as principal opponents. 

Acknowledging that the victims of these developments will be first and foremost the poorest and most vulnerable of this world, we also need to understand the long-term impact on the ‘sector’. What do these developments mean for civil society, and for ICSOs in particular? 

Five weeks after the first Executive Orders by President Trump, some consequences can already be drawn. 

  • It can safely be assumed that globally, there will be less foreign aid available for a long time to come. 
  • Aid will be more closely linked to geopolitics, global trade relations, security concerns and few immediate global threats (though the latter might be questionable, thinking of the ambivalent actions towards pandemics). Climate change and biodiversity loss might receive even less attention.  
  • Aid might be ‘regionalised’, for example, focused on immediate spheres of influence of big donor countries (e.g. US aid may be focused on Central America)  
  • Aid might be focused on alleviating humanitarian crises, particularly high-profile ones.  
  • Institutions (the UN, other multilaterals, but also NGOs) will be in defence over their value, legitimacy, effectiveness and the difference they make. 
  • The ‘localisation’ agenda might get new, unexpected pushes in the direction of cost cutting, local ownership and local financing / fundraising.  
  • Recipient countries might take this as a call for greater self-sustainability (positive scenario) or leave the most vulnerable communities behind (negative scenario). 

(I)CSOs are in the middle of this. The values on which their work rests are under attack. As institutions they might be singled out by anti-rights actors. Their business models are threatened, particularly those NGOs who take significant government funding. And the legitimacy of international actors is under scrutiny, from many sides. The push to ‘localise’ and shift power comes from Southern civil society, and Southern and Northern governments alike.    

‘Disrupt and innovate,’ has been the slogan of the Centre since its inception. When there’s disruption, and resilience is low, things will have to change. It is clear that there are some fundamental shortcomings in the sector, in spite of the many good deeds that have been delivered through the aid system  for the time it has been existing. Here are some ideas on how to make use of the crisis. 

  • Aid flows from North to South increase (or perpetuate) dependency. Can there be more radical support to those who want to overcome such dependency, e.g. through supporting local fundraising, transferring power of decision-making in project planning, positively sanctioning self-funded initiatives, investing in institution building, creating solidarity funds? 
  • (I)NGOs have an overriding concern for their organisational success. Can they develop the ambition (and practice) to work themselves out of the job? What would this mean for defining leaders’ success? 
  • Accountability over funds is the holy grail for those who don’t want to shift decision powers. Can we prioritise non-monetary accountability dimensions? And can we lobby donors to adjust their expectations? 
  • There is duplication throughout the sector. Should there not be many more mergers, job-share, cross-sectoral collaboration? Can we be more rigorous about added value provided? 
  • Social business, social impact investing, effective philanthropy, must not be seen as distinguished from CSO work. Are we intentional enough about such initiatives, and about bringing corporates into our ecosystem? 
  • The international aid system is expensive. Country office structures and expats living and working in the global South are costly, they narrow development spaces for local talents, and undermine just tax systems. Can we work more with local staff capacities and service providers? 
  • In many cases, partners are implementers or sub-contractors. How do partnership relations be re-defined and re-lived to change who is in the drivers’ seat? 
  • There’s been more and more calls for system changes, to bring the sector from its head onto its feet. Will leaders (and governors) of civil society organisations take this as a positive challenge? And do they believe in the quest for a change of the international aid system? 

The above are just a few areas where more serious discussion and actions are needed. The sector has already developed several promising initiatives, like RINGO, the Pledge for Change, and the Dynamic Accountability Framework, which may need a significant push for commitment. What could other areas be where leaders in the sector invest collectively, to make good use of the crisis at hand? 

Let us know! 

Wolfgang Jamann

Executive Director

International Civil Society Centre

Dr. Wolfgang Jamann is Executive Director of the International Civil Society Centre. Until January 2018 he was Secretary General and CEO of CARE International (Geneva). Before that he led NGO Deutsche Welthungerhilfe and the Alliance 2015, a partnership of 7 European aid organisations. From 2004-2009 he was CEO & Board member of CARE Deutschland-Luxemburg and President of the CARE Foundation. Previously, he worked for World Vision International as a regional representative in East Africa (Kenya) & Head of Humanitarian Assistance at WV Germany. After his Ph.D. dissertation in 1990 he started his career in development work at the German Foundation for International Development, later for the UNDP in Zambia. As a researcher and academic, he has published books and articles on East & Southeast Asia contributing to international studies on complex humanitarian emergencies and conflict management.

Anticipating Futures of Volunteering: Insights from Budapest’s Foresight Workshop

26th February 2025 by Eva Gondor

In early February, we were invited to facilitate a foresight workshop in Budapest, Hungary, as part of a study session on “New Trends in International Voluntary Service” (IVS). Organised by the Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS), the Alliance of European Voluntary Service Organisations, International Cultural Youth Exchange (ICYE), Service Civil International (SCI), and the Network for Voluntary Development in Asia (NVDA), in collaboration with the Council of Europe, the study session aimed to explore emerging trends in IVS and strengthen participants’ ability to anticipate and respond to future challenges in volunteering and youth work.

A group of 30 young professionals from around the world, representing international voluntary networks and organisations, gathered at the European Youth Centre in Budapest to explore the future of international volunteering through the lens of futures thinking. While this methodology was new to many participants, it was embraced with great interest and enthusiasm. The Centre’s experience with futures thinking, particularly through our “Scanning the Horizon” community and the “Anticipating futures for civil society operating space” initiative, provided a solid foundation for guiding participants in applying foresight tools to their own contexts.

Photo 1_IVS Blog_ Participants group photo by Tavares Ferreira

Exploring Trends Shaping the Future of Volunteering 

The study session was guided by our “Toolkit for tomorrow: Anticipating civil society futures,” a resource we designed to help (international) civil society organisations strengthen their ability to anticipate future challenges, practice foresight, and build resilience. Through group discussions, participants explored key trends likely to shape IVS over the next decade, such as decolonisation, climate injustice, artificial intelligence, and the rise of new social movements. The importance of thinking ahead was central to the event, as one participant noted: 

“We should already start planning based on future trends and not only focus on the current ones.”

