Building Civil Society Research Articles

Democracy Promotion, Civil Society Building, and the Primacy of Politics

Since 1991, Western bilateral and multilateral democracy promotion assistance, especially for civil society development, has increased dramatically. Much of the literature that assesses the impact of this assistance has focused on either direct recipients in civil society or macro transformations, with minimal systematic analysis of how developments in civil society unfold. This article argues that political settlements shape the impact of Western civil society building initiatives. The inclusivity of political settlements can determine who receives funding and who does not and also influences the representativeness of political institutions. In contexts with noninclusive political settlements, where certain groups are excluded from the settlement and the settlement enjoys minimal support, democracy promotion efforts are more likely to exacerbate polarization, thereby weakening the quality of civil society. Examining the women’s sector of civil society in the Palestinian territories and El Salvador, this article illustrates the primacy of political settlements and the limitations of civil society building in contexts where certain actors are excluded from the onset.

Взаємодія органів влади та громадських організацій як необхідний чинник розбудови в Україні громадянського суспільства

Взаємодія органів влади та громадських організацій як необхідний чинник розбудови в Україні громадянського суспільства

Civil Society Building Peace in the European Neighbourhood: Towards a New Framework for Joining Forces with the EU

Within its own borders, the European Union (EU) is certainly a peace project. However, its external security and stability imperative does not make it a peacebuilding project in the neighbourhood and beyond by default. The official EU institutions have political and conceptual limitations that prevent them from meaningfully engaging with and addressing state formation conflicts. This paper addresses the disconnect between the European Union and the civil society operating in the field of peacebuilding at the level of theories of change underlying policies, strategies and activities with the aim of transforming and resolving conflicts. Theories of change are elicited from the reflections and experiences of CSOs and from the main documents that concern conflicts and peacebuilding in the European Neighbourhood. It proposes a new framework for the forecast and assessment of the impact of CSOs on peacebuilding, which can be considered by the EU institutions for building strategic partnerships with international and local civil society to enhance conflict transformation in the European Neighbourhood.

Observations on incivility: blind spots in third sector research and policy

Incivility is not only a moral or political challenge but also something that should make the third sector research community think about the appropriateness of some of its widely used basic concepts. This paper sketches three different types of attitudes in the third sector that are a threat to civil society, each of them pointing to challenges for third sector research. Altogether, this leads to a fourth and final point, where it is argued that the world of associations (the third sector) and civil society are different subjects. Civicness and civility should be seen as qualities of society at large. And it is questionable to assume that association building has a kind of natural and privileged link with the making of active citizens and the building of civil society.

Institutions and Social Change: implementing co-operative housing and environmentally sustainable development at Christie Walk

How can institutions contribute to the building of civil society in the twenty- first century? It is clear that the old laissez-faire approach and the more recent neo-conservative reliance on the market have failed to deliver housing for many people. On the other hand the state-based welfare housing model espoused by the Australian Labor Party over the twentieth century has also been beset by problems. Social alienation, and the crisis in affordable housing make the case that individualist approaches to urban living are not working. More communal solutions are needed - solutions attuned to a complex view of civil society outlined by Michael Edwards' tripartite definition. At the same time the onset of global warming now prompts Australians to create more environmentally sustainable ways of living. Addressing the theme of responsibility, this paper focuses on citizenship in its broader environmental, social and active forms. It analyses interviews and documentary evidence concerning the planning and development of Christie Walk, an innovative, medium density eco-city development in Adelaide. The investigation reveals the effects of some Australian institutions on residents' efforts to live socially and environmentally sustainable lives in an urban environment. The paper offers transdisciplinary research and analysis, linking the fields of history, urban housing, community development and environmental theory.

