Reimagining Civil Society

Civil society organizations that depend exclusively on foreign grants have come under intense pressure. The growing trends of technological innovation, social entrepreneurship, local philanthropy, impact investment, and purpose-centered career development offer opportunities for human rights initiatives to organize and resource themselves in more resilient and sustainable ways.

NEW & NOTABLE

Introducing the Freshwater Institute: A Hub for Civil Society Innovation in East Asia

RIGHTS CoLAB CONTRIBUTIONS

Ukraine and RINGO: Can We Catalyse a More Solidaristic and Locally-Led Response in Ukraine?
By Deborah Doane • June 22, 2022

The Value of Social Capital in Resourcing Community Development in Africa
By Gervin Chanase, Charles Kojo Vandyck • June 7, 2022

You Can Support Innovative Solidarity for Ukraine
By Eleonora Davidyan • April 20, 2022

Russia-Ukraine War: Dimitrina Petrova’s ‘BOLD’ Civil Society Response
By Ohimai Amaize • April 6, 2022

Ukraine and RINGO
By Deborah Doane • March 25, 2022

DùnDún Podcast [Season 2]: Consolidating Civil Society in a Post-Pandemic World
By Ohimai Amaize • February 15, 2022

Advancing Human Dignity Through Aid Localization
By Ed Rekosh • December 21, 2021

From Brasov to Bedford Stuyvesant and Back
By Ed Rekosh • November 6, 2021

Video From Partos Innovation Festival – Shifting Power: (Net)Work in Progress
By Charles Kojo Vandyck • October 22, 2021

Innovation: ‘Conventional Human Rights Structures and Practices May No Longer Be Optimal or Sufficient’
By Ed Rekosh • October 13, 2021

How Twitter Amplified the Divisions That Derailed Nigeria’s #EndSARS Movement
By Ohimai Amaize • April 20, 2021

Community As A Response: Communities Organizing for their Development
By Florence Kayemba, Ese Emerhi, and Charles Kojo Vandyck • May 12, 2021

Reimagining the INGO Sector: Let the Long-Awaited Change Begin
By Deborah Doane • May 7, 2021

China’s White Paper and the BRI: Can We Expect China to Deliver on the SDGs?
By Shawn Shieh • March 24, 2021

A Silver Lining: COVID-19 Is an Opportunity for Civil Society to Explore New and Innovative Funding Forms
By Charles Kojo Vandyck and Njambi Wagacha • March 6, 2021

Securing Local Funding For Rights In China – Podcast Interview
By Shawn Shieh • February 19, 2021

Social Businesses in Russia and Eastern Europe Making Strides Despite 2020 Turmoil
By Barbara von Ow-Freytag • November 9, 2020

A New Paradigm for Global Civil Society: Introducing Rights CoLab’s “RINGO PROJECT”
By Deborah Doane and Charles Kojo Vandyck • July 16, 2020

Opening Space: Can You Expand Civic Space During a Pandemic?
By Deborah Doane • July 8, 2020

Sharing Lessons, in Solidarity, More Crucial Than Ever as COVID-19 Makes Acute Situations for ICSOs Worse
By Deborah Doane • June 1, 2020

DùnDún: Changing the World, One Podcast at a Time
By Ohimai Amaize • May 31, 2020

COVID-19 Puts the Spotlight on the Relevance and Effectiveness of Civil Society
By Charles Kojo Vandyck • May 25, 2020

Civil Society Protects Workers in China During the Pandemic
By Shawn Shieh • May 13, 2020

Eurasia’s Citizen-Led Response to the Coronavirus Crisis
By Barbara von Ow-Freytag • April 14, 2020

How Will African CSOs Need to Adapt in the Pandemic?
By Charles Kojo Vandyck • April 14, 2020

COVID-19 and Civil Society: Can We Think Long-Term Amidst a Crisis?
By Deborah Doane • March 30, 2020

2020 Civic Space Trends in West Africa
By Charles Kojo Vandyck • January 30, 2020

Going Beyond Western Models of Value to Shift the Power
By Nana Afadzinu • January 21, 2020

Civil Society Innovation and Financial Sustainability in Asia-Pacific
By Shawn Shieh • December 20, 2019

Are INGOs Ready to Give up Power?
By Deborah Doane • December 13, 2019

The INGO Path: Can INGOs Be Better at ‘Shifting the Power?’
By Deborah Doane • November 13, 2019

Sustaining and Scaling Social Impact in Africa
By Charles Kojo Vandyck • October 17, 2019

Q&A on New Business Models for Human Rights
By Dimitrina Petrova and Almut Rochowanski • July 25, 2019

Moving Ghana Beyond Aid: Don’t Forget Local Philanthropy
By Nana Afadzinu • June 17, 2019

Webinar: New Business Models For Human Rights
By open global rights & Rights CoLab • May 22, 2019

Social Movements and Social Change in Africa
By Charles Kojo Vandyck, Christian Elongué • April 30, 2019

Making the Case for Community Organizing in Europe
By Deborah Doane • April 18, 2019

Shared Learning in Accra: Alternative Funding Models
By Charles Kojo Vandyck • March 20, 2019

Advancing The Financial Sustainability of Civil Society in Africa
By Charles Kojo Vandyck, Christian Elongué • March 12, 2019

Has WWF’s Mission to Combat Nature’s Enemy Gone Too Far?
By Deborah Doane • March 7, 2019

Why We Need More Talk about ‘Closing Civic Space’ not Less
By Deborah Doane • February 7, 2019

Podcast – The Business Case for Civil Society
By Edwin Rekosh • November 19, 2018

Gaining Ground against Rising Illiberalism
By Edwin Rekosh • October 3, 2018

The Business Case for Civil Society
By Edwin Rekosh, Lamin Khadar • September 10, 2018

Death by a Thousand Paper Cuts: Regulatory Attacks on NGOs
By Edwin Rekosh • July 31, 2018

What Happens When a Giant Sneezes?
By Deborah Doane • July 16, 2018

Promoting Sustainable Business Practices to Protect Human Rights in Africa
By Charles Kojo Vandyck • May 16, 2018

Gaining Ground: A Framework for Developing Strategies and Tactics in Response to Governmental Attacks on NGOs
By Edwin Rekosh • December 11, 2017

Rethinking CSO Business Models
By Edwin Rekosh • November 21, 2017

A Blueprint for Optimism: Civil Society, Open Technology and Transnational Solidarity
By Enrique Piracés • November 9, 2017

Concept and Definition of Civil Society Sustainability
By Charles Kojo Vandyck • June 30, 2017

Rethinking the Human Rights Business Model
By Edwin Rekosh • June 14, 2017

Enabling Citizens to Expand the Frontiers of Human Rights in Africa
By Charles Kojo Vandyck • May 18, 2017

To Preserve Human Rights, Organizational Models Must Change
By Edwin Rekosh • November 28, 2016

Old Dogs and New Tricks: Rethinking Human Rights Business Models
By Edwin Rekosh • May 3, 2016

Do International NGOs Still Have the Right to Exist?
By Deborah Doane • March 13, 2016

The Future of Aid: Will International NGOs Survive?
By Deborah Doane • February 23, 2016

Impact Investing Might Help Nonprofits Overseas Asphyxiated by Their Governments
By Edwin Rekosh • February 22, 2016

NEW HUMAN RIGHTS BUSINESS MODELS