To dive deeper into how these trends might impact the future, the participants were tasked with narrowing down a long list of trends to two key issues that they believed would most significantly influence IVS by 2035. Their choices were: 

  • Climate injustice – Ongoing environmental degradation, extreme weather events, and resource insecurity will disproportionately affect certain regions and vulnerable groups, exacerbating existing inequalities. 
  • Voluntourism demands – Volunteers prioritising personal travel experiences over genuine contributions to community work will shape the future of volunteering. 

Photo 6_IVS Blog_Tavares Ferreira

Crafting Scenarios for 2035: From Volun-Caring to Volun-Collapse 

Creating future scenarios allows organisations to step beyond current assumptions and envision a wide range of possible outcomes, helping them prepare for uncertainty and make more proactive decisions. In the workshop, participants used a 2×2 matrix, a widely-used scenario-building tool, to explore how two key trends – voluntourism demands and climate injustice from a decolonial perspective – could unfold by 2035. By examining the interplay between high and low impacts of these trends, they developed four distinct scenarios for IVS: 

2x2 matrix, a widely-used scenario-building tool_Budapest workshop

The crafted scenarios provided vivid insights into where volunteering could be headed, depending on how these trends play out. They encouraged participants to reflect on how these futures might be similar or different from today. As one participant put it: 

“Considering different possible futures could actually show us how close we are to some of them.”

Photo 5_IVS Blog_ Participants_photo by Tavares Ferreira

Shaping the Future: Taking Action 

The scenario workshop sparked great enthusiasm, and many participants expressed a desire to continue exploring and applying futures thinking in their own organisations and community work. The session inspired participants to think about the future in new ways, question their assumptions and biases, and embrace diverse experience and perspectives when imagining futures. As one participant reflected: 

“There is hope to solve the upcoming problems. Through discussions and different points of view, we can get concrete ideas about future opportunities.” 

The following day, the group brainstormed actions that IVS organisations could take to address the challenges and opportunities identified in the scenarios. They discussed ideas such as partnering with educational institutions and humanitarian organisations, learning from grassroots social movements, embracing social entrepreneurship, and decentralising structures. A follow-up session will take place in a few months to assess how these ideas have evolved into concrete projects. 

Photo 4_IVS Blog_ Participants_photo by Tavares Ferreira

Embracing Futures Thinking 

Overall, the workshop underscored the value of futures thinking in helping to anticipate potential challenges and opportunities, empowering people to make better decisions today. Participants left with a deeper understanding of their own agency in navigating undesired futures and working towards preferred outcomes. As political theorist John Schaar once said:

“The future is not some place we are going to, but one we are creating.”

Photo 3_IVS Blog_ Participants_photo by Tavares Ferreira

Inspired to Explore Futures Thinking for Yourself?

If you’re interested in learning more about how to apply futures thinking, check out our “Toolkit for tomorrow: Anticipating civil society futures.” This step-by-step guide takes readers through trend scanning, scenario building, and action planning. Originally published in English, the toolkit is now also available in French and Spanish. 

Feel free to get in touch to explore ways we can collaborate on futures thinking. 

Photos by Tavares Ferreira, Youth Department of the Council of Europe

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.

Programme 2025: Civil society in times of uncertainty

22nd January 2025 by Wolfgang Jamann

2025 marks an exciting new chapter in the Centre’s story as we embark on a new strategic cycle, aimed at strengthening a shareholder community that is inclusive, resilient, and deeply connected to the people it serves.

Together with our partners we are building a future where every community has a voice, challenges are met with innovative solutions, and global collaboration turns today’s obstacles into tomorrow’s achievements.

Currently, civil society is facing unprecedented challenges. Shrinking operating space, geopolitical unrest, rising inequality and social divides, the proliferation of anti-rights actors, digital and technological threats, and a fast-changing volatile environment determine our working conditions. At the Centre, we tackle these challenges head-on by collaborating with communities and partners to inform policies, promote equity, and ensure no one is left behind.

As a convening organisation, the Centre has – and will continue to – play a key role in supporting the civil society leadership community to tackle and foster new solutions to the ever-growing challenges. We provide safe spaces where sector
leaders can come together to discuss current and common challenges, share learnings, and offer future perspectives on emerging trends.

This year, building on our continued leadership support, we will further consolidate our programme initiatives, guided by our new strategy which focuses on three key priority themes:

  • Understanding and shaping the futures of International Civil Society Organisations
  • Shaping and strengthening civil society’s operating space
  • Focusing on the empowerment of civil society partners and marginalised communities

Our dedicated project team oversee several communities of practice. Working collaboratively, they help to tackle and investigate these key priority themes through outcomes focused research, engagement with key stakeholders at community meetings, and cross-cutting collaboration through various knowledge exchanges.

We invite you to take part and look forward to collaborating with you through our convenings, offerings, and programme initiatives in this important year. Let’s stay strong, work together and support each other.

Welcome to our Programme for 2025

Programme 2025 flyer
Civil society collaboration in times of uncertainty

Wolfgang Jamann

Executive Director

Stay up-to-date with all our convenings, events and engagements here

 

Wolfgang Jamann

Executive Director

International Civil Society Centre

Dr. Wolfgang Jamann is Executive Director of the International Civil Society Centre. Until January 2018 he was Secretary General and CEO of CARE International (Geneva). Before that he led NGO Deutsche Welthungerhilfe and the Alliance 2015, a partnership of 7 European aid organisations. From 2004-2009 he was CEO & Board member of CARE Deutschland-Luxemburg and President of the CARE Foundation. Previously, he worked for World Vision International as a regional representative in East Africa (Kenya) & Head of Humanitarian Assistance at WV Germany. After his Ph.D. dissertation in 1990 he started his career in development work at the German Foundation for International Development, later for the UNDP in Zambia. As a researcher and academic, he has published books and articles on East & Southeast Asia contributing to international studies on complex humanitarian emergencies and conflict management.

