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The failed ideologies of the last century have come to an end. But a new one has risen to take their place. It is the ideology of Development—and it promises a solution to all the world’s ills. But like Communism, Fascism, and the others before it, Developmentalism is a dangerous and deadly failure.
The distinguished scholar presents perspectives on the historical, political and philosophical contexts that govern the evolution and place of NGOs in Africa today.
The following "Extract taken from Chronic Poverty Research Centre (CPRC) Policy Brief 5" appears on page 11 of the ODI's 2007 Annual Report:
Civil society organisations do not emerge as critical to theuptake of pro-poorest policies, although they may play avaluable role in forming a constituency of support for policiesand ensuring accountability in implementation.
The euphoria which emerged in the late 1980s with the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the spread of democratic regimes has been replaced in recent years by a sombre backlash against civil society on many levels and fronts. This has particularly intensified following the attacks on September 11 and the ensuing global war on terror. This working paper examines the causes of the backlash against civil society within the context of the War, describes the overt and implicit manifestations of that backlash, and reflects upon the implications for the future. It considers how the growing prominence of security concerns and the concomitant expansion of counter-terrorist measures across the world threaten the spaces for civil society to flourish and act. It argues that while the manifestations of the backlash, such as the crackdown on NGOs in Russia or the taming of NGOs by bilateral and multilateral agencies, may appear to be disparate, unconnected phenomena, on closer inspection it is clear that they are intricately intertwined.
Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) is affordable and easy to obtain. FOSS is flexible and adaptable to local needs. It even claims to provide a better protection against computer viruses and other intruders.Due to these characteristics, FOSS appears to be well suited for adoption by Civil Society Organisations (CSOs). After all, CSOs are active in the public space between the State and citizens. In many cases, they work with public funds, which means that they are accountable to the taxpayer. CSOs have an interest in effective networking at the national and international levels in order to attain their goals. Worldwide, tens of thousands of CSOs form a bridge between, or provide a voice for culturally and linguistically diverse local communities.
This two-page handout depicts in simplified form a number of ways in which things can go wrong -- or right -- in sequential steps at middle and lower ends of a typical aid chain intended to "build civil society".
This report is the final synthesis of the joint evaluation of the programmes of three Dutch co-financing agencies, Cordaid, Hivos and Icco. It contains an assessment of the role of women's organisations in civil society building in three countries in Africa: Kenya, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
In recent decades, civil society organizations (CSOs) have become increasingly important agents of change in society. This fact is of global significance, and today civil society organisations can be found in a broad variety of forms, in every conceivable local and global arena.
On October 13th, Hivos hosted lively discussion between David Sogge and members of the Africa Bureau.
David Sogge
The discussion focused on Sogge's paper Civil Domains in African Settings, and identified how the issues matched or differed from the Africa Bureau's experiences in terms of Civil Society Building in Africa.
Seminar, May 10 (open) and 11 (invitees only) The Hague, The Netherlands
Civil Society Building.Net organises the seminar Confronting the State, Engaging the State: Civil society building under adverse political conditions.
The seminar will bring together academics and practitioners that are dealing with the problem of civil society building in the context of weak, fragile or authoritarian states. The participation of representatives from Hivos and its partner organizations, plus students and staff from ISS and members of the Civil Society Building Network will guarantee a wide presence of key experiences in this area.
