FICS Director Poonam Joshi has contributed a chapter to a major new report exploring new approaches to defending global civil society, published by European Democracy Hub as part of the European Union System for an Enabling Environment for Civil Society (EU SEE) project.

The European Democracy Hub, a joint initiative of Carnegie Europe and the European Partnership for Democracy, acts as a focal point for work on democracy – bringing together analysts and policymakers engaged with EU democracy support and democratic challenges in Europe.

In an era characterised by major-power rivalry, competitive geopolitics and security primacy, this report recognises that the tactics civil society organisations (CSOs) have been using to defend themselves against state overreach are insufficient. New thinking is needed on how global civil society can be protected. The report explores diverse approaches including supporting independent media as key to defending civic space, supporting relocated civic actors to maintain influence from abroad, to reframing the politics of civil society support.

Poonam’s contribution makes the case that CSOs need to develop new narratives to help contain the assaults against them and to regain legitimacy with society. Presenting an analysis of some of the more effective tactics anti-rights movements and parties have used in recent years to capture public support, the chapter goes on to outline key lessons pro-rights CSOs can and should draw to articulate their own narratives. The chapter combines learning from FICS’ four years incubating and hosting the Global Narrative Hive – a new network connecting and growing the global ecosystem of campaigners, communications workers and others using narratives to advance their visions of a more just world – with interviews and desk research on the wider field.

Learning how to use narratives strategically is a powerful tool to challenge harmful norms and help alternative ideas to gain traction. FICS has been working to understand and promote narrative power building as a long-term strategy for building solidarity and imagination, and defending and expanding civic space, since 2020. Learn more about FICS’ focus areas.

Read the report in full on the European Democracy Hub website.