The Global Rise of Autocracy and Populism | ENDEVR Documentary

Summary

El script aborda el ataque directo a la democracia y el estado de derecho a nivel mundial, evidenciado por el aumento del autoritarismo y populismo en diversas naciones. Se señala que un tercio de la población mundial vive bajo gobiernos autoritarios, donde las libertades civiles y los críticos del gobierno enfrentan creciente presión, mientras que los grupos pro-gobierno se fortalecen. La disminución de la acción de la sociedad civil, no solo en autocracias sino también en democracias, se vincula con la criminalización de activistas y la restricción de ONGs internacionales. El guion destaca casos en India, Rusia y Polonia, donde el activismo y las ONGs enfrentan obstáculos legales y sociales por parte de gobiernos que buscan controlar y limitar la disidencia y la diversidad de opiniones. La resistencia pacífica y las protestas masivas en estos países representan un desafío a la opresión y un grito por la justicia y los derechos civiles.

Takeaways

• 🌍 La democracia y el estado de derecho están bajo ataque mundial por regímenes autoritarios populistas que gobiernan aproximadamente un tercio de la población mundial.
• 🗳️ Los estados están restringiendo cada vez más el espacio de acción de la sociedad civil, no solo en autocracias sino también en democracias.
• 👮‍♂️ Activistas y organizaciones no gubernamentales internacionales (ONG) se enfrentan a intimidación y criminalización por parte de aquellos en el poder.
• 🇮🇳 En la India, el mayor democracia del mundo, los ambientalistas que llaman la atención sobre abusos están bajo creciente presión.
• 🏔️ La extracción ilegal de arena está causando un daño significativo al entorno y a la vida de los agricultores en India.
• 🎥 Ashish Sagar, un corredor comunitario que documenta crímenes ambientales, enfrenta amenazas y persecución por su trabajo.
• 🇷🇺 En Rusia, las ONG que reciben financiación del extranjero están siendo restringidas y criminalizadas por el gobierno.
• 🇵🇱 En Polonia, el partido de derecha populista 'Ley y Justicia' ha cambiado significativamente el clima político y ha restringido los derechos de las mujeres y la sociedad civil.
• 🏛️ Los gobiernos utilizan la legislación para ejercer presión sobre las ONG, como es el caso de la Ley de Contribuciones Extranjeras en India.
• 📢 La sociedad civil y los activistas son esenciales para la democracia, su silencio dificulta el funcionamiento democrático.
• 👥 El movimiento de nacionalismo hindú en India y la ideología de la supremacía del hombre en Polonia representan un rechazo a la diversidad y la inclusión.

Q & A

¿Qué fenómeno se está observando en relación con la sociedad civil y la democracia en todo el mundo?

Se está observando un ataque directo a la democracia y el estado de derecho, con un tercio de la población mundial siendo gobernada por gobiernos autoritarios o populistas, lo que resulta en una presión creciente sobre las libertades civiles, los críticos del gobierno y las organizaciones no gubernamentales (ONG).

¿Cómo están siendo restringidas las acciones de la sociedad civil en los estados?

Los estados están restringiendo el ámbito de acción de la sociedad civil a través de leyes que dificultan la recepción de fondos, expandiendo burocracias para registrarse o cumplir con requisitos de informes, y utilizando la legislación para ejercer presión sobre las ONG.

¿Qué consecuencias tiene el silenciamiento de la sociedad civil para la democracia?

La sociedad civil es la materia prima de la democracia; si se pierde, será muy difícil llenar los procesos democráticos con contenido democrático, lo que dificulta la defensa de los derechos y la participación ciudadana.

¿Cómo están siendo presionados los ambientalistas en la India?

Los ambientalistas en la India, que llaman la atención sobre abusos relacionados con la minería de arena, están siendo presionados a través de la intimidación y la criminalización, y se les priva de fondos y medios para luchar por la protección del medio ambiente.

¿Qué impacto tiene la minería de arena en el entorno natural y las comunidades locales en la India?

La minería de arena está causando paisajes craterizados, hundimientos profundos que bajan el nivel del agua, erosiones de cauce y la extinción de especies, lo que afecta directamente la vida de los agricultores y la disponibilidad de agua para el consumo y la agricultura.

¿Qué es el Acta de Contribución Extranjera y cómo afecta a las ONG en la India?

La Acta de Contribución Extranjera es una ley que ha restringido la recepción de fondos extranjeros por parte de más de 10,000 ONG en India desde 2014. Se argumenta que protege la seguridad nacional, pero las ONG sospecha que su verdadero propósito es silenciarlas.

¿Cómo están las ONG y los activistas enfrentando las tácticas de intimidación por parte de gobiernos autoritarios?

Las ONG y los activistas enfrentan tácticas de intimidación como demandas legales sin fundamento, restricciones de financiamiento y ataques físicos. A pesar de ello, persisten en su lucha por la justicia y los derechos humanos utilizando recursos limitados y la perseverancia.

¿Qué estrategias están utilizando los gobiernos para controlar y restringir a la sociedad civil y a las ONG?

Los gobiernos están utilizando estrategias como la creación de leyes que restringen la financiación y la actividad de las ONG, la expansión de burocracias para dificultar el registro y cumplimiento de requisitos, y la promoción de organizaciones de la sociedad civil que apoyan los intereses del estado (gongos).

