CSO representatives, unions, advocates, policy experts, and partners – more than 80 participants in total – joined the Belize Network of NGOs on November 27th, 2025, for its second annual CSO Summit. For the first time at the summit, CSOs were invited to showcase their work and speak directly about their experiences. This year’s summit featured panel discussions on pressing topics affecting Belize and Belizeans, and more so, impacting the work of CSOs.
During the first panel discussion, moderator Dr. Jay Coombs, Human Rights Advisor for the United Nation in Belize, asked panelists to give one action Belize’s civil society can take to strengthen democracy.
BNN Chairwoman, Dr. Elma Kay, called for, “solidarity in fighting for the passing of the Equal Opportunities Bill.”
The Equal Opportunities Bill seeks to protect Belizeans from 21 different areas of discrimination in everyday life that we all face in some way or the other. The bill, considered controversial in some quarters, has been shelved since 2020.
“A piece of legislation is not the end all of equal rights. By passing a piece of legislation, we are not all suddenly going to have human rights, because implementation is important. But the reason we need to participate in the passing of this bill is because this is going to demonstrate true solidarity.
Dr. Kay shared that working together, as a collective, to see the passing of this bill would “mean that as Belizeans, we can actually see past our differences.” and this speaks to the type of society that we all want to live in.
Hon. Major (Ret’d) H. Gilbert Swaso, Ombudsman, participated in the second panel discussion, which focused on national governance and accountability.
Recently, Ombudsman Swaso was given a letter “thanking him for his services”, just before the end of his contract as Ombudsman in December 2025. While in the role of Ombudsman, he notably challenged the government’s refusal to release the legal costs linked to redistricting court proceedings requested by Jeremy Enriquez through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
The government subsequently filed a High Court proceeding to appeal against the Ombudsman’s decision after he recommended partial disclosure from the Attorney General’s Ministry.
Swaso, in his remarks, shared that the most vulnerable among us are those who predominantly seek assistance from the ombudsman. He opined that “governance, and the way it should be designed, should make it so that we do not reach there in the first instance,” Swaso said.
“When you elect a representative, and he goes into office, he cannot go against what the Cabinet says,” Swaso said.
He added that this is why leaders must be held accountable.
During this panel discussion, Michelle Irving of Productive Organization for Women in Action (POWA) shared that, in terms of governance, what makes her uncomfortable is that Belize continues to use patriarchal language that does not serve a diverse community.
“It is obviously continuing a hierarchy, as opposed to a general understanding that all of us are equal, all of us are valuable, and all of us deserve the right to be represented in all spaces with the proper language,” Irving said.
Long-time civil society activist, Dr. Dylan Vernon, delivered a rich presentation on the role of civil society in advancing the Belize Constitution reform process.
BNN and its members developed five position papers mapping out key constitutional recommendations to the People’s Constitution Commission (PCC). That Commission’s report was presented to Prime Minister John Briceño in May 2025. Dr. Vernon noted that eight (8) members of the PCC did not sign the recommendations document and shared that, following a meeting with these Commissioners, the Prime Minister indicated that the government would engage an expert to conduct a review of the report.
“There are so many things wrong with this picture,” Dr. Vernon said.
“Now, the ball is clearly in the government’s court; in a sense, the PCC gave back to the government some of the responsibilities it had under its own mandate. It’s not only in the hands of the government; it’s in the hands of the executive branch of government.” Dr. Vernon expressed concern that the government may selectively pick what they like aor do not like from the report and that the public may not be meaningfully consulted or kept in the dark.
He suggested that civil society collectively request an update from the government on the process and its plans. Vernon said that knowing the government’s vision and being at the table are equally important for civil society while plans are being made and actions are being taken.
“We need a seat at the table and ask these questions to help decide where we will go next,” Vernon said.
He shared that, in the long term, the formation of a Constitutional Reform Alliance of like-minded CSOs is needed, whose objective would be to “reform the current constitutional reform process.”
“We do constitutional reform with the goal of improving people’s lives, including improving people’s livelihoods—sustainable human development,” Vernon said.
A central theme and new feature of this year’s summit was the “NGO Village,” organized as a space for civil society organizations, unions, and community organizations to display their work and demonstrate its impact over the past years. There were 10 organizations with booths sharing a wide range of presentations with participants and other CSOs.
Bringing civil society organizations together in one space, like the summit, creates a unique knowledge-sharing and networking opportunity that ultimately benefits all participants.
Elizabeth Mary Lanzi Mazzocchini, European Union Programme Officer in Belize, shared, “The EU promotes an enabling environment for civil society, where civil society is able to meaningfully participate and contribute to policy dialogue, policy-making, and legislative processes. “
The EU-funded project has enabled BNN to increasingly provide spaces for dialogue, networking, and consultation for civil society actors to come together, reflect on issues and strategize around a common agenda, build key alliances, and support each other. The Civil Society Summit held in November 2025 represented one such key opportunity.”
Reflecting on this year’s Summit, Executive Manager of BNN, Marla Magaña Cansino, commented, “It was a wonderful feeling to see a room filled with people who are actively working to make Belize better. People whom we can look up to and be inspired by, and know that despite all the challenges, we can achieve great things if we work together.”
Senator representing Non-Governmental Organizations Janelle Chanona reinforced that collective unity is our strength.
“It is nearly impossible to “unknow” a thing. Today we heard from those on the front lines fighting against injustice, discrimination, and rights violations. We know more about the evil and enormity of what we are up against. And today we know that we are not alone, that together we are stronger and that together we can create change everywhere it is needed.”
The 2025 CSO Summit served not only as a forum for dialogue but as a call to action for all CSOs to remain engaged and steadfast. BNN remains committed to translating the outcomes of the summit into concrete follow-up actions, strengthened coordination, and continued advocacy. Together, civil society can continue to play a transformative role in creating a better Belize.
