Diffusion of Civil Society Restrictions and Local (Counter-)Action. The Cases of NGO Legislation in Georgia and Kyrgyzstan

• In Event: Transnational Movements in Shrinking Spaces for Civic Society: Ideas, Resources, People

Abstract

The debate on the „shrinking civic space” refers to a global phenomenon of increasing political constraints that civil society organizations have been facing worldwide (Carothers and Brechenmacher, 2014; Glasius et al. 2020; Roggeband and Krizsán, 2021). The phenomenon includes “all threats and restrictions for civil society actors that limit access, resources and space of maneuver (Carothers and Brechenmacher, 2014). It is important to not that restrictive government policies do not affect all civil society organizations to the same extent. It is rather that governments restrict potentially critical organizations while encouraging the activity of others that are perceived as useful. Roggeband and Krizsán (2021) therefore speak about a “dual process of selective in- and exclusion of civil society organizations.” Even in authoritarian settings, the approach towards civil society is often inconsistent which gives organizations on the ground the opportunity to negotiate and create space for themselves.
Although there is sufficient evidence of a global diffusion of restrictive and repressive policies against civil society (Glasius et al. 2020), we still know little about local effects and responses to these restrictions. This explorative paper focuses attention on the post-Soviet space and discusses two cases of successful/unsuccessful diffusion of civil society restrictions. The first case deals with the Republic of Georgia in the South Caucasus where the introduction of a Russian-modelled “Foreign Agent” law was abandoned after public unrest and criticism by international organizations in May 2023 (Kirby, 2023). The second case concerns the Kyrgyz Republic in Central Asia where a similar restrictive NGO law has been adopted by the Kyrgyz Parliament in the first reading in October 2023 (Tokoeva, 2023). The new Kyrgyz “Foreign Agent” law is modelled after the Russian example and introduces the term of so-called “foreign representatives” for non-governmental organizations “that receive money from other states and attempt to influence political activity and public opinion in the interests of foreign sources” (Tokoeva, 2023). According to Kyrgyz human rights experts, the law will significantly complicate the work of civil society organizations in Kyrgyzstan.
The proposed paper contrasts the two cases of Georgia and Kyrgyzstan and aims to explain, why diffusion of civil society restrictions occurred in one case and not in the other. The paper takes a closer look on the process of norm diffusion and addresses the following research questions: Which political and societal actors spoke out in favor or against the introduction of a new NGO law in Georgia respectively Kyrgyzstan? Which arguments were put forward in favor and against the laws? Which factors explain the withdrawal of the law in the case of Georgia and the adoption of the similar new law in the case of Kyrgyzstan?
The analysis is based on document analysis and interviews with key experts in the two country cases. By taking a closer look on the process of diffusion and identifying explaining factors for adoption and non-adoption, the paper contributes to the broader debate on illiberal norm diffusion and the global shrinking space for civil society.

References
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Author

• Ulla Pape, University of Greifswald