Apply Now for the Fully Funded Participation Opportunity to join the International Civic Forum (ICF) 2025
Closing Date: 5 October 2025
Apply Now for the Fully Funded Participation Opportunity to join the International Civic Forum (ICF) 2025
The International Civil Society Centre is excited to announce an open call for nominations for funded participation opportunity at the International Civic Forum 2025, taking place on 5–6 November 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand, alongside International Civil Society Week (ICSW) led by CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation
This year’s ICF theme is:
“Advancing Rights Together: Shaping Strategies in the Face of Aligned Opposition.”
International Civic Forum 2025 will bring together civil society leaders to:
- Address urgent civic space challenges
- Co-create strategies to counter anti-rights pushback
- Strengthen solidarity and collaboration
Overview
The International Civic Forum (ICF) is the International Civil Society Centre’s flagship civic space event. Convened annually, it provides a trusted platform for civil society leaders to address pressing civic space challenges, strengthen connections, and explore opportunities for collaboration.
In 2025, the ICF will take place in Bangkok, Thailand as a 1.5 day in-person workshop on 5 – 6 November,
in conjunction with the International Civil Society Week (ICSW), co-hosted by CIVICUS and Asia Democracy Network. This alignment allows the ICF to draw on the energy and diversity of
the ICSW’s global gathering that will bring civil society together to celebrate citizen action, reimagine democracy, and advance rights and inclusion. ICF 2025 will provide a complementary space
that builds on these debates, leverages synergies, and contributes concrete strategies to global efforts to strengthen democracy and protect civic space.
The ICF 2025 will focus on the theme: “Advancing Rights Together: Shaping Strategies in the Face of Aligned Opposition.” ICF will gather in solidarity and with a collective voice to reclaim narratives and shape joint strategies that strengthen rights-based approaches in these challenging times. The Forum will
equip civil society actors with evidence-based insights, co-created strategies, and stronger solidarity to address pushback from anti-rights actors. It will provide a space to critically assess existing approaches, generate innovative responses, and build momentum for collective action and collaboration.
Participants are strongly encouraged to attend both ICSW and ICF 2025 to maximise learning, exchange, and collaboration across the two events
Co-Creating the Strategic Response: ICF Workshop 2025
The ICF 2025 will be organised as a 1.5-day interactive workshop, prioritising peer learning, collaborative analysis, and collective strategy design. The Forum will bring participants together to:
Engage with the mapping findings: Learn from and discuss findings from the baseline mapping to establish a shared starting point.
Validate and enrich: Collectively assess the relevance and resonance of the findings and expand the
evidence base with lived experience and contextual insights.
Co-create and refine strategies: Develop future-oriented, cross-sectoral strategies that are scalable, inclusive, and adaptable.
Strengthen solidarity and narrative power: Identify how civil society can reclaim narratives and act more
effectively in solidarity.
The workshop sessions will emphasise collective intelligence and practical collaboration. Special focus will be given to identifying strategies that not only respond to current threats but also anticipate emerging risks and opportunities
Who can apply?
International Civil Society Centre welcome applications from colleagues in Global South-based civil society organisations (CSOs) and networks who:
- Hold senior leadership or strategy roles
- Have experience countering anti-rights actors
- Are ready to share insights and apply learnings within their organisations and networks
Funded Participation Opportunity covers:
- Return travel to Bangkok
- Accommodation
- Visa support
- Meals & per diems
- Event participation fees
Key Dates:
Nomination deadline: 5 October 2025
Selection announcement: 10 October 2025
Apply and help shape strategies and strengthen global solidarity. If you want to learn more about the conference? Click here
Click Here To Apply
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