Democracy is more than elections. Healthy democracies need the oxygen of active participation by citizens and civil society. The public service needs to be able to do its job. Scientists must be able to collaborate and publish their results.Faith groups, development organizations, the labour movement and so many others are important vehicles though which citizens, workers and activists organize themselves to make a difference. 

Civil society depends on an enabling environment - an environment where governments create the legal and political space that allows civil society to flourish. 

Unfortunately, in recent years, there has been a concerted attempt to restrict these spaces.

Those who disagree with the federal government have been defunded, intimidated, spied on, censored, fired and marginalized. Their work has been reframed as activism, human rights and "advocacy."  And let us be clear - these are no longer viewed as good things, at least when undertaken by progressive organizations.  International development organizations, environmental groups, equality rights and women's rights associations, pay equity organizations and immigrant and refugee resettlement groups - have lost their funding or found their charitable status under threat. Environmental activists have been labelled as "terrorists," money launderers and agents for foreign interests.

Money and support for basic science are evaporating. Entire federal institutions and programs dedicated to learning, research and data have been disappeared or diminished.

Supposedly independent and arm's length insitutions and watchdogs have been interfered with and shut down. Parliamentary agents have been ignored. Scientists are speaking out about the muzzling of research and "death of evidence". 

As part of its mandate to promote the right to advocacy and dissent, Voices-Voix is documenting the silencing of civil society, the federal public service, independent democratic institutions and knowledge organizations.