Movement Strategy Center’s Post

Securing democracy is the fight of our century, both at home and abroad. On the UN #InternationalDemocracyDay, I am glad to participate in discussions on the latest state of play, underpinning the pressing challenges in the face of a global rise of disinformation campaigns, celebrating positive spillovers of youth mobilisation and empowering and amplifying a call to defend democracy globally. As Laura Thornton, Senior Director of Global Democracy Programs at McCain Institute, shared: "Even if to debunk all the disinformation, we are still dealing with minds, hearts and values first of all." Carnegie Europe ENoP - European Network of Political Foundations European Partnership for Democracy (EPD) International IDEA European Endowment for Democracy (EED)

"Reimagining the language of engagement in a post-stakeholder world" explores how the term "stakeholder" can unintentionally reinforce colonial narratives and systemic inequities. Instead of offering a single replacement term, the authors encourage "a focus on the people, places, and species affected by decisions, interventions, projects, and issues." https://lnkd.in/gDievtmC

For those who missed the live discussion, you can now watch the video.

This video by Lawrence Lessig is a brilliant explanation of why representative democracy is broken and is as relevant today as 8 years ago when it was filmed! If we want to see action on climate, cost of living and other social and environmental issues, we need to first address the root cause of these failures, and this lies in the unequal voice that people have over policy decisions It's also a brilliant summary of why OurVoice was founded https://lnkd.in/e6Rqyf2

Making an impact in 86 countries! 💥 With the EU System for an Enabling Environment for Civil Society (EU SEE), we are uniting civil society organisations from 86 countries to monitor and enhance the enabling environment for civil society. Worldwide, freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, and coalition-building face unprecedented restrictions. These pressures arise not just in authoritarian regimes but within established democracies as well. EU SEE stands as a bulwark against these threats, promoting a civic space where voices can be heard and actions can be taken. Our mission: to empower civil society in protecting human rights and democratic principles 🛡️ Learn more about how we'll achieve this: https://bit.ly/3Wg8ZRd Along with DRI, the program is implemented by Hivos in the lead, CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, European Partnership for Democracy (EPD), Forus, and Transparency International European Commission

Climate Displacement - Ideas (June 15th, 1:00PM at the Humanities Quadrangle) Join us for an enlightening discussion on climate displacement, featuring speaker Tabitha Sookdeo from IRIS, Maya Prabhu from Law at Yale Law School and Yale School of Medicine, and Keshia "Talking Waters" De Freece from Sovereign Science LLC. Delve into the pressing question: Who are the climate migrants, and what challenges do they encounter? Gain insight into the complexities of climate-induced migration and the legal and humanitarian issues involved. Don't miss this opportunity to deepen your understanding of this urgent global issue and explore avenues for support and advocacy. 🌐 Learn more at buff.ly/3yudFt4

If you work in global conservation this is worth a listen. Displacement of Indigenous Peoples for the “protection” of the environment reeks of the 20th century practices of wildfire suppression. CA Natives and countless other Indigenous Peoples continue/d cultural burning practices, after being displaced from their lands, and tried to promote the importance of fire in ‘land management’ but were ignored. Let’s not repeat the mistakes from the past, displacement and ignoring Indigenous knowledge. The Ahwahnee tribe, for example, was displaced in order to create Yosemite National Park, one consequence today is Yosemite Valley being a pile of kindle waiting to burn as rangers rapidly try to clear the overgrown forest and correct the mistakes of poor land management practices in the past. Protect the people = protect the land.

🚨🚨 PLEASE JOIN US on Thursday June 20th from 12 pm - 1:30 pm EST for a webinar on “Organizing in Increasingly Repressive Environments: Pushing Back Against Criminalization” With the global rise of authoritarianism, civil society is experiencing an unprecedented crackdown around the world. Drawing from the experiences of organizations in Florida, Brazil, and Nicaragua, the conversation will explore the challenges and opportunities of organizing in contexts where freedom of expression and assembly are severely restricted. Key questions to be addressed include: ❓What tactics have proven effective in mobilizing communities under repressive regimes? ❓How can organizers and civil society leaders navigate surveillance and crackdowns while still building momentum for change? ❓How can civil society organizations monitor and be prepared for increasingly repressive attacks? This webinar will dive into practical examples of strategies to organize and build power in the most challenging environments. Speakers: Dwight Bullard Florida Rising Julia Neiva Conectas Direitos Humanos (Brazil) Felix Maradiaga, Nicaraguan Academic & Political Activist Saskia Brechenmacher Carnegie Endowment for International Peace & author of ‘Defending Civic Space in the United States: Lessons Learned Around the World’ Welcome/moderator: Maria J. Stephan Horizons Project; Scot Nakagawa, 22nd Century Initiative 🔗 to register in the comments

A timely discussion!

The present state centric model of decision making at the #UnitedNations controlled by bureaucrats and politicians is clearly not working to ensure peace and security, sustainable development or the realization of human rights. At CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation we urge a greater say for people - and civil society - in how decisions are made at the UN and in multilateral institutions.