A strong civil society

Watchdog and advocate

Civil society organisations are woven into the very fabric of society. They can act as a powerful counterbalance. In their role as watchdogs and advocates, but also as community builders. And that is sorely needed. Not only on the other side of the world, but also here in Europe and the Netherlands.

Under pressure

Many civil society organisations are under pressure. They are facing increasing restrictions imposed by governments. Partos members have been seeing and hearing this for years in their dealings with partner organisations. We see this reflected every year in the State of Civil Society Report by CIVICUS (World Alliance for Citizen Participation): the scope for civil society organisations to work towards a fair and just world is steadily shrinking. This is a cause for concern.

Remarkably close to home

However, a new trend is emerging whereby the role of civil society organisations in Western countries is also coming under increasing pressure and coming under fire. Even in the Netherlands, measures are sometimes announced which – often unintentionally – have a detrimental effect on civil society organisations. Because a strong civil society is so incredibly important for sustainable development, ‘space for civil society’ is one of Partos’s key themes.

The future: turn the trend

The Netherlands’ policy on strengthening civil society is generally innovative and progressive. It has also received international recognition for this. However, investment is failing to keep pace with the concerns that have been raised. This particular budget, of all things, has been more than halved over the past ten years. For Partos, the message is clear: reverse this disproportionate trend and continue to invest in civil society in developing countries.

What do we do?

Partos members collaborate in lobbying political leaders in The Hague and the European Union for more (financial) space for civil society, including through the Partos lobby group. Furthermore, Partos supports its members regarding Strategic Partnerships with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As a branch association, Partos thus forms a bridge between civil society organisations and the government. Finally, we organise regular meetings for the broad Partos lobbying network to exchange knowledge and experience in policy advocacy.