Leaders from the global civil society meet in Tarifa advancing new frameworks for global cooperation
- Editorial
- Jan 21
- 3 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
Tarifa, Spain | January 2026
From 12 to 18 January 2026, civil society leaders from different world regions convened in the Global Society Institute Tarifa (GSI Tarifa), Spain, for a focused gathering dedicated to advancing cooperation within the globalized civil society. The meeting took place in a period marked by rising geopolitical tensions, growing polarization, and increasing pressure on civic actors across many regions.
The gathering brought together individuals who had been selected for their regional experience and their capacity to contribute contextual knowledge from Africa, Europe, North America, the Middle East, Latin America and South Asia. Participants did not attend as formal representatives of institutions, but as trusted contributors tasked with bringing regional perspectives into a shared global conversation.
Purpose and context
The primary objective of the Tarifa gathering was to strengthen coherence among leaders working within the global civil society and to establish shared foundations for future collaboration. Discussions were framed by the recognition that civil society worldwide is increasingly fragmented, while at the same time facing converging challenges such as shrinking civic space, declining trust in institutions, political polarization, and persistent social and environmental pressures.
Participants agreed that existing mechanisms of the institutions are often insufficient to address the complexity of current global challenges. The meeting therefore focused on developing approaches to cooperation adaptable across different cultural and political contexts.
Understanding the global society
A central reference for the discussions was the concept of the global society. The global society does not constitute a group, organization, or network. Instead, it describes the already-existing, globalized civil society: individuals, initiatives, and communities around the world that act from similar values and orientations, often without direct coordination.
Participants worked to clarify shared language and principles that make this global alignment more visible and usable in practice.
Key discussions
Over the course of the gathering, leaders engaged in structured exchanges on several core themes:
Establishing a shared global consent and long-term orientation for cooperation.
Balancing regional differences with global alignment.
Identifying recurring challenges faced by civil society across regions.
Strengthening trust and recognition among leaders working in different contexts.
Developing innovative, non-hierarchical forms of coordination that can scale organically.
Regional contributions highlighted both distinct local conditions and recurring global patterns, reinforcing the need for approaches that combine contextual sensitivity with shared direction.
Outcomes
By the conclusion of the Tarifa meeting, participants had:
Reached agreement on foundational principles to guide future cooperation within the global society.
Strengthened working relationships and mutual understanding across regions.
Identified priority areas where coordinated action and knowledge exchange are needed.
Established a common basis for engaging additional leaders in different regions.
Rather than announcing a formal initiative, participants emphasized the importance of translating the shared foundations developed in Tarifa into regional contexts. The agreed next step is for participants to continue the work locally by engaging further leaders, embedding the shared language and principles in practice, and linking emerging regional efforts through ongoing exchange.
Community engagement
The gathering included a panel discussion with local youth in Tarifa, enabling direct exchange between participants and younger community members. The session discussed the outcomes, youth mobilisation for engagement and the importance of anchoring global cooperation in local realities and intergenerational dialogue.
Looking ahead
The Tarifa gathering marked a consolidation phase in the evolution of the global civil society. The meeting contributed to a clearer global alignment among leaders working within civil society and laid practical groundwork for continued cooperation across regions.
As participants return to their respective contexts, the outcomes of the gathering are expected to inform regional initiatives and support the gradual emergence of more strong and coherent collaboration within the globalized civil society.
