A strong civil society is one of the main principles of a vibrant and well-working democracy. NGOs play a key role in the promotion of democratic values and human rights and citizen participation. They mobilize citizens and become the voice of the ones that are not heard in the decision-making process. A strong civil society is both a good partner and a watchman for governments.
However, civil society organizations in some countries encounter legal, financial and sometimes even physical threats. Legislation and negative rhetoric in some countries are systematically used to target civil society and as a result, freedom of speech gets restricted. Active participation of citizens in the decision-making process is the main part of democratic societies. It is also essential to involve the public through enlightenment, advocacy and social innovations for the solutions of large issues such as environment and climate change. We support the creation of new initiative groups, the development of local communities and contribute to strengthening civil society.