Spaces For Empowerment Are The Civil Society - amazonia.fiocruz.br

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Spaces For Empowerment Are The Civil Society Video

The COVID pandemic has not only had global health, economic and social impacts, it has also impacted on civic space. In the first of two articles Oxfam in Timor-Leste, looks at the impact of government and civil society responses. To understand this impact Oxfam commissioned a researcher to speak with civil society and government actors whose voices are highlighted in this article.

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This article focuses on the first three months of the State of Emergency March to June when restrictions on movement, gathering and border entry were most severe in Timor-Leste. Civic space consists of the structures, institutions and enabling conditions that allow people to organise, act and speak up. A global trend of shrinking civic space has led to opportunities and the environment for people, organisations and the systems that support them to come together and take action, be reduced or restricted. The scale and reach of the crisis demands measures to protect public health and stop the spread of the virus.

However, measures to stop the pandemic must be balanced by protections to Empowement human rights. In some countries, such as Myanmar, COVID has been utilised as an opportunity to crack down on democratic freedoms.

Timor-Leste has been bucking the global trend of contracting civic space, maintaining relative open civic space since independence and has consistently rated ahead of other South-East Asia countries in the Democracy Index. An independence struggle won on human rights grounds mean human rights and freedom of speech are still at the core of national identity. Regular engagement between civil society and government and formal mechanisms for civil society and public engagement with government exist, although limited, and equality, rights to congregate and free speech are in general upheld.

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These highlight that current open civic space in Timor-Leste Civjl not be taken for granted. The collapse of the governing coalition and the inability to pass the state budget in early meant the COVID crisis hit Timor-Leste at a time of political instability and uncertainty.

Within this environment it is remarkable that swift measures to control the spread of COVID were taken by government and have been successful. Because I think https://amazonia.fiocruz.br/scdp/essay/essay-writing-format-cbse-class-12/how-new-zealand-wine-as-a-catalyst.php State made the right decision.

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At the time of writing, only 67 cases, no deaths and no cases of community transmission have been reported in Timor-Leste. This new government has led to relative political stability since. With no COVID community transmission, the State of Emergency currently only restricts border entry and requires mandatory quarantine for people entering the country but does not limit domestic movement or gathering. This has been further exacerbated by a long period of government only semi-functioning on a duo decimal system.

There is now a fear that growing COVID transmission across the border in Indonesian West Timor may increase the liklihood of the pandemic coming across the border, even with tight border restrictions. Civil society representatives indicated they were disappointed that there was no consultation with civil society about the State of Emergency rules and regulations or government response measures when initially developed. But it was also understood by many that the COVID crisis was an unusual situation where quick action was needed which limited opportunities for consultation. Further space for consultation was dampened by the political impasse at the time. The subsequent success of COVID measures in stopping the spread of the virus have arguably demonstrated that the restrictions imposed were necessary and justified.

The disadvantage will be read article it will protect leaders and not protect the people.

This took civil society actors by surprise and was widely criticised by well-known national figures, international bodies, civil society actors and journalists for to its vague and subjective nature. This had the potential to compromise the right to Civip speech, and presented serious obstacles to journalists and whistle-blowers wishing, for example, to expose corruption. A coalition of actors came together to advocate on the matter.]