¿Cómo se está utilizando la propaganda y la educación para promover un estado hindú y restringir la diversidad en la India?

Se está utilizando la propaganda y la educación para promover un estado hindú y la supremacía cultural, excluyendo a aquellos que no se adhieren a la ideología majoritaria. Esto se ve reflejado en la polarización de la sociedad y la limitación de la libertad de expresión y diversidad de pensamiento.

¿Qué rol están desempeñando las protestas y la resistencia civil en la defensa de la democracia en diferentes países?

Las protestas y la resistencia civil están demostrando el poder de las personas comunes para influir en el cambio político y social. Representan una amenaza a los regímenes autoritarios y son un símbolo de esperanza para la defensa de la democracia y los derechos civiles.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 Ataque a la democracia y la sociedad civil

El primer párrafo aborda la creciente presión sobre la sociedad civil y las libertades civiles en todo el mundo, especialmente en países gobernados por populistas autoritarios. Se menciona que aproximadamente un tercio de la población mundial vive bajo este tipo de gobiernos, y que tanto individuos como ONGs internacionales se enfrentan a la criminalización y al acoso. La sociedad civil es considerada la 'materia prima de la democracia', y la pérdida de esta podría dificultar el mantenimiento de un contenido democrático en los procesos democráticos.

05:01

🏭 La industria de la extracción de arena en India

Este párrafo se centra en la industria de la extracción de arena en India, que es altamente lucrativa pero destructiva para el medio ambiente. Se destaca la lucha de Sagar, quien ha estado documentando las actividades ilegales de la industria durante 10 años. Sagar cree que las operaciones de extracción de arena están minando más arena de lo permitido y utilizando métodos prohibidos, lo que resulta en paisajes craterizados y un impacto negativo en el nivel del agua y la biodiversidad. Además, se menciona el caso de Dalpat Singh, un miembro del partido gobernante BJP, implicado en prácticas ilegales de extracción de arena.

10:03

🗳️ Restrictión de la libertad de las ONGs en India

El tercer párrafo explora cómo el gobierno de India ha restringido la libertad de las ONGs mediante leyes más estrictas, lo que ha afectado la capacidad de estas organizaciones para recibir fondos tanto nacionales como extranjeros. Se destaca la Ley de Contribuciones Extranjeras, que ha impedido a más de 10,000 ONGs de recibir financiación extranjera desde 2014. La Greenpeace India y Amnesty International son ejemplos de organizaciones que han sido afectadas por estas restricciones, lo que ha llevado a la suspensión de sus operaciones en el país.

15:06

🇮🇳 El nacionalismo y la oposición en India

Este párrafo examina el auge del nacionalismo hindú en India y cómo está siendo utilizado por el gobierno para controlar la sociedad civil y restringir la oposición. Se menciona la organización RSS, que tiene una fuerte influencia en la sociedad y el gobierno, y que busca promover su ideología en todos los sectores, incluyendo escuelas y universidades. También se discute cómo la crítica y la disidencia son cada vez más difíciles en un ambiente polarizado y cómo el gobierno utiliza la legislación para ejercer presión sobre las ONGs y la sociedad civil.

20:11

🏛 La erosión de la democracia en Rusia y Polonia

El quinto párrafo compara la erosión de la democracia en Rusia y Polonia. En Rusia, el gobierno utiliza la propaganda y la creación de ONGs estatales para controlar la sociedad y restringir la oposición. En Polonia, el partido de derecha populista 'Ley y Justicia' ha cambiado significativamente el clima político del país, restringiendo los derechos de las mujeres y limitando la financiación de ONGs que luchan por los derechos de las mujeres y las víctimas de violencia sexual.

25:12

🌈 La comunidad LGBT y la oposición en Polonia

Este párrafo se enfoca en cómo la comunidad LGBT en Polonia está siendo particularmente afectada por el gobierno, que promueve valores familiares tradicionales y rechaza actitudes liberales hacia la homosexualidad. Se describe cómo las ONGs que apoyan a la comunidad LGBT y las víctimas de violencia sexual enfrentan la falta de financiamiento y la opresión por parte del gobierno, que busca defender los valores tradicionales y el modelo de familia polaco.

30:13

📰 La censura y el acoso de los medios de comunicación independientes en Rusia

El séptimo párrafo explora la censura y el acoso de los medios de comunicación independientes en Rusia, donde los periodistas que cubren temas inflamables como la migración y las minorías enfrentan la persecución y la violencia. Se narra la experiencia de un periodista que tuvo que huir a Alemania para escapar de la represión, y cómo la solidaridad internacional y las protestas ayudaron a evitar su deportación y posible tortura en Uzbekistán.

35:14

🗣️ La importancia de la independencia periodística en Rusia

Este párrafo destaca la importancia de la independencia periodística en Rusia, donde el gobierno ve a los medios independientes como una oposición y los trata como tal. Se menciona el caso de Alexei Navalny, quien, a pesar de los riesgos, regresa a Rusia para enfrentar la opresión y luchar por la democracia, lo que resulta en su encarcelamiento. También se discute cómo la solidaridad y las protestas internacionales pueden ser un factor de supervivencia y cambio en situaciones de opresión.