Navigating the Digital Landscape: Key Insights from the International Civic Forum 2024

12th December 2024 by Eva Gondor and Rachel Wilkinson
Every year, we bring together leaders from civil society and other sectors to discuss key civic space issues, build connections, and identify opportunities for collaboration at the International Civic Forum (ICF). This year we focused on how digital technology is transforming civic space and explored the implications of digital advancement for civic and civil society operating space.   

 

ICF 2024_ holding a phone and taking a photo of a speaker

 

Collaborating with our partner, the Civic Tech Innovation Network (CTIN), with whom we run our Digital Dialogues event series, we built on synergies and teamed up for their annual conference Civic Tech Innovation Forum (CTIF). At CTIF we hosted a masterclass on how strategic foresight can be applied by civil society to address misinformation and disinformation. The ICF took place immediately following the CTIF, fostering connections between the two events and providing a unique platform to share knowledge and insights.  

During the ICF, we examined how digital trends – ranging from digital authoritarianism and disinformation to the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) – are reshaping civic space. Participants explored the challenges and opportunities that technology presents, shared experiences and best practices, and engaged in a foresight exercise to prepare for possible civic space futures. 

 

ICF 2024 Panel Presentation

 

Key Learnings and Reflections from the ICF 2024

1. Impact of digital technology on (shrinking) civic space

Civic space is increasingly under threat, with the rise of government surveillance, internet shutdowns, and restrictions on digital freedoms. Digital technology plays a dual role – it can contribute to the erosion of civic freedoms but also provide new tools for civil society to fight back. 

For example, technology can help expose human rights violations, amplify voices, and facilitate global advocacy and coalition-building. However, it also opens the door for new forms of digital repression, such as targeted disinformation campaigns and government surveillance. As we move forward, civil society organisations must engage with technology critically and actively manage its risks, while recognising its potential to drive positive change.

ICF 2024 _ group discussion

 

2. The need to prioritise and upskill on cybersecurity

Civil society organisations are now among the most targeted groups for cyberattacks. Whether large or small, they must prioritise cybersecurity to protect sensitive data and safeguard digital infrastructures. They need to stay informed about emerging digital threats and continually upskill staff to address them. This is not just a technical issue – it’s a fundamental aspect of protecting the work we do and the communities we serve. 

3. Bridging the digital divide and enabling accessibility

While digital technology offers incredible opportunities, we cannot overlook the global digital divide. Over 3 billion people remain offline, and many others face restrictions due to financial barriers or internet shutdowns. For civil society organisations looking to use technology to support and expand civic space, it is essential to ensure that digital solutions are inclusive and accessible. This includes offering offline versions of apps, ensuring data protection, and providing access to free tools like VPNs to overcome censorship. 

 

ICF - Robert Dersley collecting content for graphic illustration

 

4. Need for collective learning and collaboration

A central theme throughout the ICF was the importance of collaboration. Technology is constantly evolving, and staying ahead of emerging trends requires continuous learning and knowledge-sharing. This way, we can build on each other’s efforts instead of reinventing the wheel. From managing digital risks to understanding the impacts of AI, civil society organisations must take collective responsibility for building a more tech-savvy and resilient sector.

5. Artificial intelligence (AI) as a double-edged sword

AI has significant potential to support human rights and democracy, but it also comes with considerable risks. From privacy violations to the amplification of disinformation, the ICF underscored the need for vigilance. Civil society organisations must explore AI’s potential, for example for fact-checking and verifying information. At the same time, they must actively mitigate its risks, such as biased algorithms, and ensure that its deployment promotes fairness, inclusivity, and respect for human rights.

 

ICF presentation discussion

 

6. Anticipating possible futures for civic space

Strategic foresight helps civil society organisations anticipate and prepare for a range of future scenarios, allowing them to navigate potential changes in civic space more effectively. By exploring scenarios for 2030 – from civic space collapse to its transformation – participants identified first steps that civil society can take to respond to emerging digital trends. This proactive approach enables civil society organisations to strengthen resilience and adaptability, ensuring they are ready for multiple possible futures and can safeguard civic freedoms in an ever-changing environment. 

Final thoughts

In conclusion, the ICF emphasised that civil society has a responsibility to engage with digital technology and critically assess its impact, both positive and negative, on civic space. The digital tools we engage with should be used to amplify voices, protect human rights, and strengthen civic space. By understanding the digital landscape, advocating for responsible use of AI, strengthening cybersecurity, and closing the digital divide, civil society organisations can ensure technology remains a force for positive change, rather than one that undermines civic space. Through ongoing exchange, upskilling, collaboration, and strategic foresight, civil society can adapt to the digital age and continue defending and expanding civic space for a fairer and more resilient future. 

ICF participants 2024
Participants at the International Civic Forum 2024

Photos by Zibusiso Manzini-Moyo

International Civic Forum 2024 Graphic Illustration Recording

Day 1
International Civic Forum _Graphic Recording Day 1 by Robert Dersley
Illustration by Robert Dersley, 2024

Click here to view larger version

Day 2
International Civic Forum _Graphic Recording Day 2 by Robert Dersley
Illustration by Robert Dersley, 2024

Click here to view larger version

ICF Graphic illustratotor in action Robert Dersley
Robert Dersley in action, graphic recording

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.

Rachel Wilkinson

Programme Manager – Futures and Innovation

International Civil Society Centre

Rachel leads the Futures and Innovation programme at the Centre. She is responsible for managing the portfolio of projects and events as well as leading and developing the Scanning the Horizon strategic peer learning platform. Rachel has more than 15 years of experience working in the third sector, on a national and international level, working for various ICSOs in international development and human rights in both London and Berlin.

