INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR CIVIL SOCIETY LAW
 USING LAW TO EMPOWER CITIZENS






For more information on announcements, click on Announcements.

The February 2012 issue of the IJCSL Journal is now available online.

The May 2012 issue of the IJCSL-N Newsletter is now available online.



 

PROMOTING AN ENABLING LEGAL ENVIRONMENT FOR CIVIL SOCIETY AND CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IN COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD

Legal professionals and social entrepreneurs Leon Irish and Karla Simon began work on comparative civil society law (CSL) in the early 1990's when there was no CSL field in existence. At the urging of several funders and the Council on Foundations legal and international staff, they then founded the first organization to address the legal issues confronting civil society internationally and with consistency - the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) in 1992 (www.icnl.org). Each served as President of ICNL during its first successful decade, during which the organization grew from a small 4 person office into a much larger one. With the nurture of its founders, ICNL was by 2002 working on projects in over 60 countries through several branch offices in addition to its home base in Washington. Lee and Karla left the growing organization to found ICCSL in 2003. This has enabled them concentrate on other academic pursuits, including more teaching and writing and to address smaller projects that are consistent with their current life objectives.

Today ICCSL is a unique international organization. Because its principals have been active in the field since its inception, ICCSL is an unparalleled legal resource for global civil society. It seeks to protect human freedoms by improving the laws that affect the freedoms of belief, expression, association, assembly, information, and participation. It operates both on its own and through its affiliates (the African Centre for Civil Society Law and the Asian-Pacific Centre for Civil Society Law) with various partners, such as universities, associations of civil society organizations, individuals, governments, and individual CSOs and foundations. ICCSL activities currently focus on China and include a variety of different projects.

ICCSL pursues its mission through four separate but inter-related programs: the quarterly International Journal of Civil Society Law and its related monthly Newsletter; other research and publications; technical assistance; and education and professional development.

ICCSL's publications are free online or through email subscription. Donations to help defray costs of production are gratefully accepted. ICCSL is a 501 (c) (3) public charity, and donations are tax deductible within the limits of U.S. law. For information on how to make donations, please contact Prof. Simon at simon.karla@gmail.com.
 
Highlights:
 
May 2012
 
Conference on Modes of Activism and Engagement in the Chinese Public Sphere



Catholic University law school Professor Karla Simon was among the featured speakers at "Conference on Modes of Activism and Engagement in the Chinese Public Sphere," organized by the Asia Research Institute and held at National University of Singapore on April 26 and 27. Simon's paper, titled "CSOs Pursuing a Reform Agenda in China," examined ways in which civil society organizations engage with the Chinese party-state to accomplish rights-based reform agendas.Photos from the conference were posted in early May to this link. http://www.ari.nus.edu.sg/docs/Webphoto/Mode%20of%20Activism/album/index.html.
 
April 2012
 
UNDP/EU GED Project Evaluation Meeting

ICCSL staff attended a briefing for the UNDP/EU GED project by Tsinghua University professor He Jianyu at UNDP headquarters in Beijing on April 23. They also met with former ICNL colleague Mark Segal, a member of the EU evaluation team for the project, presenting ICCSL with a wonderful chance to work together with Mark again. Additional photos can be found in our photo gallery.
 

Karla Simon updates her blog on philanthropy and civil society in China

The April post is available on the Latest from Alliance website at http://philanthropynews.alliancemagazine.org/government-downsizing-and-direct-registration-of-social-organizations-in-china/.
Previous posts to the blog can be found at http://www.iccsl.org/blog/
 
ICCSL staff meeting in New York

ICCSL staff meeting in New York with visiting delegation of Ministry of Civil Affairs staff led by Vice Director of NPO Management Bureau Liu Zhenguo.
Additional photos can be found in our photo gallery.
 
March 2012
 

Karla Simon's talk at U.S.-Asia Law Institute at NYU Law March 6, 2012
 

 More photos can be found in our
 photo gallery.

Karla Simon presented a talk at NYU Law School on March 6 titled "2011 - The Remarkable Year for Civil Society." It is based on Chapter 7 of her book Reinvigorating Civil Society in China - A Socio-Legal Analysis (forthcoming 2012 Oxford University Press).

The PowerPoint presentation is available at http://www.iccsl.org/pubs/NYU_Talk_March_6.pptx
 
 
 
 

Listserv for people interested in civil society in China - Instructions for joining

Professor Karla Simon is managing a listserv for people interested in civil society in China, hosted by CUA Law School. It has over 500 subscribers, including legal academics, academics in other disciplines, practitioners, and journalists. They live in many parts of the world, including China. Conversations so far have been quite robust and have helped to contribute to the scholarship and knowledge of list members. The subscription information is as follows:

 
 
 
What our partners are saying:
 

From Mary Page, Director, Human Rights and International Justice at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation:

It is the people who make organizations what they are, and it’s clear that your and Dr. Irish's early energy and commitment - as well as the vision behind those early hiring decisions, have been fundamental to ICNL's growth and achievements.

