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Latin American societies are witnessing the multiplication and consolidation of a supposedly new type of governance. Today, self-styled progressive parties and political figures govern in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Cuba, Chile, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Uruguay, Paraguay and Venezuela. Many of the new forms of social mobilisation and the innovations in public policy promoted by Latin American progressive governments challenge the classic variations of the market economy and representative democracy.
Kenya's eruption of violence focussed the world's attention on a country that until recently was known as an African example of democratic state development. But the 'unexpected' disturbances during the elections and the post-election procedures, denounced by concerned citizens and governments, have led to serious questions: how can Kenya's current political situation be explained? And, perhaps even more important, what actions can and should be undertaken by politicians and civil society actors to restore a stable democracy?
In an attempt to answer these and other questions Hivos and the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD) have invited two representatives of Kenyan organisations working in the field of democratization to the Dutch Africaday of 19 April 2008. Focussing on the role of political parties, politicians and the Electoral Commission of Kenya, Ms. Njeri Kabeberi (Executive Director of the Centre for Multiparty Democracy in Kenya) presented a political perspective on the Kenyan crisis. From a civil society perspective Mr. Wambua Kawive (Chief Executive Officer of the Constitution and Reform Education Consortium) reflected upon the role of Civil Society Organisations, societal groups and the concept of citizenship. In doing so, the guest speakers as well as the participants were invited to engage in a debate on one of this years most important African developments. A report of this workshop.
Hivos and ISS jointly organise two regional consultative workshops in San José (15-16 April 2008) and Johannesburg (2-23 April 2008) to further develop the knowledge programme on Civil Sociey Building. Together with major partners, research institutes and regional offices, Hivos and ISS will discuss main issues in civil society building and will propose a concrete research agenda to contribute to the debate on civil society building.
On 16 January 2008, the first meeting of the new Think Tank on Civic Driven Change in The Hague, The Netherlands was held. The Think Tank, consisting of an international group of academics and practitioners is a joint initiative of Hivos, Oxfam Novib, Cordaid, SNV and the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS). Context International Cooperation acts as a facilitator. It aims to devise a narrative on Civic Driven Change that stems from people as civic actors and intended to act as a catalyst to wider civic interest, engagement and debate.
Hivos and the Institute of Social Studies (ISS) have agreed to strengthen their joint Knowledge Programme on Civil Society Building (CSB). Thursday 20 December 2007, both organisations signed a new Memorandum of Understanding, showing a continued commitment to further develop the knowledge network on CSB and stimulate the development, dissemination and application of new and existing knowledge on civil society.
An International Seminar on NGO Accountability for NGO practitioners, policy makers, media and academics. Debates about "state accountability" and "corporate accountability" are already quite well known. In comparison, discussions about "NGO accountability" are of a more recent date.
Since the early 1990s, private and official aid agencies increasingly elaborated policies aimed at strengthening civil society, often as part of ‘good governance’ agendas. Although civil society building is not really a new phenomenon -private aid agencies have a long tradition of supporting organisations in civil society opposing authoritarian rule, particularly in Latin America- evaluating the results of these policies is a rather new area of concern (Crawford 1995; Robinson 1996b).
The assignment to act like a world citizen has a long history, within as well as outside humanism. However, recent developments ask for a new interpretation of this concept, as well as a broad international orientation. After all, we now face an unprecedented global interrelationship between economies and political, social and cultural systems.
In this article (udated 2005), Peter Waterman suggests the primacy of radical-democratic social movements, and the necessity for meaningfully global networking and dialogue between such, if we are to develop an understanding of civil society relevant to the era of globalisation. A Post-Seattle Postscript is added, dealing with the challenge this presents to academic thinking on global civil society.
This is a review article discussing three works, presented in chronological order. It draws attention to a new focus in feminist writing on the international/global arena. During much of the 1990s (and after?), most feminist writing on the international sphere was about gender and ‘international relations’ (Grant and Newland 1991, Sylvester 2002, Peterson 1992, Pettman 1996, Tickner 2005). Most of these were limited by the felt need to critique the discipline of International Relations. The international women’s movement or feminist internationalism just about reached their concluding chapters.
