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International Civil Society Week 2025 (1-4 November 2025) Programme
09:00 - 11:00 | Saturday, November 1, 2025
Welcome
Messages from Stellah Bosire, CIVICUS Board Chair, and Mandeep Tiwana, CIVICUS Secretary-General
11:15 - 13:00 | Saturday, November 1, 2025
CIVICUS documentation project
Video: CIVICUS documentation project
Recognition of AGNA’s 21 years of contributions to the network
Participants will be invited to engage with the CIVICUS timeline installation, exploring civil society’s evolution through interactive documentation.
This conversation will trace how civil society’s role has changed over the past few decades in response to multiple crises. It will examine the variety of challenges successively faced by civil society and explore effective adaptations, innovations in alliance-building and evolving advocacy tactics. Panellists will analyse what makes the current moment unique, how information warfare has changed advocacy fundamentals, and what new support mechanisms today’s threatened civil society requires, concluding with key insights to guide the week’s discussions.
Moderator: Sonia Kwami
Panellists: Amitabh Behar, Caro Krijger, Ingrid Srinath, Lysa John, Miklos Marschall
Performance by the Burma Mini Orchestra
Spotlight on the case of imprisoned Bahraini human rights defender Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, presented by Nick Soltani, Advocacy Lead of the #FreeAlKhawaja Campaign.
Recognition of AGNA’s 21 years of contributions to the network
Participants will be invited to engage with the CIVICUS timeline installation, exploring civil society’s evolution through interactive documentation.
Panel: Civil society’s evolution through crises
This conversation will trace how civil society’s role has changed over the past few decades in response to multiple crises. It will examine the variety of challenges successively faced by civil society and explore effective adaptations, innovations in alliance-building and evolving advocacy tactics. Panellists will analyse what makes the current moment unique, how information warfare has changed advocacy fundamentals, and what new support mechanisms today’s threatened civil society requires, concluding with key insights to guide the week’s discussions.
Moderator: Sonia Kwami
Panellists: Amitabh Behar, Caro Krijger, Ingrid Srinath, Lysa John, Miklos Marschall
Cultural performance
Performance by the Burma Mini Orchestra
Stand As My Witness campaign
Spotlight on the case of imprisoned Bahraini human rights defender Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, presented by Nick Soltani, Advocacy Lead of the #FreeAlKhawaja Campaign.
13:00 - 15:00 | Saturday, November 1, 2025
Asia Democracy Network's Democracy Assembly 2025 Concurrent Events
15:00 - 17:00 | Saturday, November 1, 2025
Asia Democracy Network's Democracy Assembly 2025 Concurrent Events
Plenary Day 02: Defending democracy and civic space
This plenary explores the rising restrictions on civic freedoms and how civil society is mobilising to protect democracy and defend civic space. We examine which defence strategies are proving effective, and how we can better protect defenders and support movements under threat.
Panelists: Gina Romero, Anabel Cruz, Patricia Lerner, Yasir Khan
1. CIVICUS business
Protest Lab / WeRisers
2. Recorded message
3. Cultural Performance: Rap against dictatorship
4. Recorded Message
5. Panel Discussion
6. Stand As My Witness
Panelists: Gina Romero, Anabel Cruz, Patricia Lerner, Yasir Khan
1. CIVICUS business
Protest Lab / WeRisers
2. Recorded message
3. Cultural Performance: Rap against dictatorship
4. Recorded Message
5. Panel Discussion
6. Stand As My Witness
Plenary Day 03: Inclusion struggles: rights at the margins
This plenary highlights the voices and struggles of marginalised communities working for inclusion across gender, sexuality, race, disability, ethnicity, religion, and migration status — exploring how intersectional oppression shapes their realities and how solidarity is built across distinct struggles.
Panelists: Blessing Ewa, Mette Kristensen, Vandita Morarka, Arthur Larok
1. CIVICUS business
2. Recorded message
3. Cultural Performance by Zakariya Amataya
4. Recorded Message
5. Panel discussion: Nothing about us, without us: centering marginalised voices
6. Stand As My Witness
Panelists: Blessing Ewa, Mette Kristensen, Vandita Morarka, Arthur Larok
1. CIVICUS business
2. Recorded message
3. Cultural Performance by Zakariya Amataya
4. Recorded Message
5. Panel discussion: Nothing about us, without us: centering marginalised voices
6. Stand As My Witness
Closing Plenary: Futures we’re building: youth, climate and intergenerational justice
This closing plenary centres youth voices and climate action, focusing on how we foster intergenerational dialogue to build lasting movements, addressing climate impacts, and moving from consultation to genuine power sharing.
Panelists: Willeke van Rijn, Debbie Stothard, Mihajlo Matkovic
1. CIVICUS business
2. Recorded message
3. Cultural Performance by the Commoner Band
4. Recorded Message
5. Panel discussion: Intergenerational dialogue/Building sustainable movements
6. Stand As My Witness: Live Solidarity Creation
Panelists: Willeke van Rijn, Debbie Stothard, Mihajlo Matkovic
1. CIVICUS business
2. Recorded message
3. Cultural Performance by the Commoner Band
4. Recorded Message
5. Panel discussion: Intergenerational dialogue/Building sustainable movements
6. Stand As My Witness: Live Solidarity Creation
Let’s build something powerful - together.
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