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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.

RS’ work builds on Canada’s rich culture of embracing diversity and pluralism, and its generosity in supporting and welcoming at-risk activists, to design organic and innovative program with impacts in the diaspora and activists’ native countries. In so doing, it provides a global platform for solidarity, innovation, and advocacy among human rights defenders and democracy activists from countries where the democratic space is under threat. By building resilience, enhancing voice and agency, and raising the credibility and relevance of civil society activists and human rights defenders from such environments, RS contributes to reversing democratic backsliding and shrinking civic spaces.

Resilient Societies (RS) is hosted by Cooperation Canada.

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Vision

A world where every person can fully participate in an open, vibrant and resilient civic space free of fear and repression.

 

Mission

Empower and inspire democracy activists and human rights defenders from closed civic spaces to convene, connect and collaborate.

 

Strategic Objectives

  • Foster resilience, relevance, and agency of democracy and human rights activists from closed and closing spaces;
  • Enable activists, movements, and organizations from closed and closing spaces to unite, collaborate and advocate for common causes.
  • Strengthen support and solidarity for protecting and promoting civic space and human rights in closing and closed civic spaces.

 

Core Program Areas

Convene, Connect, and Collaborate

Resilient Societies collaborates with civil society activists and organizations, grassroots civic movements, and local and international partners to create and strengthen resilient communities of civil society activists, organizations, and constituencies from closed and closing civic spaces to convene and engage advocates, experts, and policy makers at the local and global levels.

 

Strategize, Create, and Innovate

Resilient Societies creates opportunities for diverse actors to identify innovative strategies for protecting and promoting human rights, civil society, and democratic institutions in closed and closing civic spaces. Against the backdrop of democratic backsliding and shrinking civic space, RS engages in forward-looking innovations, leveraging local capacities and global best practices to protect civic space and reverse democratic backsliding.

 

Inform, Engage, and Advocate

Resilient Societies enables civil society activists, movements and organizations from closed and closing civic spaces to create lasting partnerships for evidence-based, data-driven policy advocacy grounded on local realities and inspired by global best practices. By merging local perspectives and know-how with the highest standards of rigor, RS supports credible, relevant, and activist-centered advocacy strategies.

 

Strategic Partner

Resilient Societies has a strategic agreement with Cooperation Canada for an incubation period. While its own independent entity, RS can leverage Cooperation Canada’s experience, connections, and expertise in the enabling environment for civil society, international cooperation, and the Canadian policy and political context to rapidly make an impact. Through this agreement, RS contributes to Cooperation Canada’s mission of supporting partnership and collective action for a safer, fairer, and more sustainable world.

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