The changing civic space is a global phenomenon that has received considerable attention recently. The reasons for this change are diverse and complex, making understanding the phenomenon and alternative response models crucial. Despite its increasing prevalence, few response strategies exist to protect this space. This report aims to assess a sample of African experiences of civic space closure, identify the pressures on civic space, and explore how civil society and the EU can work together to plan better response strategies.
The study was carried out by Supporting Democracy – A Citizen Organisations Programme, an EU-funded technical assistance facility that provides expertise to EU delegations and civil society organisations worldwide. The report draws comparative lessons and informed recommendations on protecting civic space and promoting accountable democracy from the country’s case studies and roundtable discussions.
In Africa, the democratic gains of the third wave of democracy in the 1990s began to give way to authoritarian backsliding a decade ago. The CIVICUS Monitor 2017 identifies pressures on space in Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.
The Crisis of civic space
The report describes various factors causing changes in civic space: the ability of individuals and groups to freely participate in civil society and engage in activities that promote democracy, human rights, and social justice.
One major factor is the rise of dominant-party regimes, in which a single political party holds power for extended periods and strongly influences all aspects of society. Another factor is the rise of strong-man regimes, in which the president or other leader is the central political force and can exert significant control over civil society.
These regimes may seek to extend their terms in office, leading to a crackdown on dissent as civil society groups criticise attempts to stay in power beyond legal limits. There is also a general decline in the legal environment for civil society in many countries, with new laws and regulations that limit freedom of expression and association.
Other factors include:
- Poverty and low levels of education can make it difficult for citizens to mobilise and demand accountability from their governments.
- Authoritarian and conservative traditions that limit criticism and dissent.
- Low state capacity for implementing laws.
- Protecting informal power relations can lead to narrowing civic space to hide rent-seeking behaviour and corruption.
Many of these factors combine to put pressure on certain groups within civil society, such as governance and human rights NGOs, media outlets and journalists with a broad outreach, civil servants who participate in civil society activities, women activists excluded from consultations and programs, and activists and academics who are outspoken about corruption and abuses of power.
Our recommendations
- Funding is crucial for preserving civic space, particularly for “difficult” work in economic justice, governance, democracy, accountability, the rule of law and human rights. CSOs should invest in new and innovative ways of sustaining the civic space, such as working with volunteers, raising contributions through crowdfunding, engaging in income-generating activities such as consultancies or undertaking joint ventures.
- The internal governance of many CSOs needs to improve to make them more resilient and professional. Donors should help CSOs strengthen their internal governance.
- CSOs and donors should invest in regular political context analysis to gain a more sophisticated understanding of human rights, freedom of expression, freedom of association, and the working environment for their promotion.
- There is a need to create or facilitate space for honest and structured dialogue and consultations on democratic accountability. Governments should routinely discuss their development objectives with civil society, and tripartite development mechanisms should serve as a platform to moderate between the state, the donor community and civil society to discuss issues of transparency and accountability.
- In cases where the judiciary is sufficiently independent, activists have successfully protected their space with litigation against acts by state security and intelligence organisations. However, the sustainable impact of litigation is needed, requiring strategic thinking about how to link litigation to social legitimacy. Legal aid facilities or the legal fraternity can provide legislative literacy and capacity-building for civil society.
- Protection remains essential in securing civic space, particularly under authoritarian regimes. EU mechanisms to support Human Rights Defenders should be used to their full potential.
- More effective forms of collaboration and networking must be devised to improve organisation amongst CSOs and search for other allies such as the private sector, churches, trade unions, professional associations, and traditional leaders. Coalitions amongst CSOs can bolster the civic cause, spread the risk and reduce the focus on high-profile activists and organisations.