Multinational Enterprises and the Promotion of Civil Society: The Challenge for 21st Century Capitalism

Multinational enterprises (MNEs) can contribute to the building of civil society in the developing world and have an enlightened self-interest in doing so. The development of civil society solidifies and levels the playing field, thereby protecting longer-term investment from unpredictable social backlash and arbitrary state intervention. At the same time, the reaaions of host country governments to MNE-civil society collaboration may vary from benevolent to hostile, depending on the type of collaborative activities involved. This article provides a framework for MNE managers to anticipate when such activities are likely to be greeted with open arms as opposed to when MNE managers need to tread lightly.

Embedding HPT: Improving police performance by implementing human performance technology in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Good police performance enables social capital, strengthens communities, and helps build civil society. Since 2003, Canada's national police force, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), has used human performance technology to improve performance in more than 300 sites across Canada and also as a core part of the RCMP leadership talent pipeline. The lessons learned may be of interest to others contemplating a large-scale distributed use of this powerful methodology.

Protocol journalism as a framework for understanding public relations–media relationships in Kosovo

There is growing interest about the ways in which the public relations field can contribute to democratization and civil society initiatives. Some scholars see enormous potential for public relations by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to help get important social issues on the public agenda in transitional nations while other scholars have critiqued the practice of public relations in newly formed nations as a form of hegemony that privileges Western ideas, values, and standards of practice. One thing is certain: more scholarly attention is required if the field of public relations is to truly understand its evolving role in civil society. The purpose of this paper is to explore how the public relations–media relationship contributes to civil society development in Kosovo. The researcher interviewed media professionals, public relations/organizational spokespersons, and civil society experts about the opportunities and challenges of the public relations function in building civil society in Kosovo. The findings suggest that “protocol journalism” is the guiding metaphor for explaining and critiquing the public relations–media relationship in Kosovo. The implications of protocol journalism for media development and public relations credibility are discussed.

A Start for Mild Liberalization? Building Civil Society Through Co-operative Dynamics in China

This paper aims to understand the society-state relationship in China, by exploring this dynamics with other types of organizations, i.e. civil society organizations with economic objectives. The dynamics of co-operatives can influence and interact with civil society dynamics. In this sense, this paper presents the evolution of civil society in China by identifying the causal mechanisms of co-operatives’ development and the conditions needed for them to develop. This causal mechanisms are set within the context of one historical process evolving with path dependency. Using this theoretical framework, it further presents the empirical observation. The findings of the paper are that economic development shaped the new co-operative movement in China; this process was different from the former revolutionary communalist co-operative movement; like their counterparts from the liberal democratic tradition, new co-operatives participated in the market economy, developed in an evolutionary and peaceful way, had great respect for private property and especially, were self-motivated and voluntary in nature. The co-operative movement in China can thus be considered as a mild liberalization within civil society’s sphere. Furthermore, its spillover effect would be seen as the effect of enhancing the role of civil society as a critical dialogue partner with the state. The originality lies in its systematic analysis examining the conditions that underpin this dynamics, thus filling the academic gaps in the study of society-state relationship in another way different from the popularly-used perspective which examines the voluntary and non-profit nature of civil society organizations and excludes the economic spheres within civil society.

Increasing the role of church communities in the life of traditional churches

At the same time as raising the general level of social activity caused by the radical changes in political, social, economic and spiritual relations, assessments and benchmarks in independent Ukraine; with the elimination of one-party monopoly and the existence of essentially unipolar-oriented public associations; the actualization of the idea of ​​building civil society as a Ukrainian perspective; with the rise of the desire of the faithful to play a more significant role not only in the life of their denominational enclaves, but also in the country as a whole - the activity of the so-called so called. church-based communities.

