How can we counter negative narratives about ourselves and our work with positive ones? How do we develop compelling narratives with a bottom-up approach? What are the negative stereotypes currently used to describe civil society organisations?  What do you think of the narrative of “caring”? What values would you like to share?

These were some of the questions explored by the participants of the latest Forus Working Group on an Enabling Environment, which took place on the 1st of September. The Working Group led and animated by Forus members, has met on several occasions over the past months to explore various topics important to civil society – from digitalisation to shrinking civic space. The current topic being discussed is the one of how to develop a positive narrative on the role of civil society organisations in the 21st century. This focus on developing new and innovative narratives for civil society is one of the priorities of Forus’ public advocacy work. How do we “reclaim” narratives about the activities and experiences of civil society? What are we talking about when we mention “positive narratives” and how do we promote them effectively?

Via a series of presentations and brain-storming exercises, Forus members shared  stories of the current hostilities directed towards civil society organisations around the globe - ranging from arbitrary placement on so-called terrorist lists to corruption claims, and the apparent incapacity of civil society organisations to have a real impact on communities. Anti-rights narratives and anti-civil society narratives have the power to influence people’s thinking about how the world works and it would appear that in several local contexts they are being produced specifically to discredit the work of civil society organisations and to stigmatise them.

Participants therefore proposed a series of solutions to shift conversations from negative to positive ones that will better promote the value of the work of civil society. These included bringing in new voices (youth, women, indigenous people etc.) to show the diversity of civil society and its closeness to communities, increasing transparency and accountability to show impact, and creating new partnerships.

As part of the Forus Enabling Environment Working Group, members are invited to co-create solutions to some of today’s burning issues affecting civil society organisations around the globe. Explore our work on an enabling environment and our latest publication on creating a digital enabling environment with contributions from various Forus members here.

Find some extra resources below:

• Be the narrative: Brought to you by JustLabs and the Fund for Global Human Rights (FGHR), Be the narrative lays out bold steps for building new narratives about human rights. “Viewing the increasingly antagonistic tide against human rights as part of a broader transformation process, we worked with 12 human rights organizations to produce new narratives that not only respond to those of populists, but that provide an alternate vision of what human rights are, where they take place, and who they are for.”
• Towards an Enabling Digital Environment: The purpose of this report, “Towards an enabling digital environment for civil society”, is to highlight the impacts of digitalisation experienced by our civil society members; to explore risks and important opportunities; and to advocate for an inclusive, human-rights-based and democratic form of digitalisation that will empower and enable rather than restrict and repress.
• Forus A Space for Us podcast: A Space for Us podcast - a participative storytelling project with Forus members, allies and activists from around the globe. The podcast series which started in 2020, is based on conversations with civil society organisations and grassroots movements on themes such as climate justice, civic space, gender equality, artivism and development practices. From Nepal to Central Africa, Bolivia, Taiwan and Portugal, we share stories from over 15 countries with 20+ individuals at the forefront of social change.

For more information: Deirdre De Burca, Forus Advocacy Coordinator - [email protected] Yohan Cambet, Assistant Communication Coordinator - [email protected]