Advancing Human Rights Movements

What is civic space and why is it important?

Civic space refers to the physical or digital environments where people can gather, express their opinions, and take action to create a better world. The ability of individuals to organise, participate, and communicate freely and without hinderance is essential for a thriving democracy. When governments unnecessarily monitor or restrict engagement in civic space, they threaten our human rights.

How we advance human rights movements within the civic space

Rights & Security International (RSI) defends civic spaces and the human rights movements that exist within them by challenging the misuse of security legislation, policies and measures that restrict free expression, opinion, association, and assembly rights. We collaborate with civil society partners in the Global South to document and address emerging and persisting practices that hinder effective engagement in the civic space and violate human rights. We raise these concerns at the national, regional, and international levels to create change.

Through research, advocacy, and capacity-building initiatives, we aim to promote open and robust civic spaces that enable people to exercise their rights freely without fear of reprisals and ensure meaningful participation and consultation with civil society on issues affecting people’s fundamental rights and freedoms.

We achieve this by:

• Collaborating with partners in the Global South to document violations of freedom of expression, opinion, association, and assembly rights related under the guise of security, ensuring that the voices of those affected by restrictions on civic space are heard.
  
• Supporting and strengthen human rights movements dedicated to protecting environmental human rights defenders and activists in the Global South.
  
• Building strong alliances and partnerships with civil society organisations in the Global South to collectively raise human rights concerns at international, regional, and national levels, advocating for meaningful change.
  
• Support civil society groups in making an impact at the UN by connecting them with advocacy opportunities and encouraging the UN to include them in discussions and listen to their concerns when making decisions about human rights.
  
• Establishing international networks and providing technical support and digital security training to human rights defenders at the forefront of protecting human rights.
  “From this immersive and active engagement, [we] experienced the importance of leveraging international instruments to discuss human rights violations, recommend solutions, and influence state engagements and duties to protect and promote the human rights of its citizens. The pre-session engagements were invaluable, as a key lesson learned was that the advocacy meetings at Palais des Nations laid the foundation for lifelong, extended (post pre-session), and strategic advocacy with [permanent missions] in our home country (Kenya). This way, advocacy is strategic, effective, and productive.” – Africa Center for Engendered Security and the Centre for Human Rights and Policy Studies