40:14

🚜 La reforma agrícola y las protestas en India

El noveno párrafo se centra en la reforma agrícola en India, que eliminó la garantía de un precio mínimo para los productos y permitió que el mercado fijase los precios. Esto ha llevado a grandes protestas de agricultores, quienes temen ser explotados por las corporaciones. A pesar de la opresión y la censura por parte del gobierno, las protestas continúan y representan una victoria para la sociedad civil en su lucha por la democracia.

45:16

📢 La resistencia de la sociedad civil en Rusia y Polonia

El último párrafo destaca la resistencia de la sociedad civil en Rusia y Polonia, donde las protestas masivas siguen ocurriendo a pesar de las medidas restrictivas del gobierno. Estas protestas representan el poder de las personas comunes y la base de la sociedad civil, quienes luchan por la democracia y los derechos civiles en contra de los gobiernos autoritarios.

Keywords

💡Autoritarismo

El autoritarismo se refiere a un sistema político en el que un líder o partido tiene el control total y centralizado del poder, a menudo limitando las libertades civiles y la participación democrática. En el video, se menciona que un tercio de la población mundial está gobernada por gobiernos autoritarios populistas que ejercen presión sobre las libertades civiles y la sociedad civil, como en el caso de la India y Rusia.

💡Sociedad Civil

La sociedad civil es el conjunto de organizaciones no gubernamentales, grupos comunitarios y individuos que operan outside del sector público y privado, y que participan en la vida política y social. En el video, se destaca cómo la sociedad civil es el 'materia prima de la democracia' y cómo está siendo restringida y criminalizada en varios países, afectando el funcionamiento democrático.

💡Populismo

El populismo es un estilo político que busca el apoyo popular frente a las élites establecidas, a menudo utilizando un discurso que simplifica la política en un 'nosotros contra ellos'. El video menciona el aumento de gobiernos populistas y su impacto en la democracia y la sociedad civil, con ejemplos de líderes que se oponen a la crítica y limitan la participación de la sociedad civil.

💡Leyes de ONG

Las leyes de ONG son regulaciones que afectan el funcionamiento de las organizaciones no gubernamentales. En el video, se discuten leyes en India y otros países que restringen la capacidad de las ONG para recibir fondos y operar libremente, alegando proteger la seguridad nacional mientras se cuestiona que en realidad buscan silenciar a las críticas.

💡Activismo

El activismo es la participación en acciones para promover, impedir o realizar cambios en la sociedad. En el video, los activistas que se oponen a abusos ambientales y a políticas gubernamentales son criminalizados y intimidados, como Ashish Sagar en India, quien documenta el daño ambiental causado por la minería ilegal.

💡Minería ilegal

La minería ilegal implica la extracción de recursos naturales sin las licencias o permisos adecuados, a menudo con métodos que causan daños significativos al medio ambiente. En el video, se muestra cómo la minería ilegal en India está causando destrucción ambiental y privando a las comunidades de recursos vitales, y cómo los activistas que lo exponen están bajo presión.

💡Presión sobre las ONG

La presión sobre las ONG puede tomar muchas formas, desde la limitación de fondos hasta la aplicación de leyes restrictivas. En el video, se muestra cómo en India y otros países, las ONG que reciben fondos extranjeros están siendo presionadas por el gobierno, lo que limita su capacidad para trabajar en áreas como los derechos humanos y la protección del medio ambiente.

💡Protestas

Las protestas son manifestaciones públicas de desacuerdo o descontento con políticas o acciones gubernamentales. En el video, las protestas en India por las reformas agrícolas y en Polonia por el ban del aborto son ejemplificativas de cómo la sociedad civil puede organizarse y presionar para el cambio, a pesar de las medidas restrictivas del gobierno.

💡Derechos de las mujeres

Los derechos de las mujeres se refieren a la igualdad de oportunidades y el reconocimiento de las necesidades y aspiraciones femeninas. En el video, se menciona cómo en Polonia, las ONG que luchan por los derechos de las mujeres, incluyendo el acceso al aborto y la atención a las víctimas de violencia sexual, enfrentan la reducción de financiamiento y la oposición del gobierno.

💡LGBT

LGBT son las iniciales de lesbianas, gays, bisexuales, transgender y otras identidades de género y sexual少数派。 En el video, se discute cómo en Rusia y Polonia, el gobierno y grupos religiosos están trabajando para limitar los derechos de la comunidad LGBT, con la propagación de una ideología que los pinta como una amenaza a la sociedad tradicional y los valores 'normales'.

Highlights

One-third of the world's population is now ruled by authoritarian populist governments.

Civil liberties, government critics, and NGOs are increasingly under pressure in countries ruled by populists and autocrats.

Over the past 15 years, states have been restricting civil society's scope for action.

Activists and international NGOs are targets of those in power when they become silenced.

Civil society is essential for democracy, and its loss makes it difficult to maintain democratic processes.

Environmentalists in India are under increasing pressure for highlighting abuses in the multi-billion dollar sand mining industry.

Illegal sand mining in India is causing environmental destruction and impacting water levels.

Ashish Sagar has faced threats for documenting illegal sand mining activities.

NGOs like Greenpeace India are being targeted by laws restricting foreign funding.

Laws are being used to exert pressure on NGOs, with the foreign contribution Act impacting over 10,000 NGOs in India.

Amnesty International had to suspend its work in India due to government accusations and funding cuts.

The Polish government has been tightening laws affecting women's rights and NGOs fighting for them.

Poland's Constitutional Court has further restricted abortion rights, sparking widespread protests.

