Civicus
| Type | International non-profit / civil society organisation |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Lysa John | |
| Website | civicus |
CIVICUS is an international non-profit organisation focused on civil rights and citizen action. It was founded in 1993 and is based in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Foundation
[edit]In 1991, an international group of 20 leaders from non governmental organisations and social movements met to explore how to support citizen participation in governmental decision-making processes.[1] In 1993, a founding board established CIVICUS, with the name derived from the Latin term meaning "of the community".[2]
Description and governance
[edit]CIVICUS has described itself as "a global alliance dedicated to strengthening citizen action and civil society around the world".[3] Its headquarters are in in Johannesburg, and there are offices in Geneva and New York City. In 2014 the organisation had over 8500 members in more than 175 countries. [4]
The organisation has approximately 70 staff members and is led by secretary general Lysa John.[when?] Previously, Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah led the organisation from January 2013 to December 2018. Former heads of the organisation also include Miklos Marschall (Hungary), Kumi Naidoo (South Africa). and Ingrid Srinath (India).[citation needed]
The governing body of CIVICUS is an International Board of 13 civil society leaders from 13 countries.[5]
Funding
[edit]CIVICUS receives institutional support from a variety of sources from organizations with similar goals, such as the Ford Foundation and Open Society Foundations.[6] Revenue to support the operations of CIVICUS is derived from multiple sources, including institutional funders, individual contributions, membership fees, and registration fees for the CIVICUS World Assembly. Aggregated income from 2017/2018 was roughly US$9.6 million.[7]
Campaigns
[edit]In an open letter of 25 July 2022 addressed to the UN Secretary-General António Guterres, CIVICUS sought the UN chief's intervention to protect human rights in Nicaragua. The letter raised concerns over the continuous attacks on civil society organisations by President Daniel Ortega's regime and his Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional (FSLN) party. CIVICUS also urged its members to sign the letter, which was available online.[8]
On International Women's Day, 8 March 2024, a range of organisations, including Amnesty International, International Service for Human Rights, and CIVICUS, reiterated calls for Saudi woman Nourah al-Qahtani's release from prison, as well as those of other women sentenced for similar alleged activities.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ "Getting a world alliance started – my four years at CIVICUS". Alliance Magazine. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^ "Reaching across sectors and building bridges" (PDF). www.pdac.ca/. Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 April 2014. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^ "2014 CIVICUS Annual Report" (PDF). CIVICUS. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 September 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^ "Calls for Azerbaijan to end crackdown on civil society and uphold Council of Europe Commitments". Civic Solidarity. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^ "Board of Directors". www.civicus.org. CIVICUS. Archived from the original on 3 June 2014. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
- ^ "Rapid Response: Donor Finder" (PDF).
- ^ "CIVICUS ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018" (PDF).
- ^ "Serious concerns over ongoing violations of human rights in Nicaragua and lack of accountability for perpetrators". www.civicus.org. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
- ^ "Civil society reiterates their call on Saudi authorities to release jailed women's rights activists". ISHR. 8 March 2024. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
