Arab world needs new social contract
Back in 2011 and 2012, the root causes and drivers of the pro-democracy ‘Arab Spring’ protests were clear. The notion of a “new social contract” came to symbolise the popular… Read more »
Category: Civil Society
Internet blackouts increasingly linked in African elections
It’s becoming commonplace in many African nations: as an election approaches, the internet goes dark. Gabon is the latest country to employ internet censorship during a closely contested election, but… Read more »
Rights group rebuts Azerbaijan allegations
A leading pro-democracy group has responded to allegations of bias and misleading reporting by President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan. The regime attacked Freedom House for its reporting on its growing… Read more »
Sisi turns against Egypt’s labor unions
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is turning against the unions that have helped put him in power. The state has set its sights on the Egyptian Federation of Independent Trade… Read more »
Georgia’s turn to the West no cause for complacency
Democracy has been in retreat across Eurasia in recent years, and in many countries, the lure of Western political models has faded. But Georgia has been an exception, note analysts… Read more »
Vietnam: free imprisoned bloggers
Vietnam’s Communist authorities should quash the politically motivated convictions of two bloggers and release them from prison, Human Rights Watch said today: On September 22, 2016, the Higher People’s Court… Read more »
Hidden Heroes: Voices of Syria’s Civil Society
Today, over 5,000 men and women are active in Syrian civil society organizations. These diverse grassroots organizations work in human rights, community development, awareness building, and humanitarian aid. Much of… Read more »
Corruption overshadows Ukraine aid package
“You can’t catch a big fish with a small, thin rod” said Volodymyr Groysman, the prime minister of Ukraine, when asked why not a single “big fish” has been… Read more »
Human Rights, Accountability, & Access to Information in North Korea
The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) announces a Request for Statements of Interest (RSOI) from organizations interested in submitting Statements of Interest (SOI) for programs that support… Read more »
Democracy means legitimacy for Indonesia’s counter-terrorism policy
The case of Indonesia demonstrates that in countering violent extremism, democracy and serious efforts to gain legitimacy from the people before taking action are a necessary part of a… Read more »