2021 State of civil society report

Each year, CIVICUS publishes the State of Civil Society Report to analyse how contemporary events and trends are impacting on civil society and how civil society is responding to the major issues and problems of the day. This is the 10th edition of our report, focusing on civil society action and developments affecting civil society in 2020, looking back over 10 years of civil society activity and highlighting key ideas for action in civil society in 2021 and beyond. Our report is of, from and for civil society, drawing from numerous in-depth interviews and online consultations with civil society activists, leaders and experts, and others close to the major stories of the year. Our 2021 report is also informed by CIVICUS’s ongoing programme of research, analysis and advocacy, and the work of our members, networks and partners, particularly the CIVICUS Monitor↗, our online platform that tracks civic space conditions in 196 countries.

Against the backdrop of the pandemic, our report covers five key areas of civil society action during 2020: ● The global struggle for racial justice ● Challenging exclusion and claiming rights ● Demands for economic and environmental justice ● Democracy under the pandemic ● Civil society in the international arena