democratization

For the foreseeable future, the political culture in Bosnia and Herzegovina will remain authoritarian. Large sections of the society striving still to ethno-national mapping and security.

South Africa's democracy was fought hard, the catalog of fundamental rights is now one of the most advanced in the world, but these must be claimed. Our office in Cape Town encourages feminist training, education and self-organization of discriminated groups.

People want democracy. The surveys show anywhere in the world. But what is the right way to help people on the way to a better life in a liberal democracy? With years of active work in promoting democracy we support mainly dedicated people in the existing or emerging civil societies.

Five years after the start of the Arab Spring, the optimism of the disillusionment has given way. Given the never-ending violence, the return to authoritarian forms of rule or even failing states the "Arabellion" is considered a failure.

Shrinking – closing – no space: Governments across all continents villainize civil society actors. Where does their sense of threat emanate from?

Academics for Peace have made a call to “everybody who sides with peace and free thought” to join them on the 20th when they will gather in front of the YÖK building in Ankara to speak out –again- against policies of war, both in Turkey and the world, defend the right to life, and be in solidarity with their colleagues who are being exposed to pressures because they have stood for those principles.

Although the Ensar case revealed the situation in officially non-recognized dormitories affiliated with religious foundations, there have been many other cases brought into light recently, where students –boys and girls- have been exposed to sexual abuse, even violence by their teachers and principals in state schools, particularly boarding schools. 

While Turkey is currently going through a period of grave repressions of the freedom of expression, which targets academicians, journalists, and human rights activists in particular, the sequential yet spontaneous protest actions undertaken by high school students have been evaluated as hope-inspiring and courageous many liberal activists.

Çilem Doğan's case attracted wide public interest and mobilized a committed network of women's organizations which not only supported her in terms of legal assistance, but used her story to defend the legitimacy of women reclaiming their lives by resorting to counter-violence in self-defense.