2026-05-06

From elections to constitutional reforms, how the enabling environment for civil society deteriorates at critical political moments around the world

In this article, we explore the data presented to EU SEE by our network across 86 countries to make these emerging trends salient. These restrictions take three broad forms: direct harassment, surveillance and violence against civil society actors; digital interference including internet and social media shutdowns; and administrative and bureaucratic interventions that exclude civic voices from institutional processes. Together, they reveal a pattern in which political transitions — far from opening space for participation — are increasingly used as opportunities to consolidate control.

Influence

2026-05-05

What to fund and what not to fund?

For the second year in a row, aid and development financial support levels have fallen, with 2025 marking the biggest drop. Governments across Europe and beyond are tightening their budgets, often citing inflation, debt pressures, and shifting political priorities. Yet for NGOs and community partners, the consequences are immediate, structural, and in many cases, irreversible.

Influence

2026-04-21

New interview series: ‘Civil society unpacks burning issues on emerging technologies’

From artificial intelligence to digital infrastructure, digital developments raise critical questions about human rights, environmental sustainability, democratic governance, and digital inclusion. To contribute to these conversations, Forus is launching a new interview series under the Civil Society Alliances for Digital Empowerment (CADE) project co-funded by the European Union, highlighting diverse perspectives on some of the burning topics in digital governance and rights.

Influence

2026-04-21

Defending digital rights and governance through collaboration: Forus at RightsCon 2026

At RightsCon 2026, Forus as part of the Civil Society Alliances for Digital Empowerment (CADE) and EU SEE, will host two sessions exploring how civil society can strengthen its role in digital governance and respond to the growing challenges of digital authoritarianism and rights.

Influence

2026-04-20

Is there room for us all? Obesity, rights and the failure of public policy in Venezuela

In Venezuela, health and dignity seem to have a weight limit. Currently, 54% of adults in the country have a high body mass index (BMI), a reality that points to an unprecedented health emergency: by 2030, this condition will affect 10.52 million people, according to the World Obesity Atlas 2025 report.

Support

2026-04-14

In Conversation with Forus new chair Justina Kaluinaite

At the Forus General Assembly which just concluded in Cambodia, members of the global network elected Justina Kaluinaite as new Chair. Kaluinaite brings experience focusing on socio-education community development in post-conflict phrases, trauma-aware development processes, effective development cooperation and humanitarian action management. She has over a decade of experience in various CSOs and community development entities, academic placements in Lithuania and globally. Bringing perspectives from her work in Rwanda, Cambodia and Colombia (among others) and working for a decade with the Lithuanian Development Cooperation Platform (Lithuanian NGDO Platform), she brings a global, empathic and strategic perspective to her new role. We sat down with her for a conversation about what her new role means, the challenges facing civil society today, and her vision for Forus.

Influence

2026-04-13

Introducing the Forus Post-2030 Vision

The future after 2030 is being shaped now. Forus is launching a collective civil society vision for what must be defended, demanded and declined.

Influence

2026-04-13

Civil Society and International Organisations: A Lifeline for People Living with HIV in Venezuela

The response to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in Venezuela has undergone a structural transformation over the last two decades, shifting from a state-led model to one that relies almost exclusively on international cooperation and civil society activism. Organisations such as the Venezuelan Network of Positive People (RVG+), the Manos Amigas por la Vida Foundation (Mavid) and Acción Solidaria, amongst others, currently stand out as the main coordinators ensuring that treatment reaches vulnerable populations.

Influence

2026-04-09

Adapting, connecting, resisting: Civil Society Navigates a World in Flux

A recap of the 2026 Forus Generally Assembly – Siem Reap, Cambodia – March 2026

Influence

2026-04-01

Women and Environmental Leadership, 3 Voices Moving Africa

In the face of environmental challenges in Africa, women are emerging as agents of change. They are redefining ecological leadership through innovative initiatives.

Influence

2026-04-01

Women Defending Gender Rights in Deteriorating Enabling Environments

As gender rights come under increasing pressure worldwide, women’s rights defenders and feminist activists are adapting, resisting and building new forms of collective power. At the side event “Women Defending Gender Rights in Deteriorating Enabling Environments,” organized by the European Union System for an Enabling Environment for civil society (EU SEE) Consortium and Forus as part of the March With Us campaign for gender justice, speakers from across regions shared a clear message: the space for gender justice is shrinking—but it is far from silent.

Influence

2026-03-26

Great Lakes When art transforms environmental challenges into opportunities

In the African Great Lakes region, initiatives combining craftsmanship, art, and citizen mobilization are transforming major ecological challenges into economic and social opportunities. Faced with environmental urgency, these initiatives demonstrate a strong commitment to taking concrete action.

Influence

2026-03-22

Civil society from over 80 countries unite to shape solutions across borders

Civil society leaders from over 80 countries are gathering in Siem Reap, Cambodia, for the 2026 Forus General Assembly, a unique platform where global civil society comes together to share knowledge, collaborate, and design actionable solutions for today’s most urgent social, environmental, and governance challenges.

Influence

2026-03-13

Democracy needs women: Feminist leadership in times of shrinking enabling environments for civil society

The erosion of women’s rights to organize, speak, and lead is not collateral damage. It is an early warning sign of democratic decline. When women are pushed out of public life, – whether through legal restrictions, economic exclusion, media stereotypes or online harassment, – democratic institutions lose legitimacy and resilience.

Influence

2026-03-12

Rethinking Statutes of Limitations in Child Sexual Abuse Cases in Taiwan

In Taiwan, if sexual assault cases are categorized by the age of the victim, cases involving children and adolescents account for the largest proportion, representing more than half of all cases. Among these cases, the younger the victim, the more likely the perpetrator is a family member. For example, in sexual assault cases involving children under the age of six, as many as 57% of perpetrators are family members.

Influence

2026-03-08

The New Development Bank (NDB) at 10: Time to Build Meaningful Partnerships

As global development finance undergoes a period of rebalancing, the BRICS-led New Development Bank (NDB) has emerged as one of the most visible alternatives to institutions historically shaped by advanced economies. Established in 2015 by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, the Bank was designed to expand financing options for infrastructure and sustainable development across emerging market and developing countries. A decade on, as its membership broadens and its lending portfolio grows, the central question is no longer whether the NDB represents a shift in global governance — but how that shift is being institutionalized in practice.

Influence

2026-03-08

When women organise, democracy survives: Why gender justice cannot be a casualty of global crises

This March, as the world marks International Women’s Day, women’s rights organizations are not waiting to be recognised — they are leading movements, defending rights, and redefining what democracy looks like.

Influence

2026-03-05

Upholding International Law, Protecting Civilians and Preventing Further Regional Escalation in the Middle East

Forus, a global network of 74 National NGO Platforms and 7 Regional NGO Coalitions, expresses deep concern about the rapidly escalating war in the Middle East. Civilian lives are being lost, humanitarian needs are intensifying, and the risk of a further escalation is growing by the hour.

Support

2026-03-02

NFN Calls for Peace Amid Escalating Conflict in the Middle East

2024-05-27

Democracy, civic space and fundamental freedoms are under attack, but civil society is here to stay

According to research, elections in many jurisdictions have been affected by violence and arbitrary arrests, targeting opposition candidates and political leaders, as well as civil society, human rights defenders, journalists, media workers and election observers. At the same time political misrepresentation and manipulation online is a known concern.