Bending the Arc Toward Justice: Looking Back on Resistance, Solidarity, and Accountability in 2025
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice"
This famous quote, popularised by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the US Civil Rights Movement (and based on a saying by abolitionist minister Theodore Parker), is oft repeated in our world when people are depressed and feeling hopeless about the state of humanity and prospects for justice. It is meant to offer hope and inspiration to those who struggle for their own rights or for the realisation of other’s rights, and it is a call for action – a reminder that we can achieve greater equity and justice if we eschew passivity and keep fighting.
2025 tested this hypothesis in ways that we never imagined. Even as we watched the rise of authoritarianism in the US and elsewhere, we also saw communities standing strong in the face of injustice, mobilising in ways we have not seen in decades. Although we are terrified about the threats being hurled by States at the international rule of law system, we are bolstered by global grassroots calls for Palestinian rights, the coordinated efforts of Global South states to uphold international law through the establishment of The Hague Group, and global mobilisation of civil society in support of Ukraine’s sovereignty and accountability for Russian aggression. Youth-led movements are also reshaping political landscapes: in Bangladesh, protests against corruption brought down the president, while in Nepal, public pressure over corruption and proposed social media bans led to the prime minister’s resignation. Together, these moments signal a global civic determination to confront injustice with collective power.
This mobilisation is unfolding even as many governments respond with intensified crackdowns on free speech, assembly, and dissent, including in democracies such as the United States. Yet attempts to silence civil society have not halted the demand for accountability. Instead, they have strengthened global coalitions, expanded public engagement with international law, and brought unprecedented numbers of States before international courts. At Synergy for Justice, we have been energised by our partnerships and joint advocacy with fellow NGOs, human rights defenders, and survivors of human rights violations and international crimes. Our contributions, with Syrian partners, to universal jurisdiction cases continue to advance justice and accountability across borders. Our focus on ensuring that survivors access justice with dignity has opened opportunities for us to work directly with judges, prosecutors, and defense lawyers to combat stigmatised treatment of sexual violence survivors in the justice system. And our work as part of the Coalition for the International Criminal Court has enabled us to elevate the voices and presence of survivors affected by international crime to the global stage and to fight together with hundreds of CSOs for justice and accountability for crimes against humanity, genocide, war crimes, and aggression.
As we say farewell to 2025 and brace ourselves for more upheaval in 2026, we honour and thank the communities, survivors, lawyers, organisers, human rights defenders, our donors and all who continue to fight tirelessly to bend that arc of the moral universe towards justice. At Synergy, we will remain steadfast, elevating marginalised voices, building coalitions capable of confronting abuses of power, and advocating for a better and more just world.
With your donation, we will be able to do much more. Please consider making a gift to Synergy for Justice that will allow us to prioritise and support survivors and communities where needs are greatest.