COMING TOGETHER
Bringing people together has always been at the core of what CIVICUS does. That’s why we have created spaces where civil society and citizens from all corners of the world can listen, learn, and act in community.
Explore the key moments of this action line by clicking on each year to discover how collective action took shape through convening and connecting.
LATE 1980S - EARLY 1990S
EXPLORING A GLOBAL ALLIANCE
We emerged amid a global wave of citizen action, driven by democratic transitions and the rise of civic movements in various regions.
During these years, the initial consultations and exploration began, sparked by a meeting at the Council on Foundations in Washington, D.C.
1993
OFFICIAL ESTABLISHMENT OF CIVICUS
Our first firm step. An Exploratory Committee laid our foundations in May, culminating in our official creation in Barcelona, Spain, with support from institutions such as Independent Sector in the U.S
1995
FIRST WORLD
ASSEMBLY
Mexico City was the stage for our first major event. We brought together over 500 people from around the world, marking the birth of CIVICUS as a global convening platform.
Here, we defined our initial goals: to influence public policy decisions, connect citizen forces, and strengthen the effectiveness of civil society.
1997
WORLD ASSEMBLY IN BUDAPEST
Our second major event gathered more than 500 participants from 76 countries. We addressed themes such as visibility, resource mobilization, and creating an enabling and sufficient legal environment for civil society to flourish in.
2001
WORLD ASSEMBLY IN VANCOUVER
Centered around “Voluntary Action Shaping Social and Economic Change”, this assembly featured our most prominent youth participation to date through the Youth Engagement Project.
2004
WORLD ASSEMBLY IN GABORONE, BOTSWANA
Held under the theme “Acting Together for a Just World”, this event launched the Affinity Group of National Associations (AGNA), aimed at bringing together national associations to exchange knowledge, share experiences, and promote civil society participation beyond national borders.
It also saw the launch of the Nelson Mandela–Graça Machel Innovation Awards, which became a cornerstone of civic action recognition in subsequent assemblies.
2006
Annualization of the World Assembly
CIVICUS’ Council decided to make the World Assembly an annual event, establishing a three-year cycle in one location (Glasgow, Scotland, from 2006 to 2008). During this series, we introduced the Youth Assembly.
2010
2012
World Assemblies
Series in Montreal,
Canada
These three years culminated in the Montreal Declaration, which presented 15 commitments made by civil society. Their objective was to ensure meaningful progress in addressing the complex challenges of transforming the relationships between citizens, the state, and other power holders.
2014-2016
Launch of Innovation for Change (I4C)
4C emerged in 2016 from the Civil Society Innovation Initiative. Today, it continues to grow as a global network of regional hubs advancing civic innovation through locally led experimentation and collaboration. It remains a key learning space for CIVICUS, embedding co-creation, adaptability, and distributed leadership into its ongoing work.
Inaugural International Civil Society Week (ICSW)
The World Assembly in Johannesburg served as the flagship event for the first ICSW, where we brought together over 50 local and global partners.
2016
International Civil Society Week (Bogotá, Colombia)
Our largest global gathering to date. We brought together 818 participants to discuss how to create positive paths toward lasting, non-violent, social change.
2017
International Civil Society Week (Suva, Fiji)
We focused on environmental justice under the theme “Our Planet. Our Struggles. Our Future.” During this event, we launched a Declaration on Climate-Induced Displacement.
2019
International Civil Society Week (Belgrade, Serbia)
Under the theme “The Power of Togetherness” we connected, debated and co-created solutions for defending civic space and strengthening civil society, ending with a global Call to Action and launch of the Freedom Runner campaign.
2020
The Youth Action Lab
The Youth Action Lab was a year-long co-creation initiative that brought together grassroots youth activists from the Global Majority to strengthen the resilience and sustainability of their movements in pursuit of a more equitable world.
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Remember, this is just one of the ways we keep the world in motion.
Explore the other tracks to discover how we’ve strengthened the power of civil society worldwide.