Citizen Data Takes Centre Stage at the Fifth UN World Data Forum

11th December 2024 by Ayman Akkad

In mid-November 2024, Medellín, Colombia, played host to the fifth United Nations World Data Forum (UNWDF). Themed “Datutopia,” the Centre’s Leave No One Behind Partnership attended the Forum alongside over 2,000 participants, including representatives from national statistical offices (NSOs), academia, civil society, and global data partnerships. Over the course of four days, the forum tackled pressing questions about how to create an innovative and inclusive data ecosystem to support sustainable development. 


 Citizen Data: A Cornerstone of Sustainable Development 

 
One of the event’s standout themes was the transformative potential of citizen data in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Citizen data, a form of crowdsourced information often contributed by individuals through community initiatives, digital platforms, and mobile devices, has proven to be an indispensable complement to traditional statistics. It has become particularly effective in shedding light on the realities of marginalised and underrepresented communities. 

Examples of its impact abounded. From mapping pollution in urban areas to capturing the social dynamics of hard-to-reach populations, citizen science projects were lauded for addressing gaps where official data sources falter. Crucially, the forum highlighted how such initiatives empower communities to shape their narratives and reclaim agency over how their realities are represented. 
 
Integrating citizen data into official statistics, panellists argued, could revolutionise decision-making and contribute to a broader “data commons,” a shared and open-access repository that fosters greater inclusivity. 

A Pivotal Role for the Collaborative on Citizen Data

Among the key players at UNWDF 2024 was the Collaborative on Citizen Data, a coalition dedicated to advancing the role of citizen-generated data in achieving the SDGs. The Collaborative, co-chaired by the Centre’s Leave No One Behind Partnership, was instrumental in guiding discussions on how citizen data could be effectively harnessed. 
 
Through its presentations, the Collaborative showcased the Copenhagen Framework on Citizen Data, which serves as a roadmap for implementing such initiatives. Practical examples came from country coalitions of the Centre’s Leave No One Behind Partnership, which illustrated how citizen contributions to the data value chain—from collection to analysis—can address challenges and ensure data reflects society’s diversity. 
 
Speakers emphasised that mainstreaming citizen data into global and national practices is essential for inclusive development. Their message was clear: sustainable development cannot succeed if it leaves marginalised voices unheard or unrepresented. 

Innovation and Inclusivity in the Data Landscape 

UNWDF 2024 was not short on forward-looking ideas. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and geospatial data into the broader data ecosystem took centre stage too, with examples of how these technologies can accelerate analysis and reveal actionable insights. Yet, caution was urged. With AI’s rapid proliferation, participants stressed the importance of adhering to strict ethical standards to ensure transparency and fairness. 
 
Building a universally accessible data commons also garnered significant attention. Panellists underscored that bridging the gap between technical experts and local communities requires a shared and inclusive language. This vision, though ambitious, is pivotal for ensuring that data-driven decisions genuinely reflect the lived realities of people worldwide. 

Trust, Ethics, and the Role of Partnerships

The forum grappled with the thorny issues of data ethics and trust. As citizen data becomes integral to global development strategies, safeguarding privacy and maintaining ethical standards are paramount. Stakeholders debated the responsibilities of governments, private sector, and civil society in ensuring transparency and accountability within this burgeoning ecosystem. 
 
Equally, many participants rightly championed partnerships as the backbone of a robust data system. Successful collaboration between governments, academia, and grassroots organisations can help avoid duplication, maximise impact, and ultimately build a more equitable data ecosystem. Calls to involve youth more actively in data initiatives reflected a broader ambition to future-proof this movement. 

Shaping the Global Data Ecosystem: The Road Ahead

The Medellín Framework for Action, UNWDF 2024’s key outcome document, sets a course for adapting the Cape Town Global Action Plan to the realities of an evolving data landscape. It envisions a future where citizen data, geospatial intelligence, and traditional statistics work in tandem to address global challenges effectively. 
 
The next forum, scheduled for April 2026 in Saudi Arabia, promises to continue this momentum. With a focus on improving data quality and accessibility, it will include training sessions and competitions for small and medium-sized enterprises to develop innovative data solutions. 
 
As the curtains closed in Medellín, one lesson stood out: citizen data is no longer a peripheral consideration. It is a cornerstone of modern development strategies, bridging the divide between abstract statistics and the lived realities of individuals. In doing so, it ensures that the often-repeated mantra of the SDGs— “leave no one behind”—becomes a promise fulfilled. 

Related content

 

Ayman Akkad

Project Manager, Leave No One Behind

International Civil Society Centre

Ayman is the Project Manager for the Leave No One Behind partnership, at the International Civil Society Centre, joining the Centre in late 2024. With a multidisciplinary background in journalism, development, advocacy and strategic communications, he brings a wide range of experience to this role. He holds a master’s in Conflict Resolution from the Heller School at Brandeis University and a master’s degree in public policy from Princeton’ University’s School of Public and International Affairs. Ayman works towards democratizing policymaking by increasing citizen participation in decision-making and empowering communities to leverage technology for social change.

Anticipate, Adapt, Act: Shaping a resilient future for civil society

13th February 2024 by Mareyah Bhatti, Eva Gondor, Patricia Mugenzi

It is widely understood that the civil society sector faces undue restrictions and threats to its operating space globally. To help strengthen the capacity of civil society actors, we need to develop the ability to anticipate the future and act in a proactive manner to shape the future. The International Civil Society Centre and Forum for the Future recently collaborated on this issue at the International Civic Forum (ICF) 2023, a two-day workshop in Brussels joined by 40 actors from across the civil society sector. 

 

 

How do civil society organisations (CSOs) accustomed to fire-fighting crises imagine more adaptative and agile ways of preparedness and planning?

