The outcome of the 2024 U.S. national election has far-reaching consequences for civil society. Sudden drops in funding streams, tightened surveillance, threats and harassment—these conditions, which civil society groups have faced for years, will almost certainly worsen in the U.S. and globally.

As we grapple with the anticipated consequences of a new U.S. administration, it is important to keep in mind that resistance to repressive regimes is part of a larger global trend. Civil society groups in the U.S. and abroad have long shown their inherent capacity for strategic responses and creative resilience.

For the past five years, Rights CoLab has compiled case studies of civil society groups around the world demonstrating innovative approaches to resource mobilization, community organizing, and communications. Organizations like:

• LGBT+ Rights Ghana, which responded to the raid and closure of their offices by Ghanian authorities by doubling down on their mission to host joyous events, collect data on rights violations, and organize advocacy campaigns by and for LGBTQIA+ people.
• Nossas, a women-led laboratory for civic engagement and activism in Brazil, organizing members digitally and in their communities to act on critical social issues like reproductive rights, government corruption, and police violence.
• Facilitators, an organization formed to promote the wellbeing of migrant workers in China, which has adapted to changing political pressures by focusing on crowdfunding for grassroots migrant groups.

We invite you to explore our Mapping Civil Society Innovation page to read these and more stories of creativity and resilience. Remember: humans are incredibly resourceful, and solidarity is key to weakening the global authoritarian trend.