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Like all other multilateral banks, the African Development Bank wishes to work more closely with civil society bodies, both African and non-African. In 1999, with Dutch government support the Bank commissioned the drafting of a new policy document (David Sogge was chief consultant) and in May 2000 approved it as official policy.
Non-governmental organisations involved in international development (NGDOs) face unprecedented conditions that call for thoughtful responses. Three major dynamics are combining to shape NGDOs policy and operating environments.
Abstract preview with special permission from Intrac.
This three-page handout from 2000 depicts possible trajectories for private aid agencies, especially those involved in "civil society building", as they pursue first principles, identities, strategies, operations, and advocacy.
Este folleto de tres paginas (2000) representa trayectorias posibles para las agencias privadas de la ayuda / Organizaciones de cooperación no gubernamentales, especialmente ésas implicadas en la "construcion de la sociedad civile", pues ella persigue los principios, identidades, estrategias, operaciones, y advocacia.
This research report (from Department of Political Science, University of Aarhus, Denmark) begins:
This paper presents some preliminary results of a case study of a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) called The Foundation, located in Budapest, Hungary. According to its own information The Foundation works to enhance democracy in Hungary and the Central- and East European region. One of its largest areas of support is civil society, through the support of which democracy will be strengthened – or so goes the logic of the text.
This 2004 survey is the second in a series published by the Rockefeller Foundation" intended to stimulate thinking and reflection among funders, nongovernmental organizations, universities and other public-interest organizations on the future of human and institutional capacity building." It can be downloaded from: http://rockfound.org/Documents/707/hicb_whyte_donortrends.pdf
As an idea-in-action, "Civil Society" has enjoyed a meteoric career in the past 15 years. This paper seeks to review some issues arising in current debates and thereby offer some talking-points about the idea as applied in African contexts.
In June 2004, Hivos invited a motivated group of partners, researchers, development practitioners and staff members to Arusha Tanzania, to reflect on the challenges and opportunities facing Africa in terms of civil society building (CSB), from the perspective of economic development, challenges of politics, and social mobilisation. This report summarizes some of the rich discussions and valuable experiences shared.
This paper is an attempt to examine social resistance and attempts at social change through the critical examination of popular terms and thus arriving at an understanding of the civil society debates in contemporary times.
How can economic globalization be democratized? Global communications, global finance, global investment, global migration and global trade are becoming ever more important in contemporary society. Yet the rules and regulations that govern these transworld activities currently have precarious democratic credentials at best. How can civil society improve this situation?