In mid-2023, we joined efforts to design a replicable methodology that offered a creative and engaging way to use future stories and scenarios leading to 2034. The purpose of this was to help CSOs design current and future strategic plans and inform their practices. The objectives offered participants a way to explore a range of possible futures and identify potential action areas to navigate those varied futures on three distinct levels: as individuals, organisations, and as a sector. We hoped to use the ICF 2023 to test the methodology and receive feedback on how it can be developed to support future planning for CSOs. 

The sessions took the attendees on a journey… first immersing them in the present and exploring current trends, then travelling to alternative possible futures based on the set of trends, and finally bridging the gap between possible futures and their actions, resources and mindsets. While the workshop surfaced several sectoral actions, the sessions were designed to ensure a focus on the attendees present and their specific agency and role in driving the change needed.

How could they as individuals in their respective roles contribute to their organisation’s resilience? And how could their organisation work with others to reduce sector-wide vulnerability? 

We designed the sessions to be generative spaces that led the group to bring their experience and expertise while stretching beyond what exists in the present and imagining more ambitious (yet tangible) actions for possible futures. 

“As CSOs, we need to get used to ‘futurising’ as this informs current actions and helps us to avoid ‘routinising’.” ICF participant

 

The participants produced a range of ideas at the sectoral, organisational, and individual levels that we summarised below:

Sector-wide actions

  1. We need to empower and involve local communities

Anticipation is about participation and if we want to build a better future, we need to listen to local communities, invest in community relations, and change approaches to collaboration. Local partners need to be involved from the beginning of processes; communities need to be turned into co-investors and co-designers rather than receivers. 

  1. The language we use needs to shift to remove barriers to involvement

As raised by a participant and echoed by many around the room, the language around development is “colonial-centric”. It is often in English, French, or Spanish and filled with jargon that can be difficult to interact with. How can we expect to involve people in decision-making and hear their voices, if the language or medium of conduct is inherently exclusionary? For communities – and the youth in particular – to be deeply involved, we need to think about access to such spaces and especially the language we use.

  1. We need to apply a more holistic approach and deepen collaboration on intersectional problems

The challenges we face in the civil society sector are complex and interconnected, and therefore require intersectional approaches. Rather than approaching challenges in isolation, we can use a similar concept to the “whole child approach” or “one health approach” to recognise intersectional identities, needs, and experience.

  1. We need to craft futures across the civil society sector and together with other sectors

Foresight needs to be ‘humanised’ and made approachable. It was viewed by many as a key skill to prepare for the future, and therefore needs to be done by a wider range of stakeholders. Thinking about the future is inherently a human act. Instead of approaching uncertainty with the usual sense of fear, foresight allows us to plan and stress test approaches against potential futures in a more informed manner. 

“The process led to some ‘aha’ moments for me which will have a significant impact on my planning.” ICF participant

Organisational actions

The participants worked in pairs or peer groups to draft tangible organisational plans they can contribute to. The ideas revolved around two aspects:

  • Strengthening participation and inclusiveness in decision-making processes International and local CSOs need to invest more into co-creation, reflection, and exploration of alternatives with partners and communities.
  • Building foresight capacities and applying foresight within organisational activities
    The participants left motivated to involve their colleagues, partners, and allies in further collaborative foresight processes and exercises.

Individual actions

Building foresight capacities and their application were further underlined in concrete individual actions that the participants expressed their interest in developing such as:

  • Promoting and prioritizing knowledge sharing about foresight to broaden perspectives
  • Planning a foresight exercise for colleagues to strengthen organisational capacities 
  • Integrating futures thinking into existing processes and upcoming strategies

The individual actions identified during the ICF 2023 underscore the importance of fostering foresight at multiple levels — empowering local communities, shifting organisational language, and humanizing foresight for broader stakeholder engagement to ensure plans, projects, and strategies reflect our hopes for the future.

“Futures thinking is a systemic process and should be given due attention.”

 

So, what does this mean? 

Being a systemic process, futures thinking should be approached comprehensively, considering all interconnected aspects. In essence, it means recognising the need for a thorough strategy when addressing global challenges in the civil society sector. By practicing futures thinking, we take a proactive stance in tackling the complex issues faced by the sector, while fostering resilience, collaboration, and inclusivity. It is about developing the capacity to not only monitor trends but also to envision, through a participatory approach, how they might unfold providing us with a powerful tool to break away from conventional crisis management practices. Futures thinking urges us to be strategic, forward-looking, and adaptable in our approach, ensuring a more effective response to the evolving landscape of the civil society sector. 

 

Find out more 

The ICF 2023 was part of a wider three-year initiative “Anticipating futures for civil society operating space” (2022 – 2025) led by the International Civil Society Centre. The initiative aims to strengthen anticipatory capacities and future readiness of civil society professionals who are working to defend and expand civic and civil society operating space. Check out this website to find further information and resources from this initiative and possibilities of involvement. 

 

Mareyah Bhatti

Change Designer

Forum for the Future

Mareyah is a Change Designer at Forum for the Future, with an academic background in medical geography and personal passion for food systems and their cultural significance. She works closely in the Food and Futures teams at Forum, managing and delivering their programmes. She was recently seconded to Singapore for the 'Protein Challenge Southeast Asia,' a runner-up for the esteemed Food Planet Prize. Beyond this, Mareyah contributes to Forum’s Future Centre platform as an editor, identifying emerging signals and authoring blogs on topics from the future of protein to human rights in the fashion supply chain.

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.

Patricia Mugenzi

Strategic Foresight

International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC)

Patricia is the coordinator for Strategic foresight (Africa Region) at the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC). She helps IFRC’s National societies explore possible futures to address upcoming challenges. Before joining the IFRC, Patricia served in various positions in both international and governmental organisations, including the Government of Quebec. In this role, she provided invaluable insights and guidance on geopolitical matters, playing a pivotal role in shaping government policies and strategies.