The Ordo Iuris Institute influences the Polish government and society with ultra-conservative policies.

Journalist Ali Feruz had to leave Russia due to threats and arrests for his critical reporting.

Protests in Russia and Poland show the power of civil society and organized action against autocratic tendencies.

Transcripts

foreign

are we witnessing a global direct attack

on democracy and the rule of law

roughly speaking one-third of the

world's population is now ruled by

governments that can be described as

authoritarian populists in countries

ruled by populists and autocrats civil

liberties government critics and

non-governmental organizations are

increasingly coming under pressure

pro-government groups on the other hand

are growing in strength over the past 15

years or so we have observed that states

are increasingly restricting Civil

Society scope for Action we are

witnessing this phenomenon not only in

autocracies but also increasingly in

democracy

not only individual activists but also

International ngos have become targets

of those in power what happens when they

are silenced

Civil Society is the raw material of

democracy and if this raw material is

lost it will be very very difficult to

fill Democratic processes with

Democratic content

activists are by no means only attacked

or arrested laws ensure that they are

criminalized and deprived of money

activists and civil rights campaigners

are subject to intimidation

what happens when these voices fall

silent

and what can be done to counter this

development

[Music]

India the world's largest democracy

a rising economic power that needs many

raw materials

environmentalists who draw attention to

abuses are coming under increasing

pressure

raw material for cement walls Windows

computer chips a multi-billion Dollar

business

since desert sand is not suitable for

the production of concrete the mining of

river sand has become as lucrative as it

is destructive

cratered Landscapes emerge deep holes

that lower the water level eroded

riverbeds and the extinction of species

[Music]

Sagar has been documenting the

activities of the Indian sand mining

industry for 10 years

the mine operators have a license but

Sagar is convinced that they are mining

much more sand than permitted and what's

more using prohibited methods

[Music]

you can see dredges all over the place

that are prohibited from being used in

rivers

they destroy everything and that is

illegal here in bundle count we are

frequently faced with droughts the water

shortage is Extreme and a suicide rate

among Farmers is particularly High

you have to understand this is all

politics

this sand mine belongs to dalpat Singh a

member of the ruling BJP party according

to Sagar he is one of many local

politicians who make a lot of money

through illegal methods

sagar's critical voice is not welcome

here

a couple of guys saw us coming if they

see the camera we'll be in trouble

the people from the mine are following

us don't stop keep going keep going

if they catch us they will shoot at us

and destroy our cameras

they have guns and other weapons

they've already attacked me twice

[Music]

according to Sagar the government is

aware of the illegal methods but looks

the other way because the business is

mostly run by party members

Ashish Sagar produces videos about the

environmental Crimes of the mine

operators for an NGO

he is one of 200 Community

correspondents who work for video

volunteers on their social media

channels they document social and

environmental abuses that no one else is

talking about

we decided that a all our correspondence

will come should come from very

marginalized communities because it is

marginalized communities who know best

what marginalization is we are not

turning camera on to someone we are

turning camera on to ourselves into our

our own communities saying look this is

Who We Are

in a new video Ashish Sagar wants to

document the damage caused by illegal

blasting in this Quarry stones for road

construction and natural stones are

mined

with the help of a fuse and explosives

Sagar meets a blaster a day laborer who

fears no repercussions

he says everyone in the area including

the police knows about the illegal

methods but does nothing about it

and so Sagar hears no warning signals

and seasonal barriers just many more

explosives than are permitted

[Music]

support me

the Blaster is ready and coordinates

with the miners

oh then accidentally he detonates too

soon

this time no harm was done a few months

earlier a similar situation led to three

fatalities

more blasting deeper blast holes illegal

methods What's Left Behind is a trail of

Devastation in the natural environment

environmentalists are alarmed

people no longer appreciate the value of

the mountains they provide us with

drinking water and water for agriculture

they feed the Lakes which used to have

more water

today people are losing their land their

mountains their forests if I don't fight

for them

one result of illegal blasting is that

groundwater makes its way to the surface

empty Wells and droughts are another

consequence

the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands

of farmers is at stake

at night Sagar comes across a caravan of

sand trucks transporting the loot to

other Indian cities

every mine operator has his own guys

workers from the village or teenagers

they get 500 rupees a day

they look out for police presence and

give the go-ahead to the trucks

we can't get out of the car

this has happened many times

research has shown that far too much

sand is being mined

that's why the mining operators have

been trying to silence the social

activists for years

they want to finish me off

but because they can't just shoot me and

bury me they tried to put me in jail

they wanted to make me disappear but I

won't give up

Saga has been sued eight times including

for resistance to State Authority and

for spreading fake news but he has never

been convicted

taking legal action as a means of

intimidating environmentalists is

popular not only in India

in a democracy

when you have

a tendency

you cannot just kill people because

you're a democracy so you'll find other

ways of killing them metaphorically

speaking

so you cut their funds you make them

less desirable you ignore them you

threaten them you put false cases on

them nobody who is power hungry

and has dictatorial tendencies

would want a community that is

questioning

critical questions raised by

environmentalists and activists are bad

for business

that's why the Indian government wants

to silence the voices of local ngos and

individual citizens like Ashish Sagar

for international ngos there is a

further means of exerting pressure

new and stricter laws

more than 50 countries worldwide are

restricting ngo's room for maneuver in

this way

NGO laws are a very popular tool in

restricting Civil Society action for

example states can enact regulations or

laws that make it difficult for

organizations to receive funding from

within the country or from abroad states

can often expand bureaucracies to the

point where it is difficult for an

organization to register or meet its

reporting requirements

the Indian government has tightened and

enacted various laws to control ngos

the most significant one is the foreign

contribution Act

since 2014 it has been either prohibited

or made virtually impossible for more

than 10 000 ngos to receive foreign

funding

the government claims that it is

protecting National Security

the ngos however suspect that the law is

intended to silence them

the Indian branch of Greenpeace has been

banned from receiving funds from abroad

since 2015.

