Civil society and trade protests in the Americas

Abstract

Civil society organizations (CSOs) are political actors independent of political parties and the state, that seek to shape the rules (formal and informal) that govern social life. When CSOs enter the international realm, they do so in different ways. While some focus on protesting in the streets, others struggle to come up with alternative proposals and ideas to influence the outcome of decision-making processes, and still others engage in both direct action and the generation of alternatives. These strategies may be targeted at various actors at different levels: at allies beyond national boundaries through campaigns and the creation of coalitions, or by lobbying domestic institutions. They may focus on influencing states’ behaviour, or alternately seek to influence public opinion, international organization officials or other civil society actors. Thus the CSOs studied here are not inherently benign or malicious forces in the international arena.