Global Perspectives 2023 – Moments of Truth 

22nd November 2023 by Miriam Niehaus

Prolonged humanitarian crises, the rise of generative artificial intelligence, the use of disinformation to polarise societies and manipulate elections, the suppression of civil society from state and non-state actors and decreasing funding… are just a few of the ever-growing challenges that social justice, humanitarian, and development organisations must contend with. As progressive and rights-based civil society organisations – from local to international level – are grappling with these crises of the past few years, the International Civil Society Centre once again had the honour of curating our yearly conference, Global Perspectives on these topics. “Global Perspectives – Moments of Truth” happened on 9 November and brought together hundreds of online participants across five different sessions to not just ponder these challenges but provide concrete examples and explore ideas on how we can collaboratively tackle them.  

Though each session was independently curated, three overarching themes emerged. 

The Future of Civic Space is Now
Anticipating the factors that will constrict our civic space a decade from now demands our attention today. Civic Space has been in decline and is likely to continue on this trajectory. Are we adequately addressing the issues that will likely shape our societies in the next decade, impacting our civic engagement? In the session titled “Learn From and Engage on Futures Scenarios for Civic Space” participants learned about the outcomes of the Centre’s “A History of Civic Space 2024-2034”, exercise, where representatives from 15 civil society organisations collaborated to develop possible future scenarios for civic space. Session participants engaged in the scenarios and identified actionable steps to either advance or prevent undesirable outcomes. For example, a likely scenario of artificial intelligence (AI) first enabling a lot of good work at scale and then backfiring on civil society as “obstacles to progress”, highlighted the urgency to get into the AI game now. Later in the day at the “Digital Dialogue – AI: Solution or Threat to Mis-/Disinformation?” drove the point home: two scholars Liz Orembo from Research ICT Africa and Admire Mare from the University of Johannesburg, called on civil society organisations to address AI now, as governance advocates, watchdogs, as well as helping to increase media literacy. This is especially needed as there are a number of key elections coming up next year where we will likely see sophisticated disinformation campaigns. Henry Parker from Logically, informed us that there is a lot of potential to use AI to identify disinformation campaigns and reprimand the actors responsible. During “A Sector Conversation”, Stéphane Duguin from CyberPeace Institute warned us that we need to create a comparable countermodel if we wish to increase our capacity to oppose disinformation campaigns. Read their approach to responsible use of artificial intelligence here and watch this space as we are launching our Sector Guidance on Mis-, Dis-, and Mal-information: Insights and Foresights in early 2024.    

Representation Matters
Two sessions, “The Truth is in the Telling” and “Exploring Personal Realities (of Marginalisation)”, delved into the importance of representation. Insights from individuals working with and identifying as members of marginalised communities underscored the need for more direct dialogue with those in power. Nana Afadzinu from WACSI emphasised in “A Sector Conversation” the need for introspection and acknowledgement of systemic inequity. Festus Odingo from the SDG Kenya Forum emphasised the significance of partnerships as a key force for change, emphasising how they may broaden the scope and effect of community-based initiatives. Representation of course also happens through communication pieces – donor reports, flyers, fundraising advertisements and much more. Undeniably, communication about Global North-financed Global South projects has been a big part of manifesting white saviourism and entrenching power imbalances. By now, several organisations have begun to examine this reality and make changes. The Ethical Story Telling Guideline, a toolkit that PATH and Metro Group DRC contributed to, was presented by the speakers. It can assist companies in determining how to, for instance, become more ethical by making concrete adjustments to the planning process. Communication audits, such as the ones conducted every two years by CARE International, can be useful in holding teams accountable and providing incentives for improvement. As part of its bottom-up strategy to alter various communication channels, CARE has made significant efforts to maximise informed consent and minimise unconscious bias. Yet, there are still incredibly difficult dilemmas when organisations must weigh communication subjects’ agency against their safety, for example when portraying female CSO workers in Afghanistan. The emphasis is on respect. A key takeaway from our sessions is to aim to do no harm but failing forward is inevitable as we push one another to improve and recognise ethical storytelling as a fundamental  component of power shifts within the industry. 

Weathering a Perfect Storm
Our speakers highlighted this year a shrinking civic space, humanitarian crises piling up and worsening, colonial structures still fostering inequity, and growing cybercrime and disinformation adding to the complexity. All of this is happening in the face of a challenging global economy with a sharp decline for our causes. Are we experiencing a perfect storm? Yet, for most in the sector, there is a firm resolve to plough on despite difficult circumstances. There is no alternative. It has been inspiring to see among others, leaders from ICVA, CIVICUS, WACSI and the CyberPeace Institute sharing resources, knowledge and honest invitations to collaborate more, helping each other to overcome our deficiencies and capitalise on our respective expertise and strengths.  

To continue surviving the storm, the International Civil Society Centre will keep bringing attention to the incredible innovations that are being developed in the field. As Mirela Shuteriqi from ICVA said in her closing statement, we must also transform ourselves. We must encourage a culture and bring about changes at the UN level, using this as a chance to collaborate and tackle social justice issues. We remain dedicated to facilitating dialogue, sharing innovations, and fostering collaboration within the sector. It is through collective determination, thoughtful introspection, and ethical storytelling that we can face the challenges that lay ahead, transform ourselves, and forge a path towards a more just and equitable future. The journey is ongoing, but together, as a united force, we embark on it with unwavering resolve. 

 

Special thanks to all our speakers – Jennifer Abomnger, Nana Afadzinu, Stéphane Duguin, Patrick Gathara, Arnold Gekonge, Eva Gondor, Heather Hutchings, Wolfgang Jamann, Lysa John, Hussam Joudah, Admire Mare, Shalini Moodley, Patricia Mugenzi, Levis Nderitu, Nana Nwachukwu, Festus Odingo, Elizabeth Orembo, Henry Parker, Neha Rayamajhi, Mirela Shuteriqi, Clare Spurrell, David Verga, and Rachel Wilkinson.

