COVID-19 and Civil Society: What we are seeing one year into the pandemic

One year into the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions on civic space are increasing. Recognizing the need to protect public health, our report looks at nine kinds of restrictions that could limit civic space for the long term and how civil society can respond.

"....We are witnessing a global shift toward authoritarianism. The restrictions on civic space we have seen increasing over the past decade are being accelerated by COVID-19. It is vitally important for civil society to identify, monitor, and resist the misuse and normalization of extreme measures that further restrict civic space, or further alienate marginalized peoples. AFSC launched the Under the Mask project to contribute to that effort. 

I hope this report will provide a global context for what you are experiencing, in whatever country you reside. And I hope it will inspire you to explore and share our online resources with others working for a more just and peaceful world." Kerri Kennedy (Associate General Secretary for International Programs, AFSC)