INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR CIVIL SOCIETY LAW
 USING LAW TO EMPOWER CITIZENS






For more information on announcements, click on Announcements.

The April 2009 issue of the IJCSL Journal is now available online.

The June 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

Formed in 2003 by legal professionals and social entrepreneurs Leon Irish and Karla Simon, ICCSL is a unique international organization. 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. Because its principals have been active in the field since its inception, ICCSL is an unparalleled legal resource for global civil society.

ICCSL pursues its mission through four separate but inter-related programs: The International Journal of Civil Society Law; 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 consult our contact information.

 
Highlights:
 
June 2009
 

China Visit June 2009
Prof. Lester Salamon of the Center on Civil Society of Johns Hopkins University joined Prof. Karla Simon of the Columbus School of Law of the Catholic University of America and Dr. Leon Irish, President of ICCSL, in a visit to China in early June. The principal purpose was to have a seminar at the World Bank's Beijing office to discuss the draft report "Outsourcing Social Services to CSOs: Lessons from Abroad," which was prepared for the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Click here for more details and photos from the 2009 China visit.

 
 
March 2009
 

Prof. Karla W. Simon has published the lead article in the Stein Center/Leitner Center Colloquim papers published in the February 2009 issue of the Fordham International Law Journal. Her article, titled "Regulation of Civil Society in China: Necessary Changes after the Olympic Games and the Sichuan Earthquake" will also appear in the April issue of IJCSL.

 
 
What our partners are saying:
 

From an IJCSL-N subscriber:

I love reading the IJCSL newsletter. I am assuming that the first article in the April 09 Newsletter is an April Fools joke! (Editor: actually, it is unfortunately true that Ontario is limiting citizen participation.)

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.


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For more information on news items, click on ICCSL News.

June 2009

Canada

New Not-for-Profit Corporations Act Passed

On 22 June 2009, the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce made its Third Report back to the Senate and recommended no amendments to Bill C-4, the new Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act.

Russia

Duma Passes New NGO Law

According to BarantsObserver.com, just a week after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev introduced the re-written law on Russian non-governmental organizations, the law passed the State Duma in the first reading. BarentsObserver.com wrote last week that the re-written text to the law could make fewer hurdles for Russian NGOs.

United States

ACLU Report Details Undermining of Muslim Charities Since September 11 Attacks

The fight against terrorism has dealt a harsh blow to Muslim charities and interfered with their donors’ religious freedom, a new report by the American Civil Liberties Union concludes.

May 2009

Lao PDR

International NGOs Welcome New Law Allowing Local NGOs to Register and Operate as Independent Entities

International aid groups have welcomed a decision by the Lao government to allow local NGOs to register and operate as independent entities for the first time. By November 2009, Lao citizens will be able to apply to form NGOs after the Decree on Associations was signed by Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh and announced on 11 May 2009.

Ethiopia

World Bank Extends $540 Million Loan and Says Country Should Ease Regulations on NGOs

Nasdaq reports that the World Bank extended $540 million to develop basic services in Ethiopia and stated that the country should ease its regulations on NGOs. Ethiopia adopted a controversial aid law early this year, under which any local group drawing more than 10% of its funding from abroad would be classified as foreign and subjected to tight government control.

Egypt

EOHR Again Subjected to Harassment

On April 27, 2009, the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) received a letter from the Egyptian Ministry of Social Solidarity, Masr-El-Kadima district authority, in which it was warned that the organization risks to be subjected to closure and dissolution for violating Law of Association No. 84 of 2002 because it had allegedly received unauthorized foreign funding.

April 2009

Europe

ECtHR Decision Guarantees Freedom of Information as Being Encompassed within Freedom of Expression

In a landmark decision on 14 April 2009, the European Court of Human Rights of the Council of Europe found in favor of Tarsasag a Szabadsagjogokert, the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, in its complaint against the Hungarian government over a submission to the Hungarian Constitutional Court filed by a member of parliament concerning drug policy.

March 2009

Australia

Productivity Commission to Study Contribution of Sector to Australian Society

The Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Julia Gillard MP, the Assistant Treasurer, the Hon Chris Bowen MP, and the Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector, Senator the Hon Ursula Stephens, today announced that the Productivity Commission will examine the contribution of the not-for-profit sector to Australian society.

February 2009

European Union

European Court of Justice Rules on Tax Deductions for Cross Border Gifts

The European Court of Justice ("ECJ") ruled that a tax deduction for cross-border gifts is encompassed by the free movement of capital guaranteed by European Community law.

January 2009

Cayman Islands

The Law Reform Commission has proposed new legislation that would establish a Charities Commission to regulate charities as well as implement Recommendation VIII of the Financial Action Task Force on Nonprofit Organizations. The Bill and the Discussion Paper are available in the Documentation Center.

Ethiopia

Repressive CSO Law Adopted

UNHCR and Amnesty International reported that the Ethiopian parliament adopted a potentially repressive new law which could criminalise the human rights activities of both foreign and domestic non-governmental organizations (NGOs).