CIVICUS Voices
Episodes
29 episodes
Surveillance state: How protesters are being watched
Protest is a fundamental right, but around the world, it’s increasingly under surveillance. In this episode of CIVICUS Voices, we examine how governments are using facial recognition, geolocation tracking, and social media monitoring to watch, ...
Music Mobilises Protests for Social Justice
Music has long been a powerful tool for protest and today, it’s helping mobilise movements for social and climate justice around the world. In this episode of CIVICUS Voices, we explore how artists and fans are using sound, rhythm, and...
Disability and dissent: Protesting for a more accessible world
Disability rights laws promise inclusion, but lived experiences tell a different story. In this episode of CIVICUS Voices, we explore the fight for disability justice in India and Nigeria, where activists are challenging exclusion, stigma, and ...
The cost of fashion: Workers’ struggles in Cambodia & Bangladesh
Behind the glossy storefronts and online sales of fast fashion lies a brutal reality: many garment workers face exploitation, repression, and unsafe conditions. In this episode of CIVICUS Voices, we uncover the human cost of fashion in...
Homes for who? Local resistance to the housing crisis
Housing is more than shelter, it’s a human right. In this episode of CIVICUS Voices, we explore the global housing crisis through the lens of protest and resistance. From mass evictions in Brazil to anti-tourism marches in Spain, commu...
Protests over energy: Corruption and unrest
Electricity is a basic need, but for many, it’s a daily struggle. In this episode of CIVICUS Voices, we examine how energy protests in South Africa and Puerto Rico have become powerful expressions of resistance against inequality, corr...
Prescription for change: Why are doctors protesting?
Summary Doctors, the backbone of any healthcare system, are often at the forefront of advocating for change. In this podcast episode, we delve into recent and ongoing doctors’ protests and medical crisis in Kenya, and the UK. Why a...
The future of protest
Summary From the rise of social media to the advent of Artificial Intelligence, these technologies have revolutionized how protest movements are organized and how voices are heard. Yet, with increased surveillance and stricter laws,...
What's the difference between protests and riots?
Summary Do you know what is the difference between protests and riots? In this episode, we delve into two examples of antidemocratic riots in the Brazilian Supreme Court in 2023 and the Capitol in the US in 2021, to explain how they...
Protesting in a narco state
Summary This episode delves into the complexities of protesting in countries where drug trafficking significantly impacts governance and civil liberties, as Honduras and Ecuador. In a number of countries across Latin America, the en...
Know your rights as a protester
Summary In this episode, we give tips to stay safe while protesting. What are some safety recommendations for before, during and after a march or protest? Can you lose your job or get expelled from your university for attending a pr...
Protests work
Protests work because they disrupt the status quo and force those in power to confront uncomfortable truths. They are a direct challenge to injustice, showing that people will not be silenced or ignored. When people take to the streets, they se...
Books not guns: Protests for school safety
The last thing students and their parents should be worrying about is whether children will be safe while attending school, and yet school shootings and attacks are a real threat around the world.Bruno Langeani, a project manager at the...
A precious resource: protests for the right to water
Safe and accessible drinking water is a crucial right that sadly continues to be threatened in different ways for communities around the work. So, it’s no surprise that access to water is frequently a protest demand, from Ethiopia to the United...
Protests in the time of war and conflict
Russia’s war against Ukraine has taken centre stage in headlines and discussions over the last year, yet a variety of conflicts continue internationally, from Ethiopia to Palestine. Since this season of CIVICUS Voices looks particu...
Workers' rights
The global cost-of-living crisis has been met with a crackdown on the rights of working people in every region of the world, and this year has seen the violations of workers rights reach record highs. We continue this season by looking ...
LGBTQI+ rights in Africa
Significant strides have been made across the globe in recognising and upholding the rights of sexual minorities, but despite these successes, the past year has also seen major setbacks when it comes to LGBTQI+ rights. This episode talks to hum...
Protect the Protest
Freedom of peaceful assembly is a fundamental right exercised around the world, especially where we see democracies backsliding, governments failing to listen to the people, and amid growing anti-rights backlash.To kick of this season we...
Refugees’ double fight: Escaping home & surviving the host
At the beginning of 2022, there were more than 27 million refugees worldwide, and their right to protest is often limited or repressed. Nadia Hardman, a researcher in the Refugee and Migrants Rights Division of Human Rights Watch, s...
Resisting coup d’état: Determination & hope are key
When there has been a coup d’état in a country, the protests surrounding this regime-change are often critical but difficult. In this episode, we look at how this works, through the example of Myanmar, where the military junta took ...
Reproductive rights: Struggle, resistance & victory
The fight for sexual and reproductive health and rights is being waged in countries around the world, as people seek to access legal and affordable reproductive health care services, like contraception, sex education, safe pregnancies, and abor...
Young people: Loud & relentless
There are over one billion young people between the ages of 15 and 24 worldwide, but their voices are often left out in policy spaces and in decision-making. Youth-led movements are an important part of civil society, and key in motivating for ...
Protests and repression: How does it work?
Protesting is particularly difficult if you live in a country where your right to protest is limited in your actions and opinions. The authorities and governments of closed or repressed countries do everything in their power to curtail the righ...