The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s recent report “Civil Society and the Coronavirus: Dynamism Despite Disruption” explains that many civil society organizations around the world have adjusted their work so that they can provide their constituencies with emergency relief during this crisis. The report highlights how civil society organizations have the ability to “fill gaps left by governments to provide essential services, spread information about the virus, and protect marginalized groups”, despite the threat of more restrictive laws.

For example, the Senegalese pro-democracy youth movement Y’en a Marre (Fed Up) is now using their platform to provide Senegalese youth vital information about the COVID-19 threat and encourage social distancing. Fadel Barro, one of Y’en a Marre’s founders, said, “The time for protest and mass demonstrations will return, but for now our aim has to be to preserve life.”

To read more about Y’en a Marre’s COVID-19 efforts, click here.

To read the full report from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, click here.