Skip to main content
In Kenya, the fight for the rights to Yala swamp was hard-won when a large company took lease over the land on which a community had lived for generations.

Political space

The unequal and unjust power relations that lead to poverty are perpetuated by large corporations and globalisation, while governments pursue power and wealth, leading to systematic corruption and sabotage of institutions. These failures of governance impede people’s opportunities to fulfil their rights, and to rise out of poverty: this particularly affects the most vulnerable.

Democratic governance was designed to respond to these issues, but in many countries democratic institutions have lost value and legitimacy. This could be due to informal power structures – based on factors like class, religion, or history – remaining stronger than the formal structures. In some countries, corporations control political processes, including the media, with serious implications for the legitimacy and freedom of democracy.

Within this challenging context, we find hope in the struggles of social movements and civil society. The agenda and actions of social movements, civil society and their emerging platforms represent an emerging force to build citizenship and rebalance power. These spaces of freedom and democracy can begin to counter the centralisation of wealth, knowledge and power. From local to global levels, these movements have tremendous potential to transform democracy and build fairer governance.

Latest

ActionAid Logo
News

ActionAid Brazil condemns attacks in Brasilia this weekend

Read more
ActionAid stands with the people of Ukraine
News

ActionAid stands with the people of Ukraine

Read more
Residents of Kathmandu wait, socially distanced, at a food distribution, April 2020
Publication

The Impact of Covid-19 Measures on Civil and Political Rights in Nine Countries

Read more
Zambia election
News

Zambia’s election: Covid-19 guidelines must not be used to restrict monitors’ access to polling stations

Read more
ActionAid staff and activists attend the Global Climate Strike in New York City, September 2019
Publication

Democratising global governance and multilateralism

Read more
Young people in Sudan talking about their experience in practicing democracy and their role in the political transition at the Youth Open Dialogue
Publication

Believe in Better working paper

Read more
ActionAid Logo
News

ActionAid Brazil condemns attacks in Brasilia this weekend

Read more
ActionAid stands with the people of Ukraine
News

ActionAid stands with the people of Ukraine

Read more
Zambia election
News

Zambia’s election: Covid-19 guidelines must not be used to restrict monitors’ access to polling stations

Read more
President of the United States Donald Trump speaking at a conference
News

ActionAid USA's response to Trump's statement on cutting WHO funding

Read more
A photo of people demonstrating at the Sandton Shutdown
News

Calls for greater action from the South African government following rise in violence against women and xenophobic attacks

Read more
News

We denounce the criminalisation of human rights defenders and require guarantees for Claudia Samayoa and Jorge Martínez

Read more
Margarita represents the case of communities affected by the contamination of La Pasión River in Guatemala.
Opinion

Time for a complete U-turn on natural resource management

Read more
Opinion

Our civic space is shrinking. Here's how we've responded — and you can, too

Read more
The photo shows members of the Apaa community on an open-top bus
Story

Celebrating the power of human rights defenders

Read more
A protester in Zambia calling out corruption
Story

The #42for42 fire trucks protest

Read more
James Mzungu shows a copy of the Title Deed acquired by Mbulia Group Ranch in 2006, more than 20 year after he had been living there.
Story

Conservation or land grabbing? The case of Mbulia Group Ranch

Read more
The Apaa community triumphantly ends the month-long occupation
Story

Never Give Up: the struggle for a birthright

Read more
Preparing the banana crop for sale, that the community depends on
Story

The threat to the community of Vhimba

Read more
Zandile, an LGBTI activist from South Africa
Story

The Rainbow Activists

Read more
Residents of Kathmandu wait, socially distanced, at a food distribution, April 2020
Publication

The Impact of Covid-19 Measures on Civil and Political Rights in Nine Countries

Read more
ActionAid staff and activists attend the Global Climate Strike in New York City, September 2019
Publication

Democratising global governance and multilateralism

Read more
Young people in Sudan talking about their experience in practicing democracy and their role in the political transition at the Youth Open Dialogue
Publication

Believe in Better working paper

Read more
Shrinking space in Zambia cover
Publication

Shrinking space in Zambia

Read more
attacks_on_civil_and_democratic_space_online-1.png
Publication

Attacks on Civic and Democratic Space

Read more