A new agenda for supporting civil society in an authoritarian era: Building resilience, enabling flexibility, and empowering agency

Nic Cheeseman

No wp-2026-117, WIDER Working Paper Series from World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER)

Abstract: This is a pivotal moment for international support to civil society, characterized by falling aid budgets and rising authoritarianism. At the same time, demands by actors in the Global South for new forms of cooperation have provided a very different challenge to established aid practices. Drawing on recent research, evidence from democratic resistance movements, and conversations with donors and civil society leaders across five continents, this essay suggests that aid retrenchment should be treated not only as a crisis, but also as an opportunity to rethink how donors support civil society.

Keywords: Foreign aid; Civil society; Social movement; Donors; Aid effectiveness (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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