The CiviCon civil society conference, dedicated to reimagining civic space through plenaries, discussions, workshops, and networking, was held over two days in Nicosia.
More than 150 participants attended three plenary sessions and ten parallel workshops led by 11 local civil society organizations (CSOs), while 14 CSOs showcased their work and achievements through exhibition stands open to the public.
Organized by Civic Space and funded by the European Union Aid Programme for the Turkish Cypriot community, CiviCon explored how civic actors can reclaim truth, reinvent the commons, reimagine civic space, and strengthen solidarity-based practices amid global challenges such as shrinking civic space, misinformation, and rising illiberal movements.
The conference featured keynote addresses from renowned international experts Craig Calhoun (USA), Professor of Social Sciences at Arizona State University, and Donatella della Porta (Italy), Professor and Founding Dean of the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences at the Scuola Normale Superiore in Florence.
Opening remarks were delivered by Florin Stoleru, Programme Manager of the Cyprus Settlement Support Unit at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, and Evrim Peker, Team Leader at Civic Space.
In its statement, the European Commission reaffirmed the EU’s view of civil society as an indispensable partner in strengthening democracy, ensuring sustainable development, and supporting inclusive policy-making. The Commission also reiterated its commitment to protecting and expanding civic space across Cyprus.
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