Ex Examining th the Impact t of of Non on- St State A Act - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Ex Examining th the Impact t of

• f Non
• n-

St State A Act ctors o

• n C

n Civic Spa c Space ce

In Inter erim im Fin indin ings fr from

• m Ban

anglad lades esh, Pales alestin ine e & & Zimb Zimbab abwe

Seminar on Civic Space and Non-State Actors – 25th June 2019

The Puzzle Missing Pieces:

• Youth wings of political parties (pro-

government militias?)

• GONGOs or state aligned CSOs
• State owned media
• Private security firms
• ….In countries rated as “Repressed”

Clean Hands… Dirty Gloves

Headlines:

• 90+ hours of interview
• NSA restrictions have a more drastic

impact on NGO activity

• NSAs are freer to impose harsher

restrictions

• Delegation of “nastier” restrictions to

NSAs by states to evade international scrutiny

Palestine

Confrontations:

• GONGOs
• Private companies
• Settlers groups

Impact on NGOs:

• Rapid decrease in funding via

accusations of terrorism

• Tarnished international

reputation/travel ban

• Some violence against staff/people
• Increased public support for work

Zimbabwe

Confrontations:

• GONGOs
• Youth wings of political parties
• War veterans
• Partisan media

Impact on NGOs:

• Decrease in funding due to corruption

scandals

• Meetings disrupted, activists attacked and

beaten

• Mental health issues reported by key

activists

• Public mistrust NGOs and climate of fear

Bangladesh

Confrontations:

• GONGOs
• Youth wings of political parties
• Co-opted media/partisan media

Impact on NGOs:

• Enforced disappearance, torture &

extrajudicial killings of dissidents

• Severe mental health issues reported

by key activists

• Fear of affiliation with critical NGOs
• High climate of fear and co-optation of

NGOs by state

Typ ypology y of NSA Restrictions

Action Targeting Organisations Action Targeting Individuals

• Increased competition for funding from GONGOs
• Legal challenges over NGO activity or bureaucratic

restriction i.e. the revocation or suspension of existing licenses as a result of NSA activity

• Co-optation of civic actors/vocal CSO staff by NSA
• Project sanction by NSA i.e. SLAPP
• Internet/ communication restriction /censorship
• Office raid/destruction/NGO equipment

confiscated

• Threats and smears/public vilification of
• rganisation
• Criminal defamation of organisation
• NSA’s surveillance of organisation
• Personal harassment/intimidation (including family
• f activists)
• Travel ban/restriction of access
• Threats and smears/incitement to hatred or

violence

• Criminal defamation
• Surveillance
• Illegal detention of activists/abduction/kidnapping
• Torture and ill-treatment
• Violent physical attack on activist
• Killing/death of activist
• Sexual and other gender-based assault

/harassment

Con Conclusion

• n
• NSAs play an important role!
• NSA are an additional burden or cost to

activism in all three cases

• Shift from “proactive” to “defensive”

strategies

• Resistance is tough
• Naming and shaming is futile, does

resolve hold the key?

https://monitor.civicus.org @CIVICUSMonitor monitor@civicus.org

Thank you