Civic Space and the Leaving No One Behind Principle
Civil society actors (CSAs) are increasingly confronted with changes in civic space, particularly in contexts of high fragility and rising authoritarianism, where they are exposed to multiple risks and restrictive measures that limit their action capacity. This paper explores how CSAs respond to these changing dynamics and what strategies they employ to continue their critical work in fragile contexts. It also examines the unique challenges CSAs face when representing highly marginalized communities – often the first to be hit by risks.
This document is part of Work Package 3 (Civil Society and Leaving No One Behind) for the Policy Support Programme (PSP) on Fragility and Resilience (REFRACT Project).
The PSP is funded by the Belgium’s Directorate-General for Development Cooperation (DGD) to draw relevant policy suggestions on how DGD can continue its work in the Sahel Region, especially Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, which are currently facing a stressful scenario that combines poverty, growing authoritarianism, and extreme vulnerability towards climate change. The central questions driving this paper are: A) How do CSAs navigate changes in civic space, particularly in fragile and authoritarian contexts? B) What strategies are available to different types of CSAs, and how are these implemented in practice? C) What are the implications for CSAs working with or representing marginalized populations whose needs and rights are often ignored or actively repressed? D) How can donors better support CSAs’ agency in fragile contexts? The document provides a preliminary exploration of these questions, drawing from a desk review of pertinent academic research and grey literature on civic space, fragility, and the Leave No One Behind (LNOB) principle.