Political Quotes

“today I rise to recognize the important role civil society plays in the promotion of democracy as we observe International Day of Democracy this September 15. Twenty-five years ago, I stood in Berlin as the wall was coming down. I will never forget that moment when the will of the people was finally recognized. It's true that we have seen extraordinary progress over the years. But in too many parts of the globe, basic rights continued to be denied to those fighting for democratic ideals. Today, there is an unprecedented global crackdown on civil society organizations seeking to express their voice and exercise their rights. We've seen pervasive restrictions on civil society organizations enforced around the globe. Russia, in its worst political crackdown in post-Soviet history, has stamped the label of ``foreign agent'' on any civil society organization that receives support from other countries. Ethiopia's 2009 Charities and Societies Proclamation continues to hinder the work of human rights organizations and other civil society groups that receive more than 10 percent of their funding from foreign organizations. In 2012, Sudanese security forces violently attacked civil society representatives who were protesting against government restrictions. Egypt has prosecuted over 40 international aid implementers, sentencing them to prison for up to five years.…”