In September of 2020, ICNL LLC’s Jordan team held a webinar called “Challenges and Prospects of the Role of Civil Society in Shaping Public Policy in MENA.” The session included a presentation on public participation’s main concepts and tools, and included speakers from ICNL and partners from Morocco, Jordan, and Lebanon to discuss positive examples and the importance of civil society in shaping public policy.

Uganda’s recent Stage Play and Public Entertainment Rules threaten to stifle the creative arts by limiting artistic expression. This piece goes over three areas of concern in the UCC’s new rules on stage plays and public performances.

This index reports the strength and overall viability of civil society organization sectors in more than 70 countries based on 7 key dimensions.

On October 7, 2020, ICNL, BHRRC, and Greenpeace International hosted a webinar to hear accounts from activists who have been targeted by SLAPPs, as well as a presentation of the most recent research findings on the scope and dimensions of the problem, and a discussion of what can be done to address this threat. A recording of the discussion is available in both English and Spanish.

In Kyrgyzstan, civil society organizations have several options for digital fundraising, including websites, SMS, crowdfunding platforms, e-wallets, and electronic payment kiosks. This ICNL report explains how each of these methods works and how they are regulated.

This tool offers detailed guidance for civil society organizations on using General Comment 37 to help advance freedom of peaceful assembly through advocacy, awareness-raising, and training efforts at the local, national, and regional levels.

New technologies and internet resources provide civil society organizations with numerous opportunities for fundraising. In Kazakhstan, 84.2% of the population has access to and uses 3G/4G internet. For organizations engaged in online fundraising, it means they potentially have access to 15 million potential donors.

In response to nationwide protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd in May 2020, law enforcement has used tear gas or rubber bullets in over 100 U.S. cities. The use of these and other “less lethal weapons” (LLWs) for crowd control has been heavily criticized.

This Radio Free Asia article discusses the findings from the 4th  Fundamental Freedoms Monitoring Project (FFMP).

Comprehensive report to address human rights implications of  states and the United Nations use of biometric data and tools, especially for counterterrorism.