In many countries across Europe, restrictive laws had already narrowed the space for civil society before the pandemic hit. Civil society groups are worried that governments could use the current crisis to (further) threaten the rule of law and democracy.
The Covid-19 pandemic highlights the importance of solidarity, resilience and community dialogue to overcome major crises. Governments’ reactions to the pandemic have accelerated all sorts of major economic, political, and social problems.
We have listed some concrete examples of how we tried to help our grantee partners navigate the Covid-19 crisis.
We are excited to announce that Civitates, a philanthropic initiative for democracy and solidarity in Europe, will support independent, public interest journalism in Europe.
December 2019, Announcing a new fund to support independent, public interest journalism in Europe.
February 2019, Press release about the formation of Civitates by sixteen foundations.
November 2018, “A time to stand together“ – A declaration condemning the violence directed towards civil society. Full statement and list of signatories