Silence
Silence can sometimes say more than a thousand words. When colleagues from our partner organisations tell us their stories,* our reaction is often silence; a dejected silence.
What can you say to the courageous human rights lawyer who has fled her home country in Central America, a country that is not officially at war, but where she is threatened because she voices her criticisms of the government?
Are there any words of comfort for the man from a Central African country now that the training centre for sustainable forest management that he set up with great passion and hard work has been taken over by rebels?
What do you say to the South American who left his family behind in his village and now has to request asylum in the Netherlands because he defended the rights of his community?
Are there words that can comfort the indigenous woman from South-East Asia whose husband and brothers were recently shot dead because they defended their indigenous land rights, opposing the interests of a mining company?
There are none.
That is why, today, we are silent. As a protest against the powers and forces that are restricting our universal freedoms worldwide and are silencing us and our partners. And in solidarity with activists, environmental protectors and human rights defenders who actively protect their and our rights and who – increasingly often – pay for it with their lives.
In the coming days, we ask attention for these brave people. Because they refuse to give up. No matter how difficult the circumstances are, they keep on fighting for freedom of expression, human rights, women's rights, land rights, preservation of biodiversity and a sustainable future for their children.
This campaign is part of SPEAK!, an international campaign by CIVICUS. For more information, see www.togetherwespeak.org
*The examples given here are anonymous so as not to endanger the persons involved.
Read more about this subject
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Blog / 25 November 2024The Need for Civic Space in Global Policymaking
and Kyra Pohlan
In today’s interconnected world, international forums play a pivotal role in shaping policies and strategies that impact communities and the environment worldwide. These gatherings, whether they focus on climate change, water resources, or biodiversity, are critical venues where decisions are made that affect the lives of billions of people and species. However, for these decisions to be truly inclusive and effective, they must be informed by the voices of those most affected by climate change and environmental degradation.
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Blog / 20 September 2016The counterpower has to be smarter than its opponents
The counterpower does not accept 'business as usual' because it is not fair. The race after the big money is not leading to happiness for everyone, and is usually not good for, for example, the environment or women.
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Blog / 23 September 2016Counterpower has to find its own weapons to fight the main power
Guest blog by Debora Calheiros, Brazil
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Publication / 10 July 2019
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Publication / 25 November 2024
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News / 21 September 2017Civil society is being silenced
September 22nd websites of civil society organisations and NGO's all over the world will go black, in protest and solidarity. Protest against the shrinking space for civilians and organisations to speak out, unite and protest peacefully.
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Letter / 9 December 2024
People and the Planet Entebbe Declaration: Reclaiming investment frameworks for people and the planet
The time for change is now. Civil society demands international investment
frameworks that are aligned with economic justice, social and environmental
sustainability, and the needs of communities worldwide. -
News / 26 November 2024The Time to Rethink Investment Rules: Amplifying Civil Society Voices
At the core of the Fair, Green, and Global (FGG) Alliance’s mission is the commitment to building a just and sustainable world. As members of this alliance, Both ENDS, SOMO, and the Transnational Institute (TNI) recognise the urgent need to reimagine global investment frameworks. These frameworks, entrenched in outdated treaties such as Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) and the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT), often prioritise corporate profits over human rights, environmental sustainability, and social justice.
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Blog / 18 November 2024The global rise of authoritarian regimes demands global strategies
The global funding landscape for civil society movements is changing, and is increasingly faced with policies that restrict funding streams, limit philanthropic work, and silence critical voices. These are not incidental shifts but part of a broader pattern that erodes the support for those international networks and movements under the guise ‘necessary financial cuts’, ‘aid reform’ or ‘efficiency’.
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External link / 21 September 2016
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Blog / 13 September 2016
Global counter-power is increasing
To me, our partner organisations are a significant counterpower. Both ENDS supports them to raise their voices in policy discussions. This way I also see myself as a 'counterpower' against the current economic system.
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Press release / 11 November 2024Both ENDS's response to government letter on future cooperation with civil society organisations
DEN HAAG, 11 November 2024 - Today, the Dutch government published its policy on future cooperation with development organisations, both in the Netherlands and abroad. PVV minister Reinette Klever is putting the axe to this funding: she has decided to cut the budget for aid to international civil society by more than two-thirds: from roughly €1.4 billion to €0.4 billion in the period 2026 to 2030. This has major implications for critical voices at home and abroad, at a time when civic space for organisations around the world is already shrinking. Karin van Boxtel, director of environmental and human rights organisation Both ENDS: ‘This is an unprecedented step in exactly the wrong direction. Civil society organisations are essential for sustainable and social change worldwide. International movements fulfil multiple, indispensable roles: as a watchdog of the rule of law, as a driver of change, and as a counterforce against authoritarian tendencies. The weakening of support for these roles is a telling signal.’
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Dossier /Global Alliance for Green and Gender Action (GAGGA)
GAGGA rallies the collective power of the women's rights and environmental justice movements to realize a world where women can and do access their rights to water, food security, and a clean, healthy and safe environment.
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News / 2 July 2025 -
Dossier /Dare to Trust: the power of unconditional funding
At Both ENDS we cherish our long-term relationships with partners in our global network. These relationships are based on equality and built on trust. The trust we have in each other has developed from years of strategic cooperation, including joint advocacy around common agendas, knowledge sharing, networking, and mobilising and sharing resources to advance environmental justice.
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Publication / 1 April 2025
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News / 21 February 2025Cabinet turns its back on international cooperation and solidarity with callous policy letter
Foreign Trade and Development Minister Klever's published policy letter is coldhearted and callous. It places the Netherlands in international isolation and abandons the most vulnerable people worldwide, including many women, farmers, indigenous peoples and youth.
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Press release / 12 December 2024Website names companies excluded by global investors and banks
The Hague/San Francisco, Dec 12, 2024 - The updated version of the Financial Exclusions Tracker is released today: financialexclusionstracker.org. The website tracks which companies are being excluded by institutional investors, pension funds and banks due to human rights, public health and sustainability issues. The most common reasons for exclusion are links to fossil fuels, weapons or tobacco.
The Financial Exclusions Tracker is an initiative from an international coalition of NGOs striving for more transparency and information disclosure.
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News / 25 November 2024Empowering Civil Society: Shaping investment policies for climate and sustainable development in Africa
From 26-29 November 2024, Both ENDS and its partners will host the Civil Society Forum on Investment Policies, Climate and Sustainable Development Goals in Entebbe, Uganda. Our colleagues Iván and Fernando explain the importance of this event: “Through this event, we aim to provide an in-depth perspective on the impact of current investment policies on climate and environmental issues, with a strong focus on the African continent.”
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External link / 24 August 2022Supporting civil society to work freely and safely (Annual Report 2021)
Both ENDS aims to ensure that civil society can work freely and safely to influence decision-making related to ecosystems, environmental justice and human rights. In many places around the world, the space for civil society organisations to operate is shrinking. Repression, harassment and violence against environmental human rights defenders – our partners among them – is on the rise.
