CiviCon: Towards a Critical Reconceptualisation of Civic Space
Deadline to apply: 31 August 2025
About the Event
CiviCon is a civil society event, organised by the Civic Space Technical Assistance Project funded by the EU Aid Programme for the Turkish Cypriot community, taking place in Nicosia on 31 October and 1 November 2025.
CiviCon aims to explore how we can reimagine the commons and strengthen solidarity-based civic practices in an era marked by shrinking civic space, the erosion of truth, and the rise of illiberal movements.
Reimagining Civic Space: CiviCon’s Vision and Purpose
The rise of authoritarianism, post-truth politics, polarisation, and democratic backsliding on a global scale is significantly transforming the function and space of civil society. As conventional civil society frameworks struggle to respond to these layered crises, new forms of collective solidarity, practices of commoning, and truth-based resistance strategies are emerging. This transformation challenges not only the modes of action but also the very definition of what civil society means today.
By bringing together participants from different areas, CiviCon seeks to build bridges between different forms of knowledge and to generate new concepts and strategies for resistance, reconstruction, and “living together”.
CiviCon seeks to create a dialogic and participatory space to redefine and understand the commons of civil society and civic space as sites of both resilience and resistance, whilst fostering translocal networks of solidarity.
Open Call for Contributors
We invite civil society actors, academics, activists, practitioners, and students from diverse backgrounds to contribute to CiviCon 2025 in various formats, including but not limited to:
- Panel discussions
- Lectures
- Open spaces
- Workshops
- Networking opportunities
- Readings followed by discussions
All contributions must:
- Focus on one of the three thematic focal areas
- Include intercommunal, transnational, and/or transregional perspectives
- Use interactive, innovative, and/or creative methods
- Be delivered in English or Turkish
We will prioritise contributions from Cyprus and those embracing a non-formal approach. We’re also committed to ensuring diversity across regions, genders, and age groups.
What Are the Focal Areas?
CiviCon will concentrate on three thematic focal areas:
- Commoning: Redefining the Commons of Civil Society and Civic Space
- Reclaiming “Truth” as an Indispensable Common: in the age of “Post-Truth”, “Poly-Truth”, “Fugitive Truth”
- Democratic Backsliding, Illiberal Movements and Resistance Alternatives
Each thematic area is accompanied by guiding questions, which you can find here in the full call document
What Are We Offering?
- Participation in the entire event (if desired)
- Transportation within Cyprus (if relevant)
- A networking platform and opportunity to develop new ideas/actions with other speakers and participants
How Can You Apply?
Please complete the form below to submit your workshop proposal.
We encourage proposals for highly interactive and participatory workshops.
Application Deadline: 31 August 2025, 18:00 (EEST – Nicosia)
Questions?
Please reach out to us at civicon@civicspace.eu
+90 533 833 7950 | +90 392 227 6505
