Our Scans · (ZY.4.03) Civics · Weekly Summary

• [New] Access to reliable internet remains limited or entirely absent in many rural areas in the world, leaving millions cut off from opportunities in basic human needs, such as education, healthcare, livelihoods, and civic participation. Collaborative Change Communication
• In Vancouver, the opportunity for citizens to have an impact on their city via civic elections has been reduced from every year, to every two, the three, and now four years. CityHallWatch: Tools to engage in Vancouver city decisions
• The inauguration of a new president and the growth of a broad-based civic movement that has called for a just and fair peace have given Colombians new hope for an end to political violence. Refworld - UNHCR's Global Law and Policy Database
• Across the globe, 2.6 billion people lack access to the Internet, excluding them from vital opportunities in education, healthcare, economic growth, and civic participation. Internet Society
• By 2050, we envision British Muslims leading positive change across every sphere of life - from healthcare to technology, from education to civic engagement. Muslim Council of Britain
• The 2025 Honda Civic Hatchback Hybrid is expected to showcase several technological advancements in its hybrid system, pushing the boundaries of fuel efficiency and performance within the compact hybrid segment. 2025
• Civic space in Venezuela remains closed, and the approval of a law to control and regulate non-governmental organizations further threatens civil society. Immigration news
• Key issues to watch in Malawi's 2025 elections will be the resiliency of Malawi's civic institutions and courts to ensure a fair process and the effectiveness of reformist coalitions to come together and forge a path forward to address Malawi's pressing challenges. Africa Center
• The Community Mobilization for Workplace Justice program will empower low-wage and marginalized workers in Nova Scotia by creating a comprehensive framework that combines education, resource development, and civic engagement. Catherine Donnelly Foundation
• The European Commission issued an order, obliging TikTok to freeze all information regarding actual or foreseeable systemic risks its service could pose on electoral processes and civic discourse in the EU. - JURIST - News
• The EU's DSA enforcers have issued TikTok with a retention order ordering it to freeze and preserve data related to actual or foreseeable systemic risks its service could pose on electoral processes and civic discourse in the EU. TechCrunch
• The European Commission has ordered the Chinese tech giant to freeze and preserve data related to actual or foreseeable systemic risks its service could pose on electoral processes and civic discourse not just in Romania but all of the EU. Brussels Signal
• Thermal energy networks have been installed in Rochester's city hall and will be extended to a library and civic center to create a system serving more than one million square feet. MinnPost
• The GEF initiative comes at a time when fragile progress on gender equality is under threat from a global pushback on gender equality and human rights, combined with shrinking civic space. Funds for Individuals - Grants and Resources for Sustai
• Grants to Brooklyn Public Library ($1M), Queens Public Library ($1.2M), and the New York Public Library ($1.8M) will help meet the demand for English language learning and workforce development among adults and expand civic engagement programs and college and career coaching among teens. Carnegie Corporation of New York
• There are growing concerns that the UAE will repeat the restrictions on civic space and protests seen at Cop 27. The Guardian
• Azerbaijan's hostility towards independent civic activism raises serious concerns about whether human rights defenders, academics, journalists, and other independent members of civil society will be able to participate meaningfully at COP 29. Human Rights Watch
• Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Tashkent, along with other Central Asian republics, recognized an opportunity to reinforce civic nationalism and national identity through Islam. The Diplomat
• A US ban on TikTok could inadvertently encourage other governments to tighten their grip over and block dominant US-based platforms, shrinking the digital civic space. Freedom House
• Tanzania New Parties Cry Foul over Registration Delays as Polls Near As Tanzania braces for civic elections in five months and a general election in 2025, questions are being raised on another key aspect, the registration of new political parties. Centro de estudos estrategicos de Africa

Last updated: 27 June 2025