Three Case Studies on Constitutional Change: 9/11, LGBT Rights, and Gun Rights

June 20, 2013

Civil Society and Human Rights in the United States (June 13, 2013)

In a recent conversation, Open Society Fellow David Cole looked at three case studies in which citizens have banded together to achieve constitutional change, often against overwhelming odds: the mobilization to protect human rights following the 9/11 attacks, the LGBT rights struggle, and the campaign for expanded gun rights.

Cole focused particularly on the diverse strategies these movements have employed, both within the judicial system and by building public pressure in society at large.

Listen to the event above.

State of Democracy

Q&A: In a Year of Elections, a Podcast Takes Stock of Democracy

Five people in a line next to a table with stacks of ballot cards

More people are going to the polls in 2024 than ever before. Oxford University’s Ben Ansell has been taking a global look at both the strengths and challenges of the process as host of the What’s Wrong with Democracy? podcast.

October 22, 2024

Racial Justice

Litigating for the Statistical Visibility of Afrodescendants in Colombia

Afro-Colombians have long endured social and systemic invisibility. Through legal action, civil society is fighting the miscount of the Black population for a more accurate representation.

September 5, 2024 | Dayana Blanco Acendra

A Critical Year Ahead

2024’s Wave of Elections: Referenda on What?

A woman smiles at the camera among people celebrating the results of an election in Guatemala.

President Mark Malloch-Brown discusses what the next year holds for democracy and human rights, and how we’re meeting the challenges ahead.

January 8, 2024 | Mark Malloch-Brown

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