Well established civil societies are like ancient cities. Well grounded – twenty layers of foundations, and you reach only the beginning of our common era. Those that manage to survive despite terror and horror are like picnic blankets during windstorm – you have to hold it tight and, likely, you will need to set up the whole party again when the wind stops.
I guess we tend to think that the wealthier and the better established democracy – at least here in Europe we tend to see these as two sides of the same coin – the better civil society works. I always wonder, if this is also true if it comes to responding to change. I guess, it is easier to survive a sandstorm behind thick walls, but if they tumble down, would you know how to rebuild them?
Sure, it is better to have a possibility to interact with a government that respects human rights and civil liberties and I will not make an argument to contradict that. I just want to point out that having so many favorable conditions in Europe or Northern America makes us a little bit lazy.
Advocacy and campaigning cost. In the Western World, because this is serious thing and we want to have it done well, but also because we have money for it. Someone writes speeches and articles, someone organizes events, creates awareness raising campaigns, spends months talking to the government and MPs… In the Global North, more often than not we pay for it with some good currency. Sometimes we are given time and services because our case is noble, but mostly we spend. Of course, there is nothing wrong with it. This is just our price tag for getting things done.
I remember when I started and we were somewhere midway between oblivion to what civil society wants despite those rare occasions when we were called voters, and where we are now – a young but successful partner in the public debate. Then we had to think a lot, because nobody thought there can actually be any money for telling the government they shouldn’t feel so good about themselves. We had to conceive brilliant ideas on how to get press releases done, whom to ask for volunteer support and where to print our manifestos the cheapest possible. Would we be able to pull it up now, that we have gone a long way into somehow institutionalized dialog? I like to think we could, but I am not sure anymore.
Therefore, meetings like CIVICUS WA are helpful to all those involved, wherever they come from. By becoming more aware of a situation elsewhere, where the price tag means replacing the picnic blanket over and over again, and by raising awareness back home, we can apply external pressure on those countries globally. But also we can see how brave these people are and how effective they are in impossible conditions. This is why workshops such as Adjudicating Threats to Civil Society in Fragile States through Gratis Legal Service Using Regional Standards and Jurisprudence in Africa or The success of a new joint Israeli/Palestinian grassroots activism model are a must for every one of us that considers him- or herself a skilled advocate.
