Nearly 1000 activists from around the world came together in Bangkok, Thailand for International Civil Society Week 2025 (ICSW). The world’s largest civil society gathering ran from 1-5 November in Bangkok, Thailand, co-hosted by global civil society alliance CIVICUS and the Asia Democracy Network (ADN). The five-day event featured over 120 sessions and cultural events led by more than 75 organisations from around the world.

The International Civil Society Week (ICSW) declaration calls on governments, global institutions, and fellow civil society organisations to stand up and uphold democracy and civic freedoms. Democracy is vital because it gives people power, enabling them to shape their societies. Civic freedoms – the rights to assembly, association, and expression – allow people to demand change and hold those in power to account.

Over 700 signatories have signed the declaration, including renowned international organisations like Oxfam and Greenpeace as well as hundreds of grassroots changemakers from around the world.

You can join us in signing the joint ICSW declaration and amplify the call to to uphold democracy, protect human rights, and address urgent global challenges.

Let us dream bigger – be more imaginative, adaptable, and resilient to build a better world for everyone. Together, we must work for a democracy that works for the people – accessible, inclusive, and relevant to all.

Celebrating citizen action: reimagining democracy, rights, and inclusion for today’s world

The 2025 edition’s main theme was Celebrating citizen action: reimagining democracy, rights, and inclusion for today’s world.

ICSW paid tribute to activists, movements, and civil society achieving progress, defending civic freedoms, and showing remarkable resilience despite the many challenges.

The event was held at a time when civic freedoms are being curtailed in most countries, with civil society under severe attack in 116 of 198 countries and territories. The world faces significant deterrents to freedoms of expression, association, and assembly.

Given the changing and challenging context, ICSW strived to reimagine how we champion democracy, human rights, and inclusion.

Media Fellowship Opportunity

The Fellowship has two categories: the Journalist Fellowship and the Young Journalist Fellowship. We will invite 15-20 selected journalists from around the world to participate.

Applications are due 14 September, with fellows chosen and notified by early October. We strongly encourage journalists from Global Majority countries to apply. If you have any questions, please contact icsw@civicus.org.

What to expect at ICSW

ICSW provides an open space for global civil society organizations, activists, human rights defenders, and allies through a week-long series of conferences, workshops, trainings, and cultural events.

ICSW will bring together citizen’s movements from around the world and provide spaces for learning from and building upon wins, strategizing to tackle challenges and strengthen civic spaces and citizen action, and innovative co-creation to catalyse social change.

How to participate and engage with ICSW

Call for Ideas: Help Us Shape ICSW 2025 in Bangkok!

The main focus of ICSW 2025 will be democracy, innovation, and human rights. If you’d like to host a session, co-develop an activity, contribute expertise, or support in another way, we want to hear from you! Submit your ideas here.

Please follow us here and on social media for updates.

For inquiries, reach out to us at icsw@civicus.org. You can also become a member of CIVICUS global civil society alliance.

History of ICSW

The ICSW and its predecessor, CIVICUS World Assemblies, have a proud history of nearly 30 years, having debuted in Mexico City in 1995. The international events brought together a diverse range of partners from civil society and beyond to find progressive solutions to global challenges collectively.

The most recent events were held online in 2020/21 and in Belgrade, Serbia in 2019.

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