#Art is a tool for resistance. But in an age of increased surveillance, activists need safer ways to create. Razali Samsudin, founder of Manifest Studio, explains how art can connect struggles and fuel resistance, without compromising safety. web.civicus.org/Razali-Samsudin #CIVICUSLens

🇾🇪 Yemen’s civilians are paying the price of escalating war. Khawla Al-Rowaishan of Mwatana for Human rights calls for urgent international action: humanitarian aid, independent investigations and accountability for all parties. Read more: web.civicus.org/Khawla-Al-Rowaishan #CIVICUSLens

🇹🇭 In Thailand, a new political amnesty law offers relief to some, but excludes people charged under Article 112, the lèse-majesté law used against pro-democracy protesters. Anon Chawalawan of iLaw explains the human cost of this exclusion. Read more: web.civicus.org/Anon-Chawalawan #CIVICUSLens

In #Tanzania, Maasai communities face eviction from their ancestral lands in the name of conservation and tourism. Odero Odero from CILAO explains why conservation must respect the Maasai’s right to their land and why they should also benefit from tourism. web.civicus.org/Odero-Odero #CIVICUSLens

TANZANIA: ‘The government should recognise the Maasai as conservationists rather than a threat’

CIVICUS discusses the eviction of Indigenous Maasai communities for conservation and tourism in Tanzania with Odero Odero, a trainer at the Civic and Legal Aid Organization, a civil society group that provides civic and legal education to rural and urban communities in mainland Tanzania.

lens.civicus.org

From France to Kenya & the Philippines people are protesting injustice. Global tax rules are part of the issue, allowing multinationals to shift profits to low-tax jurisdictions. A UN Tax Treaty could help countries fund public services. CSOs must keep up the pressure! web.civicus.org/UN-tax-treaty

Global tax rules: a north-south divide

UN treaty talks pit wealthy states seeking weak text against global south countries demanding ambition

lens.civicus.org

🇷🇺 #Russia: The only anti-war party was excluded from parliamentary elections, exiled critics face new restrictions, and civil society groups continue to be targeted under "extremism" laws. Our latest country update: web.civicus.org/Russia1026

🇹🇷 #Turkey: A sweeping crackdown on #LGBTQI+ groups has triggered mass detentions, raids and online censorship. Meanwhile, journalists continue to face prosecution and authorities are tightening pressure on opposition voices. Our latest country update: web.civicus.org/Turkey1026

🇹🇷 In Turkey, LGBTQI+ people face a growing state crackdown. Raids, arrests and censorship are silencing activists and organisations. Lawyer Umut Rojda warns that the state is criminalising LGBTQI+ existence. Read the interview & amplify their voices: web.civicus.org/Umut-Rojda_EN #CIVICUS Lens

🇺🇸 Trump’s election policies affecting voter registration and the management of voter rolls are raising concerns ahead of the 2026 US midterms. Lawyer Aklima Khondoker warns about the erosion of democracy and calls for voting rights protection. 👉 web.civicus.org/Aklima-Khondoker #CIVICUSLens

#VENEZUELA: Since Maduro’s departure, protests have erupted across the country but with no democratic transition in sight. Andrés Cañizález of Medianálisis explains the obstacles to democracy and why civil society is essential to secure it 👉 web.civicus.org/Andres-Canizalez_EN #CIVICUSLens

🇮🇩 #Indonesia: Two years into Prabowo’s rule, #civicspace is under growing pressure. Activists are being vilified, journalists and human rights defenders targeted, protests suppressed, online dissent curtailed and repression in #Papua continues. Read more: web.civicus.org/Indonesia1026

Funding quality is civic space protection. When civil society loses predictable, flexible funding, it loses staff, legal support, digital protection & the networks that provide safety under pressure. Our new report calls on DAC members to change that 👉 us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

#Peru: Five LGBTQI+ activists and drag artists in Cusco face criminal investigation after a Pride March. Lucía Santos of #ProyectaIgualdad warns that visibility still carries consequences for LGBTQI+ people and calls for an end to criminalisation Read more: web.civicus.org/Lucia-Santos #CIVICUSLens

#HongKong: Prominent activist Joshua Wong has been jailed since 2020 and now faces a new sentence. Frances Hui explains what his case means for Hongkongers at home and in exile and the consequences of the National Security Law on democracy. Read more: web.civicus.org/Frances-Hui #CIVICUSLens

