Maina Kiai: "Our Ideas keep living on" United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Maina Kiai, explains in this interview with Christine Meissler why he will never give up fighting for democracy and human rights. By Christine Meissler
“Reconceptualising Solidarity with Civil Society” State repression against non-governmental organizations is increasing globally. In this interview, Barbara Unmüßig calls for a reconceptualisation of solidarity with civil society and puts the issue of shrinking and closing spaces at the very top of the political agenda. By Barbara Unmüßig
Putinist trolls in Hungary are a threat to objective journalism Putinist trolls are having a good time in Hungary these days. Articles published by pro-Kremlin, anti-immigrant news sites are shared by thousands of readers, often mistaken for actual news stories. Objective journalism has thus been degraded to just one of many possible narratives for interpreting the world around us.
For Democracy The present publication “For Democracy” outlines and analyzes the state of democracy worldwide as well as the possibilities of democracy assistance. pdf
A heart for Europe In his new book A Heart for Europe. The Case for Europatriotism, Dick Pels postulates a new Europatriotism in times of doubt and uncertainty. Politicians and intellectuals should take responsibility of charismatic and visionary leadership to oppose the politics of fear by rising nationalist movements. By Dick Pels
The CSO’s Shrinking and Closing Space Tendency - How EU Institutions Can Support CSOs Worldwide CSOs are service delivery organisations, as well as advocates for people’s rights and needs. This article examines the shrinking and closing space tendency of CSOs and gives recommendations to EU institutions on how to support them. By Rebecca Wagner and Julia Dankova
Burma’s rocky path to democracy – the role of natural resources Much of Myanmar’s natural resource wealth is located in ethnic areas. There are deep-rooted ethnic grievances, many of which related to the – justified – claim that past military governments have plundered what is perceived as the minorities’ own resources. By Mirco Kreibich
The 2016 elections in Slovakia: a shock No parliamentary elections in Slovakia have ever caused so much surprise, consternation and dismay as those held on 5 March 2016. The results can be readily characterised as shocking. By Grigorij Mesežnikov
About our namesake: Heinrich Böll Heinrich Böll is one of the most important and best-known writers of the Federal Republic of Germany. "Bound by the times and my contemporaries, to what my generation has lived through, experienced, seen, and heard," as he himself wrote, he was the critical chronicler of Germany’s history at mid-century.
Right wing extremism Briefing Sweden was before the SD party, one of the few European countries without a right wing extremist party in its parliament pdf