Around the world, our ability to speak out, organise and gather is being increasingly limited in the name of ‘national security’. Civic Futures is building an ecosystem of funders and civil society to push back.
Source: Justin Jin/Panos Pictures. Protests in Hong Kong.
Source: Crispin Hughes/Panos Pictures. Member of Extinction Rebellion protest in front of armed troops.
Source: FGHR, Kenya 2019
Abusive state security laws +
Surveillance & censorship technologies +
Fear-based narratives deployed against opponents
= the ‘Security Playbook’
States use a wide range of tactics to restrict civic space: stricter protest laws, administrative burdens on CSOs, travel watch lists, surveillance, and slander, harassment, detention and killing of activists. Many of these restrictions take place under the guise of protecting our security.
The phenomenon of expanding abuse of these powers is the ‘Security Playbook’.
Source: Unsplash, Danny Lines, Street surveillance, Leamington Spa, UK
Ensuring civic space is open so civil society can thrive is the key challenge of our time; it will determine whether action on every other social and environmental crisis is possible.
Movements need support to build their collective power and hold accountable those using the ‘Security Playbook’ at home and internationally. A diverse set of actors need sustained and flexible funding, research and analysis on the drivers of hard security approaches, and safe spaces to connect, strategise and take action together.
Source: FGHR, Kenya 2019
To ensure civil society thrives in conditions that are free from unjustified ‘security’ restrictions, a wider and diverse group of funders must come together, at scale, to resource work that can disrupt, reform and transform the ‘Security Playbook’.
If you fund social justice movements facing this repression, join with us. If you are trying to counter the security overreach and want to make links and find out about funding opportunities, please get in touch. If you want to know more about our research and analysis, convening and learning opportunities, contact us.
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Credit: Lalo de Almeida/Folhapress/Panos. Presidente Figueiredo, Amazonas, Brazil. The Kinjas perform a dance of protection around an area that symbolises their territory, in Mynawa village, on the Waimiri-Atroari Indigenous Land.
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We are building a global, cross-sectoral response to disrupt and reform security powers to prevent abuse, and ultimately transform our global approach to security.
If this work resonates with you, we invite you to read the analyses on our website and get in touch to exchange and explore collaboration.
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Source: Ivor Prickett/Panos Pictures.
