Call for Proposals: Civicus Protest Lab 2025 (Fully-Funded)

Are you passionate about transforming protest movements? Do you believe in the power of collective action to challenge injustice and build a better future? If yes, join the Protest Lab, a new initiative focused on collaboration and innovation to protect the right to peaceful assembly.

About Civicus Protest Lab

Opportunity Details

Date Published: May 12, 2025
Application Deadline: May 23, 2025
Category: Fully Funded Training
Oppotunity Locations: Thailand

The Protest Lab will bring people together to share ideas, test new protest strategies, and analyse how governments respond to these solutions. In this regard, the Lab will be a space to learn, connect, and build trust, helping civil society find smarter and more resilient ways to stand up for what’s right.

They are looking for changemakers from all backgrounds who can reimagine what peaceful protest looks like. How can demonstrations be more inclusive and impactful? How can collective action drive meaningful lasting change? If you have bold ideas and want to push the boundaries of activism, we want to hear from you!

Scope of the Protest Lab

As part of the CIVICUS Freedom of Peaceful Assembly (FoPA) Workstream, which has been at the forefront of protecting the right to peaceful protest worldwide, the Lab will act as a hub for innovation. This new initiative will prioritise:

Creating digital and in-person spaces that foster learning and meaningful discussions.
Exploring creative solutions to challenge misinformation and stigmatising narratives.
Developing innovative protest strategies to counter repression.
Shaping the future of protest through the creation of new tools and methodologies.

Profiles of Applicants

This call is open to a wide range of individuals including but not limited to:

Human Rights Defenders (HRDs): Individuals organising peaceful protest actions and advocating for human rights.
Student Leaders: Individuals leading youth movements and organisations within educational institutions (university, college...) pushing for change.
Trade Union Leaders: Those advocating for the rights of workers and opposing exploitation and suppression.
Journalists: Those documenting and exposing human rights violations through their written, broadcast or digital media work.
Academia: Undergrads, Masters, and PhD students conducting research on protest movements, civic space, human rights, and related fields.
Artivists: Artists and cultural workers who use creative expression as a form of resistance or social disobedience.
Digital activists: Individuals who use digital tools to advocate for social change, raise awareness, mobilise communities, and challenge misinformation.

Timeline

Open Call: 05 May 2025 // Call Closes: 23 May 2025
Review Process and Feedback: 30 June 2025
Duration of the Protest Lab First Cohort: July 2025 – March 2026

Sponsor Organisation: Civicus

Benefits of Civicus Protest Lab

As a member of the inaugural Protest Lab cohort, you will:

Connect with a diverse global network of activists, human rights defenders, journalists, artists, and community leaders to exchange experiences and co-create solutions.
Acquire new skills, tools, and knowledge through targeted capacity-building activities.
Collaborate with peers to develop practical solutions tailored to your own protest movements and organisations.
Showcase your work and connect with others at the CIVICUS International Civil Society Week (ICSW) 2025, in Bangkok, Thailand, contributing to the global dialogue on expanding civic space.

CIVICUS will cover all the Lab’s related expenses, including research, travel, conferencing, consultant engagements, solution-building sessions, experimentation, and more.

Civicus Protest Lab Requirements

Eligibility is limited to CIVICUS membersfrom Global Majority / Global South countries, with a strong encouragement for young individuals with frontline experience in social movements and peaceful protest to apply.

They are looking for proposals that demonstrate:

Frontline Experience: Have you organised, participated in, or led a peaceful protest? If so, the Lab is the perfect place for you.
Creativity & Innovation: How can you reimagine the potential of a protest? How can art, technology, research, and social organising converge to develop innovative strategies?
Inclusivity & Collaboration: How can you bring together different perspectives, ensuring that marginalised groups are actively involved? We are looking for ideas that demonstrate a strong ability to create spaces across diverse communities.