Civil Society and the Coronavirus: Dynamism Despite Disruption
Carnegie Endowment for International Law publishes an article: Civil Society and the Coronavirus: Dynamism Despite Disruption.
“Government responses to the new coronavirus pandemic are disrupting civil society globally. Lockdowns and physical distancing measures are confining people to their homes and upending their ability to meet, organize, and advocate. Many civil society organizations have been forced to put planned activities on hold; others are scrambling to shift their work online. More worryingly, illiberal leaders in a number of countries are taking advantage of the crisis to tighten their political grip by weakening checks and balances, imposing censorship, and expanding state surveillance—all at a time when civil society groups are less able to fight back. Such measures pose a significant threat to civic activism. In many countries, restrictive laws already had been squeezing civil society before the crisis hit. The pandemic provides a convenient cover for governments to further tilt the balance of power in their favor.
Foreboding though this picture is, the crisis is also catalyzing new forms of civic mobilization”.
Source: carnegieendowment.org