 

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Miriam Niehaus

Head of Programmes

International Civil Society Centre

Miriam leads the Centre’s programmes. She started at the Centre as Executive Assistant in 2014 and then, as Project Manager, developed and implemented the Centre’s projects on civic space between 2016 and 2019. Prior to joining the Centre Miriam worked for VSO International and GIZ in the Palestinian Territories. She holds a BA in Islamic Studies and Social Anthropology from the University of Freiburg and an MA in Near and Middle Eastern Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies.

Discover the ‘Anticipating Futures for Civil Society Operating Space’ report 

10th November 2022 by Eva Gondor

This report contributes to the Centre’s multi-year initiative Anticipating Futures for Civil Society Operating Space to strengthen the anticipatory capacities and future readiness of civil society professionals who are working to defend civic and civil society operating space. It is intended to provide a basis for further activities, especially in identifying gaps that require collective sector commitment. 

The report is the outcome of an exercise to map the current landscape: the issues impacting civic space, the strengths and weaknesses of civil society organisations’ (CSOs) responses and their reflections. 

Download Report

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.

Solidarity and freedom of expression – How can we protect and harness online spaces?

20th October 2021 by Sarah Pugh

Freedom of expression is a basic requirement for maintaining democracy and open societies where citizens are able to stay informed, express opinions and participate actively in public life. Over the summer the Solidarity Action Network (SANE) explored different aspects of freedom of expression through a series of curated conversations looking at the role that international civil society organisations (ICSOs) can play in protecting and increasing free expression and civic space, particularly in relation to digital space and freedoms. 

The first example came from Takura Zhangazha and Arthur Steiner from Hivos, who shared how Hivos has played an ‘incubator’ role in supporting young artists and makers to champion free expression, and to increase and even celebrate civic space. Through its R.O.O.M. Program Hivos has designed interventions that support young creatives, strengthening their resilience to remain critical and independent so that they can continue to challenge damaging narratives and shrinking civic space. Beyond the solidarity shown through this form of ‘incubation’ and direct support, Hivos has also made use of facilitation as a method of solidarity. The programme has facilitated the convening and connecting of young makers and creative hubs, enabling cross-fertilisation between these makers and other actors in support of Pan-African solidarity that can counter closing civic space. 

These forms of solidarity are brought to life through stories of R.O.O.M Program partners – in particular, the Magamba Network based in Zimbabwe. The network focuses on the arts, digital media, activism and innovation. It has opened up space for free expression online through supporting and incubating young bloggers and new media start-ups speaking truth to power, and has inspired the creation of other, similar hubs in Southern Africa. As one of its activities, the network has convened discussions around the topic of internet access and ownership, inviting makers and creative hubs across the region to discuss the rise in internet regulations, cyber-crime laws, internet shutdowns, and – in some countries – the increasingly prohibitive costs of internet access.

(Still from video: Who owns civic space? by Hivos featuring Magamba Network) 

How international actors can show solidarity through support to local civil society actors to maintain and defend freedom of expression online, and protect online civic space, led us on to the next curated conversation with Felicia Anthonio from Access Now. Felicia shared insights on the role that Access Now has played in coordinating and convening #KeepItOn, a global campaign and coalition that aims to end internet shutdowns.  

Members of the #KeepItOn coalition work together to prevent shutdowns through awareness-raising, advocacy, capacity-building and litigation. Access Now further builds resilience among affected communities through technical support and grassroots grants, and applies multiple forms of solidarity at local, national and international levels. 

(Graphic from: #KeepItOn update: who is shutting down the internet in 2021? by Access Now) 

The campaign uses public solidarity to tackle shutdowns, for example through advocacy at the global or national level calling for specific internet shutdowns to be ended. Tensions can arise between public solidarity on the one hand, and access on the other, and risks to access, staff or partners’ safety can act as barriers to ICSOs signing on to open letters or speaking out publicly on the issue of internet shutdowns. However, as the #KeepItOn coalition’s work demonstrates there is a spectrum of different modes of solidarity available to ICSOs.  

There are different examples of more ‘quiet’ acts of solidarity that ICSOs can take, such as helping to document restrictions in a particular context, or supporting local communities or groups affected by a shutdown. The coalition itself employs multiple modes and levels of solidarity; for example combining awareness-raising at the multilateral level with litigation or advocacy at the national level, alongside strengthening of local capacities to deal with the impacts of shutdowns. So, whatever their appetite or capacity for risk might be, ICSOs can contribute to the protection of digital space and freedoms, and joining the #KeeptItOn Coalition can be an effective first step. 

Further details about these two examples can be found in the Solidarity Playbook, in the case studies on Hivos and Access Now which cover strategies for the protection of online free expression, as well as its potential to bring about social change, revealing different strategies for solidarity in the face of closing civic space. We encourage you to delve deeper into these topics by reading the cases!  

 

Sarah Pugh

Research Consultant

RINGO Project

Sarah Pugh, Research Consultant, has worked with activists, grassroots movements and storytellers internationally. She has conducted research for both funders and civil society organisations, including human rights and women’s rights NGOs based in India and Burma, and has over a decade of experience in the human rights and social justice philanthropy sector, having worked with a variety of funder collaborations whilst based at Global Dialogue. She has managed pass-through grants and pooled funds for human rights and social change in the UK and globally, and supported the inception of the Funders’ Initiative for Civil Society (FICS). Sarah is currently acting as Project Manager for the RINGO Project - a systems change process aimed at reimagining the INGO.

What does ‘solidarity’ around civic space mean in the light of the Indian response to COVID-19?