Former World Bank NGO staffer and ICNL board member:

I really think you should feel pride for the important journey that you started by creating [ICNL]. The creation of the UN Special Rapporteur position is a testament to the fact that this is an issue whose time has now come, and you had the vision to see this before anyone else.

From a former private foundation executive who uses the Newsletter to catch up on developments:

The IJCSL Newsletter is a unique and wonderful resource for those of us who are interested in civil society.

From an American civil society activist:

I have been thinking about how amazingly helpful, excellent, and prolific ICCSL’s work is, and I am so grateful personally for all you have done over the years and for your persistence in changing how the world thinks about NGO regulation.

From a Civil Society Activist in Uganda:

It wasn't until I came on this AKF Study Tour with members of the Government that I even knew there was anyone there with a true interest in civil society.

From an NGO activist in Mongolia:

Thanks for care about the tax law; your comments were very helpful for us.

From a Japanese civil society researcher and activist:

Thanks again for helping to reform Japanese legal system for not-for-profit organizations. I am sure you and Lee played very important roles. In the quite near future, I would like to trace your roles for the Japanese reform.

From a Chinese law professor and researcher:

Your paper is really insightful. Actually you raised your proposals and proved them from an insider’s point of view, which is different from most western scholars. You are trying to be helpful during China’s policy-making, rather just help western people to understand China.

From a South African civil society activist:

Thanks to ICCSL for a really strong and in-depth report. Our Board will be impressed by the solid work you have done.

From USAID:

"The most successful" academic legal education in civil society law in Central and Eastern Europe is the "NPO law course" taught at Central European University by Profs Leon Irish and Karla Simon. USAID evaluation, 11 April 2006.


Washington, DC +1.202.319.5451 +1.202.319.4459 (fax)
New York, NY +1.212.877.3479
Cape Town South Africa 27.21.438.8205 (phone and fax)
iccslinfo@iccsl.org
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For more information on news items, click on ICCSL News.

May 2012

Vietnam

Government Releases New Regulations on Associations and on Social and Chritable Funds

The Vietnamese government released new regulations on social and charitable funds in early May. These replace rules from 2007. New regulations on associations were also issued; these amend and supplement the framework regulations for associations issued in 2010.

China

Front page story on NPOs and philanthropy in China in China Daily for May 12 available at http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/weekly/2012-05/11/content_15269496.htm.

April 2012

Australia

Extension of Unrelated Commercial Activities Provisions of Budget Announced

After extensive consultation with the not-for-profit (NFP) sector, the Australian Government has announced that it will extend the start date for the 2011-12 Budget measure to better target NFP tax concessions from 1 July 2011 to 1 July 2012.

Canada

Carters Reports on Charity Changes in 2012 Budget

On March 29, 2012, the Federal Government introduced the 2012 Federal Budget ("Budget 2012"). The Budget can be viewed online at: http://www.budget.gc.ca/2012/plan/toc-tdm-eng.html.

China

New "Normative Rules" on Foundations

New "Normative Rules" on Foundations Issued by Ministry of Civil Affairs (for public comment) MCA issued new normative rules on April 25, which are meant to supplement existing donation disclosure rules issued in December 2011. They deal with issues of transparency and accountability and envision new reporting procedures for public fund-raising foundations.

Egypt

New Draft Law on NGOs Draws Intense Criticism

A number of human rights organizations have declared their utter rejection of a new draft law on non-governmental organizations (NGOs), prepared by the Ministry of Insurance and Social Affairs and that aims to nationalize civil society. Under this law civil society would be considered an institution of the government, and NGO staff would be regarded as civil servants. Furthermore, the new law would impose several new arbitrary restrictions aiming to terrorize civil society activists.

Global

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay expressed deep concern about current or recent moves in a number of countries to curtail the freedom of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other civil society actors to operate independently and effectively. She specifically mentioned legislation in Egypt, Cambodia, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Venezuela, Israel, and Algeria as being problematic.

Global

CIVICUS Releases State of Civil Society 2011 Report

Civil society faces a generational opportunity to prove its value as a source of alternatives at a time of profound global crisis. This is the headline conclusion of the inaugural report on the state of civil society from global civil society network CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation.

Myanmar

U.S. Eases Sanctions to Allow Nonprofits to Work in Myanmar

The United States has eased financial sanctions on Myanmar to enable U.S.-based groups to do charitable work in the impoverished country, the Associated Press reports. The first in a series of concessions offered to Myanmar in response to the country holding by-elections this month that were swept by the party established by Nobel Peace Prize-winner Aung San Suu Kyi, the move is intended to support development and humanitarian assistance work in the Southeast Asian country.

UAE

Two Democracy Promotion NGOs Shut Down

Two nongovernmental organizations that worked primarily on promoting democracy abroad were shuttered by the government of the United Arab Emirates at the end of April. According to the report by CNN, the Dubai office of U.S.-based National Democratic Institute was shut down on March 27, followed by the closure of the Abu Dhabi office of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, an organization based in Germany, the next day.