This open access book contributes to thriving debates in academic as well as professional
circles about the role of civil society in shrinking civic spaces rising authoritarianism and
right-wing populism conflicts fragile states and most lately the global COVID-19 pandemic.
This is one of the first books to address the implications of changing civic spaces for civil
society organizations worldwide. It offers a unique overview of how social movements and civil
society groups in very different settings are responding to state-imposed restrictions of basic
civic freedoms. The authors are all experts in the field and their analyses are based on
original and onsite research. This unique book also contributes to a better understanding of
the conceptualizations and practices of civil society. It is of keen interest to academic
scholars students civil society practitioners and policy makers in the field of
international development research and civil society action.
