Due to the aftermath of the economic crisis and the rise of the protest movement, concerns over freedom of association and protecting civic space have become major concerns when striving for a pluralistic society. To address these issues, a Legal Action Worldwide (LAW) supported project entitled Protecting Civic Space was proposed. This initiative assists the public, with an emphasis on the vulnerable strata, to be empowered to understand their right to freedom of association, freedom of assembly, and privacy protection.
Funded by the Department of Religion and Labour (DRL), this 48 month programme ending September 2025 partners with civil society organisations to assist in delivering its main objectives to 12 districts (Anuradhapura, Batticaloa, Badulla, Jaffna, Kaluthara, Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matara, Monaragala, Polonnaruwa, and Ratnapura) comprised of 288 organic formations. These formations will be provided capacitation on how to effectively utilise civic space to campaign for policy reform and advocacy of on going issues.
The targeted individuals will benefit from informative campaigns on the rights to freedom of assembly and association, educational campaigns and training materials on the right to free assembly, and training schedules directed to a minimum of 60 master trainers who lead local educational workshops. To increase inclusivity and reach of the initiative, workshops will be conducted in 2 Tamil speaking Provinces which will be attended by at least 900 participants. Additionally, qualitative research on community-level citizenship facilitated through focus group discussions expert interviews, and case studies identify existing gaps in knowledge and skills among members in organic formations that prevent effective engagement amongst and between formations in the civic space.