The UN faces two defining questions: who will lead it next, and what comes after the SDGs? Both reveal the same gap: civil society has too little influence over decisions shaping global priorities. Next secretary-general must work with civil society as a partner. web.civicus.org/UNGA #CIVICUSLens

In #Nigeria, insecurity takes different forms, from kidnappings and attacks on communities to deaths in custody. Mathew Oladele of the Initiative for Social Dev. in Africa describes a crisis that is not only about security, but also about neglect. web.civicus.org/Mathew-Oladele #CIVICUSLens

For Rushan Abbas founder of Campaign for Uyghurs, speaking out against the persecution of the Uyghurs in China has come at an unbearable cost. Her sister, Gulshan Abbas, was detained and sentenced to years in prison. She refuses to be silenced. Read more: web.civicus.org/Rushan-Abbas #CIVICUSLens

In #Afghanistan, art can be an act of resistance but visibility can also come at a cost.
Mina Jawad, a Berlin-based artist, explains how her work challenges Afghan realities at home and abroad. She also warns about the need to protect artists. Read more: web.civicus.org/Mina-Jawad
 #CIVICUSLens

#Nepal contributed less than 0.1% of historical global emissions, yet communities are paying a huge price. After deadly floods, Prajwol Bickram Rana of World's Youth for Climate Justice says climate loans are not enough. web.civicus.org/Prajwol-Bickram-Rana #CIVICUSLens

The map tells a story: Governments that reserve the right to execute their citizens tend to also severally restrict their civic freedoms. A look at civic space ratings for countries that still have the #deathpenalty

Researchers at the Maxwell School are conducting a global survey on organisations working to protect and promote democracy. The findings will inform funders, policymakers & others on how to better support pro-democracy organisations globally. ➡️https://bit.ly/frontlinessurvey Closes 26 October '26

Democracy Activism

Activism on promoting and protecting democracy.

bit.ly

#RUSSIA: Putin won a parliamentary election with no real opposition. The anti-war party was barred and United Russia won a record number of seats. Behind the staged vote, repression is intensifying and the war shows no sign of ending. Read more: web.civicus.org/Russia-elections #CIVICUSLens

#TheGambia: Electricity cuts raise frustration over corruption, inefficiency and mismanagement. Madi Jobarteh from Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice discusses the September 7 protests over outages and living conditions. Read more: web.civicus.org/Madi-Jobarteh #CIVICUSLens

#MYANMAR: Art has become a way to resist, remember and tell stories with dignity. Through A New Burma, Ma Hnin brings artists and young people together to make Myanmar’s experiences visible and keep communities connected. Read more: web.civicus.org/Ma-Hnin #CIVICUSLens

#SDG: Only 15% of targets are on track to be met by 2030. From a Global South perspective, Ali Jillani explains why the post-2030 framework should move beyond the SDGs’ theme-based model to address systemic barriers and realise development justice Read more: web.civicus.org/Ali-Jillani #CIVICUSLens

#INDONESIA: 387 people, including 160 children, were arrested during protests demanding stronger action against corruption. KontraS documents excessive force, arbitrary arrests, assaults, torture and indiscriminate use of crowd-control weapons. Read more: web.civicus.org/KontraS #CIVICUSLens

INDONESIA: ‘Authorities see protest and criticism of the government as a threat to national stability’

CIVICUS discusses the repression of protests and police violence in Indonesia with KontraS, the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence, an Indonesian human rights organisation that documents abuses of state power.

web.civicus.org

#DRC: As the DRC prepares for a constitutional referendum, LUCHA activist Jacques Issongo warns that proposed changes could open the door to a third presidential term. He explains why protecting the Constitution means protecting democracy. Read more: web.civicus.org/Jacques-Issongo #CIVICUSLens

🇵🇭 4 years on since President Marcos came to power, civic freedoms in the #Philippines are still under attack. Human rights defenders are red-tagged, activists face baseless charges, protests are restricted, and journalists remain under threat. New brief: https://ow.ly/GfxJ50ZT0QB

#SWEDEN: The far right lost support. But did its ideas already win? As the Sweden Democrats gained ground, mainstream parties adopted tougher policies towards migrants. Now the party has lost votes, but those policies remain. Read more: web.civicus.org/Sweden-election-2026 #CIVICUSLens #Elections

#BRICS wants a bigger say in how the world is run. But where is the voice of its people? As the bloc’s global influence grows, civil society remains shut out of decisions that affect billions. Democratising the world starts at home. Read more: https://web.civicus.org/BRICS-Summit #CIVICUSLens