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The topics addressed during the meeting were: The global state of civic space: data, trends and patterns; Threats to civic space: attacks and responses; and Democratic solidarity: limits, possibilities and responsibilities.
In the first panel, Inés Pousadela presented the following issues affecting civic space around the world: What do the most recent data show about civic space at the global level? Which trends are accelerating, and which are new? Are there common patterns in the ways governments, both authoritarian and democratic, restrict civic space? What distinguishes one from the other? Are there examples in which civil society has succeeded in defending or expanding civic space in the face of restrictions? What conditions made this possible?
In the second panel, participants from different countries addressed the following topics: What is the current state of civic space in Latin America and Equatorial Guinea? Which trends are accelerating, and what new trends are emerging? What forms do restrictions on freedom of association currently take in the region, whether legal, administrative or violent, and how do they interact? Which organizations and sectors are most affected, and what explains this selectivity in repression? Which collective defence strategies have been most effective, and what conditions make solidarity between organizations from different countries possible?
The meeting was held at the Ricardo Güiraldes Library and included representatives from the following civil society organizations: La Corriente Feminista (Nicaragua), Instituto de Prensa y Libertad de Expresión (Costa Rica), CIVICUS (South Africa), Observatorio Global de Comunicación y Democracia (Venezuela), PROMEDEHUM (Venezuela), Cubalex (Cuba), International Panel on Social Progress, Ayuda a Pueblos Originarios (Argentina), Club Político Argentino (Argentina), CEIDGE (Equatorial Guinea), Abogados en Acción (Argentina), a colleague from El Salvador, and CADAL (Argentina).