Time to Get Creative to Protect and Expand Civic Space скачать в хорошем качестве

Time to Get Creative to Protect and Expand Civic Space

This discussion moderated by Mark Freeman, Founder & Executive Director of the Institute for Integrated Transitions (IFIT) revealed a critical underlying tension regarding the protection of civic space. Transcending a simple diagnosis of authoritarian threats, it exposes a fundamental debate over whether civil society should view itself as a gap-filler for state deficiencies or as a frontline political combatant against concentrated state and corporate power. The foundational challenge, as articulated by Giórgos Papandréou, General Rapporteur for Democracy, Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly and Former Prime Minister, Hellenic Republic, is not merely political but structural, rooted in profound economic disparity. He argued that from antiquity to the present, "the big issue of inequality is one of the most damaging for democracy and for civic space." This is not an abstract correlation; the immense concentration of wealth translates directly into a concentration of political power, which in turn systematically buys up or corrupts the institutions that constitute a healthy public sphere, from media outlets to political processes. This concentration of power finds its most potent expression in the digital realm, which has supplanted traditional forums as the primary public square. Papandréou asserted that this crucial space has been "taken over by the digital space," which is governed not by democratic norms but by proprietary algorithms engineered for profit. The very "ecosystem of debate" is thus distorted, prioritizing engagement through polarization over deliberation for the common good. Maria Teresa Kumar of Voto Latino provided a concrete example of this corrosion, detailing how targeted disinformation campaigns exploit social media to "pollute our ability to act," specifically discouraging participation among young and minority voters in the United States. In the face of this multifaceted assault, resistance requires a strategic alliance among the primary targets of authoritarianism. Pedro Abramovay, Vice-President of Programs of Open Society Foundations identified these as a triad: an independent judiciary, a free press, and civil society itself. The resilience of democracy hinges on the ability of these three sectors to act in concert, creating a bulwark against state overreach. Abramovay also issued a stark warning about the role of philanthropy, which is itself being attacked to induce risk aversion. He cautioned that a retreat by foundations into "less controversial" funding areas would be a strategic victory for autocrats, underscoring the imperative for philanthropic actors to remain courageous in their support for those on the front lines. Trisha Shetty, Founder and President of SheSays and President of the Steering Committee at the Paris Peace Forum passionately rejected any notion of moral equivalence or internal weakness as the core problem. For her, civil society exists fundamentally "because of deficiencies in government," and its purpose is not to sanitize the image of repressive regimes but to hold them accountable. In a direct rebuke to an introspective focus, she declared, "We must pin the tail of the donkey. It's the heads of states." Shetty highlighted the real-world consequences of this struggle, citing the use of spyware like Pegasus against activists and journalists and the deliberate smearing of NGOs as "foreign-funded" or "terrorists." Her intervention framed the fight not as a polite debate over policy but as a dangerous confrontation where activists put their "body, mind, sanity, safety on the risk," demanding that the focus remain squarely on the perpetrators of state-sponsored repression. The discussion reveals that protecting and expanding civic space demands more than defensive measures; it requires a strategic reimagining of both its purpose and its arenas of engagement. The core insight is that civil society must embrace its inherently political role, moving beyond resistance to actively "occupy"—as Maria Teresa Kumar, President and Chief Executive Officer, Voto Latino urged—the physical and digital halls of power. This entails building new, demographically aware coalitions and reclaiming the digital public square to forge a new consensus, transforming a struggle for survival into a forward-looking project of democratic renewal. Follow us on social media • 𝗧𝘄𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 -   / parispeaceforum   • 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 -   / parispeaceforum   • 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 -   / parispeaceforum   • 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 -   / parispeaceforum   • 𝗧𝗶𝗸𝗧𝗼𝗸 -   / parispeaceforum_