WeRise Campaign

Description

1) Objective

The WeRise Campaign is a global initiative by CIVICUS aimed at protecting and promoting the Freedom of Peaceful Assembly (FoPA) as a fundamental right. This second cohort builds on the success of the first, fostering a network of activists, organizers, and movement builders committed to expanding civic space through innovative and impactful protest strategies. The campaign seeks to support sixteen CIVICUS members from four different regions in designing local campaigns that challenge traditional protest methods, redefine who can participate, and reshape the future of activism.

Proposals should highlight the voices of marginalized groups, including refugees, migrants, students, trade unionists, and artivists, and tackle systemic barriers to peaceful assembly. CIVICUS is particularly interested in proposals that address the experience of FoPA for migrants and refugees, the criminalization and violence against protest movements and activists, and the role of AI and digital surveillance in repressing protests. The campaign prioritizes grassroots, creative, and context-specific solutions that directly counter the increasing repression of activism worldwide.

2) Eligibility

The call is open to a wide range of groups and movements actively engaged in defending and expanding civic space. Eligible applicants include social movements, both registered and unregistered, protest movements, including climate justice groups, refugee and diaspora networks advocating for FoPA, trade unions protecting workers’ rights, student movements pushing for change, and artivists who use creative expression as a form of resistance.

3) Location

The campaign prioritizes applications from countries where restrictions on protests are most severe. These include Angola, Mozambique, Ghana, Guinea-Conakry, Thailand, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Jordan, Iran, Egypt, Tunisia, Argentina, El Salvador, Venezuela, and Peru.

4) Budget

Each selected proposal will receive up to USD 10,000 to implement its local campaign. Funding is intended to support impactful, locally relevant initiatives that contribute to the broader WeRise Campaign goals.

5) Application

Interested applicants must submit their proposals via email to fopa@civicus.org with the subject line “WeRise Campaign Cohort 2.” The application deadline is 15 March 2025. Submissions must include a proposal narrative of up to three pages and a one-page budget overview. Further details and templates for submission can be found on the CIVICUS website.