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World’s largest civil society gathering kicks off in Bangkok

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

ICSW 2025 takes place 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 and significant attacks on freedoms of expression, association, and assembly.

“As the world’s pre-eminent gathering of civil society representatives, ICSW offers an important occasion to celebrate the courage, resilience and persistence of civil society in the quest to advance peace, justice, equality and sustainability around the world,” said CIVICUS Secretary General Mandeep Tiwana. “Now more than ever, civil society voices are essential to addressing the monumental challenges we face today. Amid rising authoritarianism, the collapse of multilateralism, escalating wars, attacks on international human rights, climate change, and worsening inequality, civil society must work together across borders to find solutions to humanity’s greatest crises.”

Under the theme “Celebrating citizen action: reimagining democracy, rights, and inclusion for today’s world,” ICSW 2025 will provide an open space for civil society organizations, activists, human rights defenders, journalists, academics, labour organisers, and allies for discussion, collaboration, innovation, and action.

Participants in the week’s events include some of the world’s largest international civil society organisations like Oxfam and Amnesty International, as well as many grassroots organizations from across the globe. Topics for discussion range from climate justice to disability rights to artificial intelligence to protecting democracy, protest, and freedom of expression.

“The ICSW is not just an event; it is a statement. It is a declaration of our collective resolve against rising authoritarianism and a demonstration of our commitment to democracy, human rights, and social justice,” said ADN Secretary General Ichal Supriadi. “ADN, alongside CIVICUS, and other pro-democracy allies across Asia, reaffirm our mission through ICSW 2025: to champion a more equal and just democracy, irrespective of the obstacles we face.”

Along with its predecessor, the CIVICUS World Assemblies, ICSW has a nearly 30 year history following its 1995 debut in Mexico City. The most recent events were held online in 2020/21 and in Belgrade, Serbia in 2019.

This year’s events are the first to take place in Thailand, a country with a proud past and present of civil society activism. Sessions will take place at Thammasat University’s Tha Prachan Campus, while Bangkok’s Mahidol University will host the Youth Assembly.

“Thai civil society has been on the forefront of groundbreaking movements for LGBTQ rights, democracy, and free expression not only in Thailand itself but across the region,” said Ichal Supriadi from ADN. “We are overjoyed to co-host this event in Bangkok, to both bring the world’s civil society to Thailand and to help uplift Thailand’s civil society to the world.”

To highlight the vital role of free, independent journalism in safeguarding civic space, this year, CIVICUS and ADN have launched a new Journalism Fellowship bringing journalists from 16 countries to Bangkok. Yasir Khan, Editor-in-Chief of Thomson Reuters Foundation’s Context News, will also give a keynote address on Monday 3 November at the Foreign Correspondent’s Club of Thailand.

“Press freedom is essential for open civic space,” said Mandeep Tiwana. “With independent journalism under attack around the world, we are honored to bring 20 outstanding international journalists to Bangkok to participate in and cover International Civil Society Week 2025.”