Civic Space & Democracy
Cooperation Canada is committed to promoting civil society’s rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, association, and expression, in-person and online, recognizing that closing civic space affects the quality and effectiveness of development cooperation, humanitarian assistance and peacebuilding. Civil society actors are critical contributors to the 2030 Agenda, the pledge to leave no one behind, and the strengthening of democracy.
However, in over half of the world’s countries, civil society is facing serious restrictions and is exposed to increased surveillance, persecution and even violence. We believe that engagement with civil society should be tailored to respect civil society actors’ diverse range of constituents around the world, including to people on the frontlines of poverty, inequality, conflict, vulnerability and marginalization.
Our Current Efforts
Resilient Societies
Resilient Societies (RS) is an activists-led hub providing support and safe spaces for grassroots networks of human rights defenders, democracy and civil society activists and practitioners from ‘closing’ and ‘closed’ civic spaces.
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