On the 21st and 22nd of October 2024 IDS and Data for Governance Alliance - Africa were honoured to participate in a closed-door workshop to validate the preliminary findings of a study on CSO resilience in East Africa. The Institute was represented by the Director of Research, Prof. Paul Kamau, and D4GA Project Assistant Eunice Karimi.
Prof. Kamau encouraged participating NGOs and CSOs to utilize relevant Afrobarometer data in their work.

Abstract of the workshop: Historically, civil society in Africa, particularly advocacy and accountability CSOs, has faced various forms of harassment, arbitrary detentions, office raids, and verbal attacks from governments. In the East African region, the curtailment of freedoms—association, assembly, and expression—has become a common phenomenon, severely affecting the operational space for CSOs. While CSOs continue to face these challenges, some have developed robust strategies and institutional resilience mechanisms that allow them to continue serving communities and advocating for human rights despite the repression. However, these strategies have not been adequately documented or shared for mutual learning across the region. This study aims to fill this gap, offering an in-depth understanding of CSO resilience in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, where civic space
has been under significant threat.