Supporting independent media and driving social change: The Prague Civil Society Centre
The Prague Civil Society Centre, located in the heart of the city, works with various stakeholders across 18 different countries, helping civic groups and independent journalists grow their audiences and expand their reach, even those in nations under authoritarian rule. I spoke with Director of Partnerships and Communications, George Leech about the work they are doing.
“It became clear that working in the former Soviet Union to support activists, journalists, human rights defenders and change makers was going to become more difficult. So the American, Czech, and Swedish government, and two private organisations got together and thought ‘how can we support these change makers who are doing great things in former Soviet Union countries from abroad?’ So they put a tender together for an organisation that would be able to work outside the region but still work within the region.
“People in Need, a big Czech NGO won the tender to set up the Centre, and they incubated us. So we’re born out of People in Need, and we have been fully independent as the Prague Civil Society Centre since 2017.”
What gaps did you see that existed in the NGO space that you wanted to fill with the Prague Civil Society Centre?
“There’s a few, there are three main pillars in our work. The grant-making element is to get money to people on the ground so people can do their job. What is unique for us as an organisation is that we combine this grant making with capacity building, so identifying where there are gaps in the skills of different groups, then finding relevant experts to fill them. A classic example of this would be that civil society is often really great at focussing on the problem that they are addressing, bur are really bad at communicating to a wider audience about why it is important that they are doing this work, and what their relevance is to wider society.
“Technology is also being used against the sector, freedom of the internet is falling every year, so finding ways to get around censorship is a part of what we do.”
“In repressive environments, this is a really bad position to be in, because when the state is trying to squeeze you out or liquidate you, they will often try and mobilize society around you. So there’s a real need to build legitimacy in your community, so people understand the value of the work of these groups. A big part of the work we did early on was supporting campaigning and communicating, and reaching other parts of society and communities, and also integrating technology into civil society. Technology is also being used against the sector, freedom of the internet is falling every year, so finding ways to get around censorship is a part of what we do. I think we evolve as the needs evolve. What we were doing in 2017 and 2018 is very different now to what we’re doing post full-scale invasion of Ukraine.”
How do you define civil society and what does it mean within the context of your NGO?
“We deliberately don’t have a strict definition of civil society, but we rather focus on the change makers in the region. So whoever is doing something that is relevant and needed right now. Of course we support human rights defenders, independent journalists, lawyer groups, the kind of key civic infrastructures needed in the region. But really, we work with whoever is making a positive difference in their country, and hopefully give them the tools they need so they can succeed.”
Are there any stories that have really stuck out to you as an example of the power of what the NGO can do?
“I think there are two strands that stand out to me. On one hand we are an organisation that lives on crisis. When there is a war or repression, we are there to support the activists and the media to adapt and support or relocate so they can continue doing their work. I’m always amazed by the resilience of these people who have relocated and set up somewhere else while maybe even continuing to grow their audiences in times of crisis. Some of the investigative media from this part of the world is doing incredible work.
“Then there are also the moments of opportunity that are a little more positive where we can see the value of our work. In 2018 there was a revolution in Armenia that no one really saw coming, but it really altered the course of the country in a more democratic direction. Unfortunately this is faltering now. But we saw the role that independent media and journalists played in smaller outlets, their audience just exploded, and we were able to support the sector as it become an established media area. Now the media in Armenia does incredible work, even as conditions begin to worsen. Being that organisation that can provide support needed when the oppression comes, and when there is space opening to do something more positive, we can help people in those situations.”
What about the other countries that you are working in?
“It’s 18 countries now, we are working in Central Europe, and over this last year we have launched a Central European media support program, with a particular focus on Poland and Hungary, with the worsening situation there, especially in Hungary. We just felt the situation required it. We can see the trend of democratic backsliding in Hungary. In Poland the election in October is going to be critical for the direction of the country. So again, independent media needs support, and with our experience working in these environments, and also being here based in Prague, it was time to move into Central Europe, and it’s an area we’re looking to grow in the future.”
There are also parts of Central Asia you’re working in, what is the situation like in these places?
“Central Asia has always been part of our mandate, the 12 countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union. We’ve long had programming in Kyrgyzstan, which has traditionally been one of the more open countries in this region. But again, there has been some democratic backsliding. Our core focusses in this region are about investigative media, civil society, but also looking into opportunities for integrating business into the work of civil society: social business and entrepreneurship, and in Kyrgyzstan this is going in a very exciting direction. ”
It sounds like you’re able to work with many different stakeholders in your work; like journalists, activists and business owners?
“I actually think some of the investigative journalists could teach their Western counterparts how to work when the state is after you.”
“I think it’s all about finding what works and what can work, and not falling into the trap of defining things in strict sectors. One of the things we really try to do is build on the expertise that already exists in the regions. We’re not bringing in ‘Western’ experts to give lectures on how to do things in this part of the world. I actually think some of the investigative journalists could teach their Western counterparts how to work when the state is after you. We also find businesses and design agencies who want to do something for the social good, and bring their skills and fuse them with their know how, but really they do it from the region and for the region.”
How do you balance the values that your organisation promotes without being overly Western-centric?
“I think being based in Prague is a big advantage for us in terms of legitimacy. Czechoslovakia and Czech Republic was part of the communist bloc, even though they had their revolution in 1989, they know what it’s like when the Russian tanks come through like in 1968.”
“The Prague Civil Society Centre is of course aligned with the idea of rule of law and democratic values, those are the core pillars that broadly align with what we call the West. I think being based in Prague is a big advantage for us in terms of legitimacy. Czechoslovakia and Czech Republic was part of the communist bloc, even though they had their revolution in 1989, they know what it’s like when the Russian tanks come through like in 1968. There is a real legitimacy that comes from being based in Prague, a lot of our staff are Czech but also from the regions we work in. I’m one of the few people in the office from the West side of Europe. I think our understanding of the region, the needs of the country, our network of civil society, the staff we have that draw on their knowledge makes The Prague Civil Society Centre skilled at balancing the West and the East, for as much as that cliché exists.”
When it comes to the war in Ukraine, has the work you’ve been doing been exacerbated by the conflict?
“Through our events we would always have a lot of Ukrainian participants. Ukraine would often be an example for other countries in the region to see how reforms have been implemented in practice, a lot of good work on anti-corruption was happening in Ukraine. We had a huge and broad network in Ukraine even though we didn’t have the grant program.
“When the invasion happened, we wanted to support the people we already knew and respond to their needs. That kick-started an immediate fundraising drive for Ukraine. Since then we’ve ordered over 4 million euros to independent media and civil society in the country, we’re one of the largest Czech organisations when it comes to direct financial support to these groups in the country, and the Ukraine program has become an established part of what we do.”