the government accuses Greenpeace of

hindering the country's economic growth

with its actions

the head of Greenpeace India binal Jacob

believes this allegation has been

contrived and that the new acts and

legal disputes are designed to make the

ngo's work impossible

environmental organization and now a

significant part of our energy is dealt

in the legal side of you know court

cases hearing that is that's really not

the best use of our resources

Greenpeace India has been sued

repeatedly for years

in 2018 their office was raided by the

authorities

our bank accounts were frozen for maybe

about two and a half three months we

couldn't pay wages we couldn't pay our

salaries so from a 60 Member Program

campaign team we were left with only 15

people

throughout the world Jacob is certain

that Greenpeace India is not in

violation of the NGO Act

the Green Piece India office is an

independent entity which is which has

its own board the Indian board which has

his own uh supporters the Indian

supporters so while we trust and believe

on the courts and we we do believe that

eventually we will come out of it

because we haven't violated the law but

we are aware

that it's possible that Green Peace may

be shut down it has happened to other

organizations uh it could happen to us

the ngos can only defend themselves with

perseverance good lawyers and a lot of

money otherwise they face closure

just a few hundred meters away is the

abandoned office of Amnesty

International

the government accused amnesty of

violating anti-terror and foreign

funding laws raids and seizures followed

amnesty was forced to suspend its work

in India

[Music]

in 2020 the law on foreign funding was

tightened once again small local ngos in

particular are expected to have their

funding cut off

it is an attack on the entire organized

Civil Society

foreign

[Music]

what does this mean for India's

democracy

are these laws a targeted political tool

of Narendra modi's government

re-election in 2019 the culture

personality has grown rapidly along with

uh the destruction of independent

institutions and with a nakedly

majoritarian agenda so there are three

aspects to what is happening in India

today authoritarianism the cultural

personality and the enforcement of Hindu

Supremacy over those who are not English

[Music]

an organization close to the government

however has its blessing

known as RSS

with nearly 6 million exclusively male

members it has established itself in

every sector of society

with the aim of spreading its ideology

especially in schools and universities

the goal a Hindu State its most famous

member president Modi so this is in

government there's the RSS in Civil

Society the BJP would want to control

every aspect of the political process

the RSS would want to control every

aspect of the Civil Society

the Indian government resorts to

legislation to exert pressure on ngos

associations like the RSS are designed

to create a civil society that plays

into the hands of those in power there's

a big movement of this sort of Hindu

nationalism going on and everybody is is

involved in that project Teachers

College professors scientists

researchers police officers advocates

it's not left anyone untouched it

unfortunately it's become a very

polarized US versus them kind of

situation and and people like us who are

who believe in social justice or human

rights or equality or democracy or the

Constitution

it's it's much more difficult than what

it used to

dissenting voices are no longer heard

instead the majority opinion dictates

the country's discourse and it's not

only in India that a limited conception

of democracy is taking root

skipped there's a population a

homogeneous population sharing a common

set of interests that only needs to be

implemented

but this still adhes to the idea of

democracy because it's all about making

majority rule possible

autocrats rely on social division using

the instruments of democracy

we're in the middle of a dilemma brought

on by liberalism liberalism means

promoting democracy and human rights but

liberalism also includes the right of

Nations to self-determination National

sovereignty and the idea that a country

can develop on its own without outside

interference

this is precisely the argument that the

Modi government uses to prevent the work

of international ngos

Greenpeace and Amnesty International are

considered enemies from outside who

pursue foreign interests directed

against the nation

ngos advocating for civil rights are

thus hampered in their work

Russia has proved itself Adept at this

method

[Music]

since 2012 all non-governmental

organizations that are politically

active and receive money from abroad

have to register as so-called foreign

agents

otherwise they face fines and closure

[Music]

organization Memorial was also added to

the foreign agent list in 2016 and thus

must be supported by teams from abroad

for example anchor giesen in Berlin

Memorial works on coming to terms with

stalinist history and supports current

political prisoners the human rights

organization has become a target of

government-controlled groups

[Music]

another phenomenon is that there is a

fake Civil Society so to speak

State agents start civil society

organizations which then pursue the

state's aims

they don't do this as State

Representatives however but as civil

society organizations and in this way

the state can then Outsource the social

developments if once and say well it's

all coming from the outside it's coming

from Civil Society

some of the fake ngos are set up

directly by the ministry of the Interior

or the Secret Service this group

targeted a memorial exhibition in 2016.

