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March 27, 2023 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
German Marshall Fund | Virtual
Description: A strong and vibrant civil society is an essential prerequisite for pluralist liberal democracy. Despite their central role in protecting, maintaining, and renewing democracy, civic activists face increasing legal, political, and economic burdens, globally and in Central Europe. Using anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism campaigns as a pretext, governments stigmatize civil society organizations (CSOs) receiving funding from legitimate sources abroad. Political campaigns organized not only by radical but also often mainstream parties intimidate civic activists raising their voices for the rights of vulnerable groups, ethnic minorities, and the LGBTQ+ community. Politically biased redistribution of state funding threatens the independence of CSOs already suffering from the economic consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, including a decrease in private charity. Shrinking spaces are multifaceted but they ultimately have one outcome: a weakened civic sphere hampered in fulfilling its mission to protect and strengthen democracy.
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