Civil Society Watch (CSW)

CSW provides a framework within which to monitor, verify, and evaluate threats to civil society, and adopt plans for public intervention. CIVICUS works through its global membership base and associated networks to mobilise responses such as statements of protest, letter-writing campaigns, media campaigns, public demonstrations, and fact-finding missions.

CSW works to expose, prevent, or overturn situations in which the rights and freedoms of citizens and civil society are threatened or curtailed. Each response names and defines the threat and highlights meaningful alternatives to addressing it, in partnership with local actors. CSW also advocates and exerts pressure on decision-makers to take those alternative courses of action. CSW tracks the implementation of these proposals and disseminates results of interventions. CSW also highlights instances in which civil society actors in a particular country have successfully turned back a threat or defended the sector from new infringements.

To cite a few examples of recent CSW programme activities, in July 2003 CIVICUS commissioned a study of the dimensions of the situation in Zimbabwe and developed plans to act in solidarity with the civil society organisations (CSOs) in Zimbabwe around the repeal and/or progressive amendment of restrictive legislation - especially the Public Order and Security Act (POSA), which CIVICUS says constrains citizens' rights to freely associate, organise, and express themselves. In August 2003, CIVICUS hosted a workshop focussing on events in Swaziland and Zimbabwe at a meeting of the Council of NGOs for the Southern African Development Community (SADC), in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. This meeting was an effort to draw the attention of SADC leaders to the plight of the ordinary citizens and civil society in Zimbabwe, to demand the repeal of what CIVICUS describes as undemocratic legislation in SADC countries, and to restore fundamental freedoms. In December 2003, CIVICUS took the opportunity to gather civil society leaders at the Commonwealth Peoples' Forum in Abuja, Nigeria, to convene a civil society workshop intended to bring to the attention of the Commonwealth leaders concern on the part of CSOs that, as CIVICUS says, the Zimbabwean government has continued to violate the Harare Declaration and the Commonwealth Principles. Furthermore, CIVICUS sought to explore direct and indirect ways of expressing solidarity with CSOs and networks calling for political space to participate in the public affairs of Zimbabwe and Swaziland. The participants of this gathering issued an open letter to their heads of government.

CSW is hosting 3 workshops at the CIVICUS World Assembly – Acting together for a just world – in Gaborone, Botswana in March 2004. CSW will take this opportunity to launch the report of a comparative study that describes the legislative frameworks and country practices relating to freedom of association, expression, and assembly in Kenya, Uganda, and South Africa - with particular focus on the general impact of what CIVICUS calls "draconian legislation in Zimbabwe".

CSW is also active in Australia, Bangladesh, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Malaysia, USA, Palestine, Uzbekistan, and in other SADC countries.

Rights.

CSW builds on CIVICUS' role as a global voice in defence of civic rights. It also contributes to CIVICUS' mission to strengthen civil society worldwide and protect space for civic expression, particularly in those areas where it is under threat.