a few years ago we had the case of a

so-called people's Liberation movement

that's set up in front of the building

with posters reading Memorial is an

American spy

it is

and the whole thing looks like there are

members of Civil Society who oppose

Memorial's work

and many of these government organized

ngos or gongos are also pretty violent

you might as well call it uncivilized

Society this is uncivilized Society

attacks like this one on a Putin critic

in Moscow are meant to intimidate civil

rights activists

the government uses the stage conflicts

in its propaganda against the ngos

those in power can then call this a

conflict between Civil Society groups

and maintain a semblance of democracy

since the current government is highly

suspicious of uncontrolled social

developments it basically tries to as

well gag Civil Society without directly

abolishing it

because that wouldn't look good on the

international stage as I mentioned they

want to keep up the appearance of a

normal modern country

[Music]

at the same time Putin makes it clear

that he's prepared to fight critical

voices by every means possible

the most recent example is Alexi navoni

Putin's most vocal critic

the German Medics who transported

navalny in this isolation pod obviously

did not share the Russian diagnosis of

blood pressure problems

while doctors at Berlin's Charity

Hospital tried to save Alexei navalny's

life his health has become a political

and diplomatic issue

for more let's bring in genre nimsovis

you know Alexei navalny and his family

personally and your father was a close

friend of his who or what do you think

is responsible for what happened to him

is the most powerful opposition voice in

Russia I think that at least

Putin holds political responsibility for

his poisoning

served as Deputy Prime Minister under

Yeltsin and was in the running to be his

successor at points

after Putin's election lemsov quickly

became one of his strongest opponents

it's been I'm essentially a political

veteran I'm not going to have a

political career my goal is to liberate

Russia from Crooks and thieves

on the 27th of February in 2015 he was

crossing the Baltimore bridge in front

of the Year Kremlin wall and while he

was walking he was shot dead

foreign

politically motivated

assassination and I doubted that we

would have any adequate investigation

[Music]

many Russians agreed and tens of

thousands took to the streets

in memory of her father nimsova founded

the Boris nemsoff Foundation

she received death threats and was

forced to go into exile

based in Prague nemsova's Foundation

promotes independent journalism and

freedom of speech returning to Russia is

Unthinkable for her

if you want to have an NGO do not go to

Russia unless you want to cooperate with

the Minister of Foreign Affairs of

Russia and to have this gonga

organization sponsored by the Russian

government

the government's measures make it nearly

impossible for critics to work in Russia

the Democratic Constitution is merely a

facade

although it continues to maintain this

appearance on the outside by having a

parliament that passes laws a Judiciary

a constitutional court all these

institutions are in fact being

undermined

without a critical Civil Society a

democracy cannot function but for Putin

it's enough to know that he has majority

support

if Russia had a totally free election in

four weeks time Putin could win it

regardless with each additional term in

office the political system's tendency

to renew the victory of these

authoritarian populists becomes more

intrinsic

even governments within the European

Union are increasingly reigning in Civil

Society

Poland is one example

the right-wing populist party law and

justice peace has been in power here

since 2015. it has noticeably changed

the country's political climate

traditional Family Values the government

strongly rejects a liberal attitude

towards homosexuality

abortion laws have been tightened and

ngos that fight for women's rights are

being deprived of funding

this is a severe blow particularly to

organizations like Baba which fight for

a liberal abortion law and help victims

of sexual violence by providing

psychological counseling and legal aid

founded Baba in 1999 because as a victim

of violence herself she received no

professional help due to the nature of

their work Baba's employees are

regularly checked by the police and

their office has been searched Only One

telephone consultant is courageous

enough to appear on camera

uses her immunity as a member of

parliament to speak her mind about the

recent tightening of the abortion ban

the so-called constitutional tribunal

has mistreated Polish women and deprived

them of their dignity and human rights

in 2017 the government established the

national Freedom Institute which manages

all government funds intended for ngos

this makes it possible to regulate who

receives money and who doesn't

controlling critical voices Here Again

by means of funding

Catholic fundamentalists are

increasingly influencing the government

this is why we no longer receive

Government funding not even the money

intended for ngos

we simply live off donations

since many feminist organizations have

been deprived of funding privately

organized protests are becoming louder

supports these protests and Grassroots

campaigns

at this fashion show a women's group

seeks to highlight how victims of sexual

violence are blamed for their clothing

in order to relativize the guilt of the

male perpetrators

foreign

foreign

Poland is one of the 10 safest countries

for women in the world

however a rape is not recorded if the

woman has drunk alcohol

multiple rapes in a marriage count as

one incident

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

campaigns like these challenge the image

of the ideal family and woman propagated

by the government

so

every time we talk about women's rights

or rights for victims of violence the

state accuses us of destroying polish

traditions and the sanctity of the

Polish family and of spreading LGBT and

gender ideology

that is

the peace government is succeeding in

its strategy of Defending Traditional

Values and role models

ngos that jeopardize these achievements

continue to face new laws intended to

limit their influence

Adam bodna is resisting this the

commissioner for human rights may bring

any Bill to the Constitutional court

that he deems unlawful despite

opposition from the peace government he

is still in office in early 2021.

