The book contributes to the thriving debates in academic as well as professional circles about the role of civil society in shrinking civic spaces, rising authoritarianism, conflicts, fragile states, and global Covid-19 pandemic. This is one of the first books to address the implications of changing civic spaces for civil society organizations worldwide. It offers a unique overview of how social movements and civil society groups in very different settings are responding to state-imposed restrictions of basic civic freedoms. The authors are all experts in the field, and their analyses are based on original and onsite research. This unique book also contributes to a better understanding of the conceptualizations and practices of civil society; the chapters engage with diverse theoretical viewpoints and empirical investigations to show how civil society actors are shaped and shape the civic space in particular contexts. It is of keen interest to academic scholars, students, civil society practitioners, and policy makers in the field of international development research and civil society action.The book has been edited by Kees Biekart, Tiina Kontinen, and Marianne Millstein, convenors of the Citizenship and Civil Society in Development working group. The webinar, organised by this working group, begins with the editors’ introduction to the book, followed by four illustrations on selected chapters. After a commentary from Professor Nic Cheeseman there will be room for questions and comments to discuss the emerging issues related to civil society and civic space.

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