July 21, 2026

Episode 205: Civil Society Under Attack


In backsliding democracies around the world, civil society organizations have consistently been targeted by government actors in order to stifle dissent and pluralism. ACS Director of Policy and Program Diane Furstenau joins Lindsay Langholz to discuss this pattern and what lessons we can learn from other countries' experiences as we face similar threats at home.

Host: Lindsay Langholz, Vice President of Policy and Program

Guest: Diane Furstenau, Director of Policy and Program, ACS

Link: Monitor: Tracking Civic Space, CIVICUS

Link: Resource Collections, International Center for Not-for-Profit Law

Link: The Impacts of the Recent Executive Orders on Nonprofits, National Council of Nonprofits

Link: Civil Society Rights & Resiliency Resources, Charity & Security Network