it has become evident that this

government doesn't just have mildly

authoritarian Tendencies they don't bend

the rules just a little while otherwise

being tolerable instead they want to

decide what kind of country we live in

and under what conditions

other people don't agree to that

therefore files lawsuits against bills

he considers unlawful and advocates for

the rights of minorities he sees his

country as politically adrift

on the one hand we're a member of the

European Union so a certain standard is

expected on the other hand we find

ourselves ashamed of Poland more and

more often by this I mean that the

Catholic church has an enormous

influence on polish politics and of

course they have really inflamed the

atmosphere in the discourse around LGBT

people Church Representatives could be

heard saying things like these people

are contagious and that aligns with the

party's policies

in Poland the government and Catholic

Church are unified under values that

permits only one traditional way of life

the fundamental idea that there is a

homogeneous society with a fixed will

which only has to be implemented into

majority rule always presupposes that

this group this homogenous group of

citizens also has relatively clear

external boundaries

isolation and exclusion directed above

all at minorities

the LGBT community in particular is

targeted by those in power

is

[Music]

if we remember the Nazis who hated and

wanted to annihilate Jews homosexuals

the mentally ill and Communists people

are being hounded in a similar way right

now

religious fundamentalists hate feminists

equality and non-hetonormative people

which means everyone who deviates from

the norm

they want a person without

characteristics who is completely

absorbed by the state's ideology

online propaganda videos fuel the

atmosphere they show ultra-conservative

organizations that vilify LGBT people as

dangerous especially to children

this has consequences in 2020 around a

third of Poland's provinces and

municipalities declared themselves free

of so-called LGBT ideology

although these declarations are

primarily symbolic they trigger violence

and hatred

assaults occur throughout Poland but no

statistics are recorded

a driving force in the battle over

values and traditional Role Models is

the Ordo yuris Institute for legal

culture a think tank that has championed

ultra-conservative women's and LGBT

policies for years the symbol of Polish

resistance during World War II is

enthroned symbolically on its building

Ordo yuris believes the country is under

threat

is

defends the values that have lately been

pushed out of the public debate

LGBT ideology strives to lump together

all those who struggle with various

disorders in their gender identity or

with certain Tendencies for example

it seeks to turn them into a class of

people who stand in opposition to the

rest of society

um

that's why we oppose this radical

movement

[Music]

s has an enormous influence on the

government and Society

its co-founder Alexander stemkovsky is

the spokesman for the Polish Supreme

Court

30 people from Odo Uris are closely

connected to the highest political power

in Poland they work in the Ministries

the presidential Palace or the judicial

and legislative bodies as a result they

can more easily influence the state and

intimidate the population

in October 2020 the Polish

constitutional Court further tightens

the already strict abortion law

abortion is now prohibited even if a

fetus is severely deformed or has an

incurable disease

the expert's opinion on this ruling

comes from ordooris

like every other NGO in Poland Odo Uris

was able to make a statement

we did this as a friend of the court so

to speak

we consider this ruling a major step

towards safeguarding human rights in our

country

but so many people are denied their

right to life simply because of a

disability illness or developmental

disorder is not consistent with human

rights is

however many see this ruling as anything

but a victory for human rights

and her fellow campaigners are also

preparing for demonstrations they are

inspired by Argentinian feminists who

recently won a liberalization of

abortion law after a 30-year fight

like them they wear green scarves at

their protests

is

decision Felicia

just get ready

[Applause]

Civil Society in Poland remains

outspoken

criticism of Russia however is driving

more and more people into exile

the journalist Ali feroz also had to

leave for Germany

ferus wrote for the Moscow newspaper

Novia gazetta Russia's main Independent

newspaper

he knew how things worked in the country

when I'm like working like a journalist

and at nowhere Gazette I always know

that my life is in danger like a few of

my colleagues who were murdered and

attacking to journalists it's often

happening

in the last 10 years alone five

journalists and one lawyer working with

Novia gazetta have been murdered

feruz wrote about migration and

minorities inflammatory topics in Russia

he knew that criticizing the government

could become dangerous

the police close to there they were

waiting for me and when they saw me they

like oh this one

previously hey I've been arrested and

now I'm being taken to the police

station

I was arrested by Lieutenant Kalashnikov

badge number 017889

has Russian parents but was born in

Uzbekistan according to Russian law this

entitles him to Russian citizenship

he had applied for this but not yet

received it after some of my articles

the Russian Security Services catch me

and

yeah officially they were telling me

that they got like I'm illegal in Russia

yeah but I was legal and I had all

documents and everything

[Applause]

this is not about him nor about us

the point is that the intelligence

agencies are collaborating

the Uzbek generals told the Russian

generals we want this guy

and the Russians said no problem

the secret service has in fact started

to assume the government's role in

society

hunting down opposition members

while the editorial office in Moscow

fights for his release ferus also

received support from Berlin

the journalist Daria gomezkaya a friend

of feroz immediately grasps the

situation

this is not about someone being

imprisoned this is a matter of life and

death with Ali it was about his

deportation to Uzbekistan and it was

clear to me from day one if that happens

I will never see him alive again

homosexual which is a punishable offense

in Uzbekistan he says that if he were

deported he would face imprisonment and

torture as was the case when he fell

into the hands of the Uzbek Secret

Service in his early twenties they're

putting needles between

nails and skin it's very painful

and they're putting like hot water on

you or putting your to the water with

the

floor

yeah they just not killing you but

giving you too much pain which is like

really close to die

[Music]

would not subject himself to torture

again

[Music]

