The Coalition Tournons la Page Niger is an integral part of the “Tournons la Page” campaign, an international citizen’s movement present in Africa and Europe and promoting change and good democratic practices. Founded in 2014, Tournons la Page is now present in 10 African countries (Burundi, Cameroon, Congo-Brazzaville, Gabon of 220 member organisations and is a partner of many powerful and legitimate international NGOs (Secours Catholique-Caritas France, Misereor, Amnesty International Front Line Defender, ACAT, Survie, etc). In Niger, the Tournons la Page coalition brings together human rights organisations, workers’ unions, women, youth, journalists and artists. The number of activists through the member structures is estimated at more than 50,000, spread across all regions, departments and municipalities of Niger.

Since 2017, Niger’s civic space has been threatened due to several violations that are as follows: Adoption of repressive laws; Use of the cybercrime law against activists and journalists; Judicial harassment and prosecution of human rights defenders; Systematic prohibition of civil society demonstrations; Excessive use of public force and arrest of demonstrators. As an illustration, at least 50 citizens, journalists and civil society actors have been arrested and no less than 36 peaceful demonstrations banned between 2017 and 2021. Faced with this situation, Tournons La Page Niger decided to implement the project: “My Voice, my right” which has as its main objective to promote the full enjoyment of individual and collective freedoms of citizens, particularly young people. Specifically, it aims to create a framework for exchange with actors (state, local and international CSOs, etc.) on the protection of civic space; to increase citizen awareness of human rights issues; to organize advocacy campaigns for the revision of repressive laws.