7th June 2021 by Deborah Doane

This blog post is written by Deborah Doane, who along with Sarah Pugh, authored the Solidarity Playbook, a collection of case studies and best practices on how organisations and coalitions have developed resilience and solidarity mechanisms to civic space restrictions and changing operating conditions for civil society.

The tragedy that is befalling India in real-time as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic is also a consequence of a government intent on trying to destroy its own civil society, both through a crackdown on foreign funding, one of the typical tactics in closing civic space; and by suppressing dissent through whatever means possible.  

Foreign funding restrictions imposed in 2013 under the previous government were just the start of this severe assault on civil society that saw international civil society organisations (ICSOs) Amnesty and Greenpeace seriously targeted, with Amnesty ultimately withdrawing from the country, no longer able to function effectively.  

The intimidation that befell foreign ICSOs eventually impacted local CSOs too, as the crackdown on dissent accelerated. In the last six years, over 13,000 NGOs’ licenses were cancelled, as the government made a concerted effort to stem the flow of foreign funding.  

Much of the assault on civil society came to a head just prior to the pandemic, which saw strong and sustained protests against the new Citizenship Amendments Act (CAA) which put Muslims at a disadvantage and more vulnerable compared to Hindus in having to prove their Indian identity, perceived by many to be a direct assault on the secular underpinning of the Indian State.  

COVID-19 provided the perfect opportunity for the government to halt the protests altogether and dampen the voice of civil society even further. Protests were virtually outlawed, movement was restricted, and activists were silenced or arrested, whilst the government pressed ahead with even more restrictions on foreign funding coming into the country, even as late as last September, in the midst of the pandemic. As Vijayan MJ writes for the Carnegie Endowment for Peace, “The government converted a health crisis into a law-and-order issue, and democratic governance slid into a police raj.”   

Thus, it’s clear that civic space – and our response to it in global civil society – is at the heart of a solidaristic pandemic response in India. 

Even in the absence of foreign funding and in spite of imposed restrictions, local civil society actors have been heroic in their efforts providing much-needed emergency relief across the country.  Communities have stepped in, whilst rights-based groups moved from advocacy to relief mode quite swiftly in response to the rising disaster impacting migrant workers and many of India’s poorest. But local CSOs have also highlighted that because of the civil society crackdown, they have been entirely (and needlessly) hampered in their efforts. Indeed, they point out that without such restrictions – either on funding or on dissent, the COVID-19 crisis in India could have been far less severe. 

National organisations in India have been able to place some pressure on the government to try to at least delay some new foreign funding restrictions and registration requirements so that much-needed humanitarian relief funding can make its way more easily to smaller, responsive local CSOs. As of the time of writing, this is as yet unresolved.  

Internationally, pressure exerted from the now global People’s Vaccine campaign, involving many ICSOs, has been a tremendous effort to challenge patent protection which could make a massive difference for India. This is an obvious value-add role for ICSOs in the face of a pandemic, but it doesn’t speak to the issue of civic space per se. Given the layer upon layer of complexity, well documented by the likes of Arundhati Roy and others, it’s very easy to feel that anything ICSOs can do is all but meaningless.  

However, the case studies in the Solidarity Playbook have shown that there are multiple actions that ICSOs can take when it comes to civic space, ranging from quiet solidarity to more public, political solidarity. The risk for ICSOs in India has often been that speaking out can do more harm to their efforts – and to local actors – than good. But the countervailing risk is that remaining silent can also enable an already repressive regime to become even more repressive. So how can ICSOs navigate this complexity?  

Here, two key broader lessons from the Solidarity Playbook are relevant. First, that ‘civic space’ is a strategic opportunity to shift an organisational strategy. COVID-19 has demanded a real shake-up in how ICSOs are organised, as the freedom to travel and send expats from the north everywhere is virtually off the table. In most parts of the world where ICSOs are present, traditional business models have turned upside down. ICSOs are finally starting to ask themselves how to collaborate with partners differently and better, in light of the new normal. It’s not about ‘empowering’ or ‘capacity building’ anymore. Instead, it’s about recognising the power that communities have and identifying ways to create new forms of collaboration – and build solidarity alongside those on the ground.  

Where foreign funding is allowed, this can mean shifting to providing more funding mechanisms that enable communities to plan and allocate resources, something the #shiftthepower movement has long been advocating as a strategy to respond to closing civic space. COVID-19 only makes this more urgent. 

This is where the second lesson from the Solidarity Playbook becomes equally relevant. Whatever solidarity mechanism an ICSO adopts in the face of closing civic space, it must be negotiated with national and local civil societies – and the communities in which they are working. Speaking out through international advocacy or diplomacy may be the best course of action, as would prioritising international fundraising, but they may not be. How ICSOs collaborate equally with national and local partners, whilst helping to share any associated risk, is at the heart of what ‘solidarity’ really is. This will help in the long-run too – by strengthening local civil societies and local communities alike, and putting them in the driver’s seat.  

 “In India, the battle against the pandemic cannot be separated from the battle to regain democracy, the rule of law, constitutionalism, and human rights,” Vijayan MJ goes onto say in his essay for the Carnegie Endowment. It’s difficult to watch the dual crises of closing civic space and a global pandemic. But it’s heartening to know that as ICSOs, it’s still possible to act deliberately and in solidarity as allies with those at the forefront of local responses, and that our efforts in the short-term can have a positive long-term impact too.  

Deborah Doane

Deborah Doane is a writer and consultant, who has worked across civil society for over twenty years as a leader, campaigner and analyst, covering human rights, development, environment and economic justice issues. Most recently, she was the Director of the Funders’ Initiative for Civil Society, and now works in a portfolio capacity with a range of clients in philanthropy and civil society. She is a partner of RightsCoLab a think tank where she works on the future of civil society. She blogs regularly for the Guardian on International Development and civil society issues.

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International Civil Society Centre gGmbH,
Agricolastraße 26, 10555 Berlin, Germany

Phone: +49 (0) 30 20 62 46 97 11

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