I was sitting there alone and at first I

was stunned and Powerless

and then I made phone calls all over the

world in Germany too

that's how his friends join forces

foreign

and by the next day in fact we had

already registered a protest in front of

the Russian Embassy and stood there with

loudspeakers and megaphones and tried to

attract as much attention as possible

for the course

's employer Novia Gazeta also launched a

campaign to free him from prison as a

result the case was reported on by many

International newspapers

[Music]

was also successful solidarity actions

took place in Germany Russia and other

countries as soon as a media presence

emerges well let's just say that fewer

atrocities take place

as soon as someone is watching and

talking about it loudly there is a

chance that the person might survive

or even get out in the end

after six months of international

protests the Russian Supreme Court

overturned the decision to deport

federals to Uzbekistan

the astonishing reason

a foreign citizen may not be detained

indefinitely

[Applause]

with the help of the Red Cross feroz

departs for Germany

here he receives Refugee status

[Music]

to this day it remains unclear why

fairuz was arrested he suspects that a

critical article about the Uzbek

president was responsible

working as a journalists for me like a

mission it's very important to give

sensitive and important information to

society to react to reflect and to start

changes in this Society

fairuz's case and his departure fit into

the rhetoric of the Russian rulers

their propaganda speaks of Europe as

Europe

used to describe the enemy on the

outside

according to the Russian narrative

Europe is this Sodom and Gomorrah

in Europe everyone is gay and that will

bring about Europe's downstairs

this narrative has been told in Russia

for years

since Putin's been in power in fact

the danger is looming um and this is a

danger from the outside Russia against

the rest of the world

Putin paints Europe and the LGBT

movement as Russia's adversaries

he offers his followers protection

against these alleged enemies lurking in

and outside the country

as an attribute of all these movements

they identify various groups which will

then be excluded and doing so they

address the more deep-set emotions of

loss of status of the family and the man

which actually have nothing to do with

equality politics politics

many critical voices are in Exile such

as the journalistova

[Music]

through her seminars she aims to support

colleagues who still work in Russia

in these courses experienced journalists

teach their younger colleagues how to

report independently

now we have a big assault on journalism

and Putin understands it perfectly well

because when he became president the

first thing he was focused on was to

fight with independent TV channels he

actually wanted to gain control over

national television stations they now

serve the interests of the state so he

understands how important

journalism is because

the word might be very very powerful

wants to use these courses to encourage

her colleagues in their work

the Russian government sees independent

reporting as opposition and treats

journalists accordingly

navalny retweeted my interview can you

imagine

[Music]

now that's what I call a success

in some Russian regions there are no

Independent Media outlets at all zero

and Alexander Valley who's Russia's

leading opposition

politician he actually created a network

of offices across Russia and in some

regions uh navalny is uh offices are the

only independent source of information

navoni uses his social media channels to

expose abuses and criticize the Russian

government

the young liberal generation informed

themselves through his channels

navalny knows that his opposition

policies are only credible if he

operates from within Russia

this is why he flies back to Moscow in

January 2021 despite the risk to his

life

he's arrested while still at the airport

and sentenced to three and a half years

in a prison camp

around the world the consensus is that

navalny was imprisoned unjustly

but how is this criticism viewed in

Russia

the problem that is often encountered is

that these measures are met with

approval in the general population if

the population is on the side of the

government when it acts restrictively we

can hardly say that these actions are

not democratic

the Indian government is also trying to

undermine the rights of citizens by

so-called Democratic means

in September 2020 Parliament passes a

controversial agricultural reform

there will no longer be a minimum price

guarantee for products instead the

market will set the price

while part of the population supports

the new laws the activist and

environmentalist Ashi Sagar considers

them undemocratic

the media claims that democracy is alive

but in reality they don't even want

anyone to protest

the government has hijacked the media

and the judicial system and stop

journalists from speaking out

but Civil Society in India has not yet

been silenced countless farmers who are

angry at the government make their way

to Delhi in late 2020

many farmers in India live on or below

the poverty line

more than 300 000 of them have committed

suicide in the last 25 years

now their last Safeguard the minimum

price guarantee has collapsed

the farmers fear that the corporation's

now dictating prices will exploit them

even more

[Music]

the farmers have organized their protest

without official associations using

Whatsapp groups to get the message out

more than 60 percent of India's

population of 1.3 billion work in

agriculture

in early 2021 the Supreme Court

temporarily suspended the law and the

government offered an 18-month

moratorium the protesters rejected the

offer and want to stay until the laws

are abolished

foreign foreign

the protests have become a turning point

for democracy in India

Modi has independent journalists

arrested and cuts off the farmer's

internet access but the protests

continue to grow

they are the largest demonstrations

since Narendra Modi came to power

perhaps the biggest ever it's a victory

for civil society

in Russia too tens of thousands of

people take to the streets after Alexi

navalny is arrested Russian people are

not those people who would like to have

an autocrat

they don't want to have Putin forever

it's too much

in Poland the Constitutional Court's

ruling virtually Banning abortion has

proved to be the final straw for months

people have been demonstrating in Warsaw

and Beyond

[Music]

the government probably expected a few

thousand here a couple of hundred there

a few days and that's it

but it turned out that these protests

are much bigger if not the bigger since

1989.

to those in power the protests are

nothing but Hysteria

for the Young Generation and Civil

Society they could be a reason for hope

priorities have power they can really

make things happen

and this has worried a lot of dictators

and autocracies all over the world

they've realized civil organized action

can pose a threat to us

they're the Agents of democracy

civil rights activists ngos everyday

citizens their protest symbolizes the

power of Ordinary People the foundation

of Civil Society

foreign

[Music]