Civicus World Alliance For Citizen Participation Inc

SEE PART III, LINE 1.

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA:THE CHARM-AFRICA WAS ESTABLISHED IN OCTOBER 2019, WITH THE OVERARCHING OBJECTIVE OF PROMOTING AND ENHANCING HUMAN RIGHTS, CIVIC SPACE AND MEDIA IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA. THE CONSORTIUM CONSISTS OF SIX PARTNERS, NAMELY: CIVICUS, CIVIL RIGHTS DEFENDERS, DEFEND DEFENDERS, FOJO MEDIA INSTITUTE, HUB AFRIQUE AND WITS JOURNALISM, WHICH RECOGNIZE THE ESSENTIAL ROLE PLAYED BY A FREE, VIBRANT MEDIA AND CIVIL SOCIETY IN BUILDING HEALTHY DEMOCRACIES AND FOSTERING NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT. IN RECENT YEARS, THE SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN LANDSCAPE HAS BEEN CHARACTERIZED BY INCREASING MEDIA AND CIVIC SPACE RESTRICTIONS, AS STATE REPRESSION AND DEADLY CONFLICTS CONTINUE TO PERPETUATE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS ACROSS THE REGION. AS A MULTI-STAKEHOLDER CONSORTIUM, CHARM-AFRICA SEEKS TO CONTRIBUTE TO ADDRESSING THIS CHALLENGE BY STRENGTHENING THE EFFECTIVENESS AND RESILIENCE OF JOURNALISTS, MEDIA PRACTITIONERS, SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT PRODUCERS, HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS, CIVIL SOCIETY ACTIVITIES, AND THEIR ORGANIZATIONS, WHILE PRIORITIZING KEY MARGINALIZED GROUPS, INCLUDING WOMEN, LABOUR LGBTI, ENVIRONMENTAL AND INDIGENOUS RIGHTS ACTIVISTS.THE CONSORTIUM BELIEVES THAT, THROUGH SUPPORTING AND STRENGTHENING ADVOCACY EFFORTS, PROMOTING INCLUSIVE COUNTER-NARRATIVES, BUILDING COALITIONS, MAINSTREAMING GENDER AND INCLUSION AND DEVELOPING THE CAPABILITIES OF A BROAD RANGE OF CIVIL SOCIETY AND MEDIA ACTORS, IT WILL HELP CREATE MORE DEMOCRATIC AND FREE SOCIETIES ACROSS THE CONTINENT.

PROGRAMMES:THE PROGRAMMES BUDGET COVERS ENGAGEMENT BY CIVICUS AT THE UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS IN NEW YORK WHEREBY CIVICUS STAFF LIAISE WITH U.N. OFFICIALS AND DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATIVES TO REPRESENT ISSUES RELATED TO CIVIL SOCIETY PARTICIPATION AND CIVIC FREEDOMS. CIVICUS USES ITS CONSULTATIVE STATUS WITH THE U.N. ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL TO ENABLE ACCESS TO ITS MEMBERS TO KEY U.N. SESSIONS SUCH AS THE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN, U.N. HIGH LEVEL POLITICAL FORUM AND THE U.N. GENERAL ASSEMBLY. CIVICUS PROGRAMMES ALSO COVER EVALUATING PROGRESS ON THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS AS OUTLINED IN AGENDA 2030. ADDITIONALLY, THIS BUDGET LINE COVERS PUBLICATION OF CIVICUS'S STATE OF CIVIL SOCIETY REPORT WHICH ANALYSES HOW CONTEMPORARY EVENTS AND TRENDS ARE IMPACTING CIVIL SOCIETY AND HOW CIVIL SOCIETY IS BEING IMPACTED BY THEM. PREPARATION OF THE REPORT INVOLVES INTERVIEWS WITH CIVIL SOCIETY PRACTITIONERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD ON MAJOR HAPPENINGS IN THEIR REGION. THE INDIA CIVIC PARTICIPATION INITIATIVE WHICH IS INCLUDED IN THIS BUDGET SEEKS TO CONNECT GRASSROOTS CIVIL SOCIETY ACTIVISTS WITH A COHORT OF CIVIL SOCIETY LEADERS OPERATING AT THE STATE AND NATIONAL LEVELS THROUGH CAPACITY ENHANCEMENT ACTIVITIES ON CONSTITUTIONAL VALUES.

CIVIC SPACE MONITOR:THE CIVICUS MONITOR IS AN ONLINE TOOL AIMING TO TRACK CIVIC SPACE DEVELOPMENTS IN 197 COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES. TOGETHER WITH MORE THAN 20 REGIONAL RESEARCH PARTNERS WE DOCUMENT ON AN ONGOING BASIS THE STATE FOR CIVIL SOCIETY AROUND THE GLOBE AND PROVIDE QUANTITATIVE INFORMATION FOR EACH COUNTRY WITH THE GOAL TO PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE CONDITIONS FOR CIVIL SOCIETY WITHIN COUNTRIES AND OVER TIME. THE CIVICUS MONITOR WAS LAUNCHED IN 2016 AND HAS BECOME A GO-TO SOURCE FOR CIVIC SPACE ISSUES AMONG CIVIL SOCIETY, ACADEMIA AND OTHERS.