Civil Voices Festival 2026

The Sivil Voices Festival is a polyphonic choir where civil society organizations from diverse fields come together to share their experiences, knowledge, and dreams. This choir will gather once again in Ankara on June 5–6, 2026!

Together, we are raising the voice of civil society for climate justice and democracy. This year, Türkiye is preparing to host a critical global gathering. Ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), which will take place in Antalya on November 9–20, 2026, we are designing the Sivil Voices Festival as a strategic meeting point that strengthens the meaningful participation of rights-based civil society in climate governance in Türkiye.

Under the theme “Climate Crisis, Democracy, and Meaningful Participation of Civil Society” we will come together over two days to discuss solutions—grounded in the belief that the climate crisis cannot be addressed without the meaningful participation of civil society.

With this year’s gathering, we aim to support the mainstreaming of environmental and climate rights across all organizations through a rights-based approach, strengthen the role of civil society in political decision-making processes, and enhance its effective participation in the international climate regime.

At the festival, which we envision as a bridge between the global environmental movement and local dynamics, we will host international representatives from the UN Major Groups (the 9 Constituency Groups) in Ankara, creating a vibrant space for knowledge exchange and partnership-building with stakeholders in Türkiye.

By joining the Sivil Voices Festival—where we aim to provide a concrete platform for knowledge sharing, capacity building, national and international networking, and joint advocacy—you can also contribute to this process. You can present your work through stands, engage in discussions on key issues in panels and forums, and gain new insights in masterclasses sessions.

In this gathering, where we will discuss our shared challenges from the climate crisis to democracy, we will once again emphasize that our world needs democracy—and democracy needs civil society.

Join us in Ankara on June 5–6 and become part of this polyphonic choir! 

Click here to apply.