ALENA KOŠÁK FELCMANOVÁ

In the Czech Republic, we have seen an increase in civil society protests and initiatives in recent years, which have also attracted attention in the foreign press. What is perceived on the one hand as a revival of civil society is interpreted on the other as a campaign by people who do not want to accept the results of free elections, and we will look at how this battle for interpretative sovereignty is being fought, what cooperation between the state and civil society organizations looks like and what competing interpretations of the situation there are in the media discourse.

About "What can civil society do": ... a lot! Regardless of whether they are fighting poverty, injustice, environmental protection or human rights: Civil society initiatives have become increasingly important worldwide in recent years. Their goals are as diverse as the conditions under which they operate. What they all have in common is that they see themselves as co-creators of social change and often form a constructively critical counterpart to the state and business. Depending on the context, their work is supported, hindered or even criminalized. This series of events presents examples from Syria, Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. We will ask the actors about the preconditions for their work, their successes and setbacks and how they got to where they are today. We want to discuss this with you and them.