2023 A Network that Works
A commitment to strategic collaboration has been at the heart of the IFEX network since its inception over 30 years ago. The benefits of the sustained efforts we have put into building authentic connections with each other and partnerships with allies have never been more apparent.
As 2023 threw us challenge after challenge, IFEX continued to adapt.
Finding intentional ways to collaborate and innovate, together, is one of the ways that IFEX ensures our ability and that of IFEX members to evolve and respond to a continually changing environment.
We invite you to review our 2023 Annual Report, below, in which we share stories of how this diverse global network is confronting obstacles to freedom of expression and information, working creatively to bring about positive change, and continuing to grow and evolve.
You can download the full pdf here.
Past Reports
2022: The Big Picture
In 2022, volatile geopolitical events continued to unfold. The year witnessed the systematic dismantlement of free expression through despotic legislation; continued, widespread surveillance and harassment of activists, journalists, and civil society organisations; increases in gendered attacks, the intentional undermining of public trust in information channels and democratic processes; and disproportional negative impacts of all of these realities on groups already marginalized or at-risk because of their intersecting identities.
We believe that collaboration is the key to making IFEX such a formidable counterforce to the very real challenges involved in promoting and defending freedom of expression and information, and supporting a robust and healthy civic space.
The challenges aren’t going away anytime soon – but neither is IFEX.
We invite you to review our 2022 Annual Report, below, in which we share stories of how this diverse global network is confronting obstacles to freedom of expression, working creatively to bring about positive change, and continuing to grow and evolve.
You can download the full pdf here.
2021
Oligarchs, Autocrats, Liars and Bullies
In 2021, the instability aggravated by the pandemic provided the perfect storm scenario – oligarchs, autocrats, liars, and bullies took advantage of this context to unfold their playbook.
We saw the consolidation of a culture of oppression and authoritarianism that put attacks on freedom of expression and information at its center.
Disinformation and misinformation, internet shutdowns, content removal and censorship were observed around the globe, and there were multiple attempts to control the flow and access to information in order to manipulate perceptions about their gravity, or hide authoritarian agendas from the public eye.
The public space was surveilled and closed down, and those who protested against this state of affairs were silenced, and in many cases, placed under arrest.
Where trends towards authoritarianism were observed, IFEX and its members responded with their own playbook – one of resistance and resilience.
You can download the full PDF here.
2020
Dispatches: Let’s Talk About 2020…
It was the exciting first year of the roll-out of a new five-year Strategic Plan for IFEX. Would it stand the test of time, given the global upheaval that took place? Absolutely.
The pandemic forced us all to reexamine our priorities, recalibrate our paths, and draw on our experience, and to be creative and effective in our response. Listening to the members as they grappled with the challenges they faced provided us with the insight, analysis and direction on how best to direct our efforts and find ways to engage and support them in their important work.
You can download the full PDF here.
2019
Dispatches: The IFEX Network & Freedom of Expression in 2019
2019, the final year of our 2015-19 Strategic Plan, was a time to look back, honestly and comprehensively, at our progress over the last five years, to look toward the horizon for upcoming priorities, and to apply what we learned to develop our future roadmap.
For IFEX, that meant an illuminating series of evaluations and consultations as we laid the groundwork for us to move forward and continue to ensure the right to freedom of expression and information remains key, gives us purpose, and drives our actions as a network.
You can download the full PDF here.