Teaching and Learning Guide for: From Local to Global to Transnational Civil Society: Re‐Framing Development Perspectives on the Non‐State Sector

• Civil society has become one of the most popular concepts within international development discourses. But, what is civil society? Civil society is defined as an arena of collective social interaction situated between the state, market and household, encompassing a range of non-state organisations, groups and associations, including non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The article assesses the range of different interpretations of civil society highlighting its diverse makeup at local, national and transnational scales. • Why has civil society become so important within international development? Democracy and delivery of services. As people organised collectively against totalitarian regimes in the former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe and the Global South, civil society emerged as a manifestation of democratisation processes. The neoliberal agenda also wanted to capture and channel civil society to foster democracy, but also to take on service delivery functions as the role of the state diminished. This article outlines how these roles relate to two theoretical viewpoints – the Marxist or Gramscian that sees civil society as a site of resistance and counterhegemony, and the liberal democratic that views it as a beneficial force for good. • Civil society in practice. In the 1990s, development agencies championed civil society from an undertheorised liberal democratic viewpoint as a saviour or ‘magic bullet’ as it channels more and more funds via NGOs. But, civil society has increasingly been criticised as undemocratic, unable to reach the poor and unaccountable. This article describes this evolution. • The emergence of global or transnational society. In these days of globalisation, global civil society is increasingly important. This is neither civil society at a global level, nor is it a unified global force for good, lobbying and challenging the neoliberal order. Instead, viewed as ‘transnational civil society’, it is a complex mix of competing, overlapping and intersecting groups that operate beyond national borders for a range of reasons. Especially important actors in transnational

OB 490 Becoming a Global Change Agent

This is the syllabus for a course I teach on change agentry and social entrepreneurship. I have taught the class for over a decade, and out of it my students and I have designed and implemented a number of projects which linked theory with real world problems. Some 16 of these became social enterprises or NGOs, mostly doing microfinance in Third World nations. Students learn organizational behavior concepts, action research, project design skills, change theories, and start-up tools, as well as management and growth strategies for new systems with which to build civil society. From these projects we have mobilized, trained and sent overseas some 600 college students, mostly from BYU, but others from Stanford, Washington, Boston College, VA Tech, Arizona State, and a number of other universities as social entrepreneurs. While much of our work focuses on microcredit to empower the poorest of the poor, we have also engaged in other interventions: literacy, healthcare, square-foot gardening and other appropriate technologies, worker-owned cooperatives, rebuilding houses after floods and earthquakes, teaching small farming methods, anti-HIV/AIDS training, sustainability, and various humanitarian methods for use in health clinics, orphanages, and services for street children throughout the developing world. In 2007 alone our largest 16 NGOs spun off from BYU as an incubator over the years raised $28 million, trained more than 200,000 microentrepreneurs, and grew to a global microfinance client base of 3 million families.

Sculpting Lincoln

Within the turbulent world of post-Civil War America, Sarah Fisher Ames and Vinnie Ream (Hoxie) were the first sculptors to produce official images of the martyred president for the United State Capitol. Ames sculpted a marble Bust of Lincoln for the Senate in 1866; Ream's standing figure of Lincoln, commissioned in 1866, was unveiled in the Capitol Rotunda in 1871. At stake was not only the memory of the beloved president, but also the visualization of the progressive principles that undergirded this newly united nation. Ames and Ream produced their sculptures within the fleetingly reformist (even perhaps utopian) political environment of Reconstruction—the building of a new civil society in which all citizens were to participate freely and equally. Entering the public arena of monument-making, they attracted the attention of women's rights activists, such as Victoria Woodhull, Jane Grey Swisshelm, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. This essay explores the ways in which these artists negotiated the intersecting terrains of Reconstruction-era politics, the suffrage debates, and their public role in the commemoration process.

Civil-Military Interaction: Building civil society during conflict

NGOs remain a fundamental component of the humanitarian and reconstruction “space”. Significant differences exist between the ADF and NGOs which the ADF must be aware of as it attempts to maximise its cooperation with these critical organisations. First, while the ADF is tasked with pursuing political goals, NGOs are often apolitical and will above all else strive to “do no harm”. Second, the long term goals of NGOs often differ from those of the ADF. For example, while the ADF and Commonwealth will no doubt be interested in constructing a stable, competent state that can prevent crime, terrorism and invasion, NGOs are more concerned with providing for the security of individual humans from the most common threats to their life, such as disease and starvation. Accordingly, while short-term methods – such as reconstruction, feeding and sheltering – may be similar between NGOs and the ADF, the long-term goals behind such actions could differ considerably. Third, difficulties in cooperating may be further compounded if the NGOs do not agree with the Commonwealth’s reasons for involving itself in a situation. However, these obstacles are not insurmountable, and can largely be ameliorated by increased exchanges before deployment so that each organisation can better understand the others limitations, motivations, methods, capabilities and resources.

