Maina Kiai visited Canada last fall on an unofficial academic visit, during which he met with a wide range of people within civil society. He also took time to sit down with the Voices-Voix Coalition for a brief interview about civic space in Canada. The interview is now available via the link below (in English with French subtitles). In the interview, Kiai speaks about what he sees as a trend toward narrowing space for dissent in Canada and the need for an honest assessment of where fundamental democratic rights stand in the country. He also urges Canadians to exercise their rights to assemble, protest and organize. These rights - and indeed democracy itself - should not be taken for granted. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpoaQI5U9Gs For more on the Special Rapporteur's work on Canada, see this... Continue reading →
STOCKHOLM – The Community of Democracies has launched a new two-year project in conjunction with the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful association and of assembly aimed at enhancing space for civil society, focusing on the right to access financial resources. The project, “Protecting Civic Space and the Right to Access Resources”, was officially launched in Stockholm, Sweden, on Feb. 24, 2014. The project is funded by the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The centerpiece of the project is a series of regional dialogues led by UN Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai and members of his team, to be conducted with the participation of local and regional civil society groups. Separate consultations will also take place with the governments of or more countries in each region. Regional dialogues will take place in Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, the MENA region and Latin America throughout 2014-15. The first dialogue is tentatively scheduled for later this year. “Across the world, governments are moving rapidly to squeeze civil society out of its rightful place in the public sphere,” Kiai said. “Many of them see civil society as a competitor, challenging their authority. And they are attacking from all angles, including trying to cut off their ability to seek, receive and... Continue reading →