Building Civil Society

Building Civil Society

The Contribution of Law and Social Work to Interdisciplinary Community Development and Peace Building in the Middle East

SUMMARY Reducing inequity and strengthening civil society are both intrinsically related to peace building. This article outlines how social work and legal theory, coupled with an interdisciplinary practice framework, advance the development of community networks for the promotion of social rights as a medium for peace building in the Middle East. The combined effect of human rights advocacy, civic engagement, and the structuring and building of community, work to reduce inequality and promote civil society. Examples of interdisciplinary practice as implemented through the initiative of the McGill Middle East Program in Civil Society and Peace Building are presented. Finally, implications for interdisciplinary training for schools of social work are discussed.

The role of the hyperintellectual in civil society building and democratization in the Balkans

Although intellectuals have been a part of the cultural landscape, it is in post-conflict societies, such as those found in Kosovo and Bosnia, that there has arisen a need for an intellectual who is more than simply a social critic, an educator, a man of action, and a compassionate individual. Enter the hyperintellectual. As this essay will make clear, it is the hyperintellectual, who through a reciprocating critique and defense of both the nationalist enterprise and strong interventionism of the International Community, as well as being a man of action and compassionate and empathic insider, strives to create a climate of understanding and to enlarge the moral space so as to reduce the divisiveness between opposing parties. In this way the hyperintellectual becomes a catalyst for the creation of a democratic culture within the civil societies of Kosovo and Bosnia.

Conflict circuit breakers in the Great Lakes Region of Africa

Conflict resolution in the African Great Lakes Region has been linked to the protocols and projects agreed upon at the Second International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR). The ICGLR created a continental-wide framework of conflict circuit breakers focused on resolving the structural and surface situational causes of the 1996 to 2003 armed conflicts that drew in at least six nations and destabilised the entire region. The implementation of these protocols and projects will serve as a test for the African Great Lakes Region to move away from conflict and into a cooperation and development phase; however, the effort to bring peace, stability and development will face obstacles not only in the security sector, but also in developing infrastructure, civil society, and good governance. In summary, this article contends that peace in the Great Lakes Region will depend equally on two factors: internal governance and building civil society institutions, and focused regional interlocking circuit-breaking institutions.

The Role of Trust in Channels of Strategic Communication for Building Civil Society

In these turbulent times, development communication is a growing and important area of both academic research and practice. This article explores the role of strategic communication channels in the development of civil society in Bosnia. This case study reports the results of a survey that asked Bosnians about their levels of trust in government officials, alternative media, and state-controlled media outlets. The findings suggest that shortly after the war Bosnians had medium levels of trust in their communication channels, and when it comes to obtaining important information, it appears that alternative media were considered more trustworthy than either the state media or local government officials. Finally, political affiliation and ethnicity affect trust in communication channels in complex ways.

The Role of Trust in Channels of Strategic Communication for Building Civil Society

In these turbulent times, development communication is a growing and important area of both academic research and practice. This article explores the role of strategic communication channels in the development of civil society in Bosnia. This case study reports the results of a survey that asked Bosnians about their levels of trust in government officials, alternative media, and state-controlled media outlets. The findings suggest that shortly after the war Bosnians had medium levels of trust in their communication channels, and when it comes to obtaining important information, it appears that alternative media were considered more trustworthy than either the state media or local government officials. Finally, political affiliation and ethnicity affect trust in communication channels in complex ways.