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Global civil society – a Western INGO phenomenon or a force instigating new direction to globalisation? Part I: An Agenc

Global civil society – a Western INGO phenomenon or a force instigating new direction to globalisation? Part I: An Agency-centred Account of Globalisation. What is globalisation?. Four aspects/definitions ( Scholte, 2000 )

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Global civil society – a Western INGO phenomenon or a force instigating new direction to globalisation? Part I: An Agenc

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  1. Global civil society – a Western INGO phenomenon or a force instigating new direction to globalisation? Part I: An Agency-centred Account of Globalisation

  2. What isglobalisation?

  3. Four aspects/definitions (Scholte, 2000) Globalisation as westernisation or modernisation: the social structures of modernity (capitalism, rationalism, bureaucratism, etc.) are spread the world over, normally destroying pre-existent cultures and local self-determination Globalisation as liberalisation: Removing government-imposed restrictions in order to create an open, borderless world economy Globalisation as universalisation: Spreading various objects and experiences to people at all corners of the earth. Internet, Sushi, Baywatch, human rights Globalisation as deterritorialisation: reconfiguration of geography, so that social space is no longer wholly mapped in terms of territorial places, territorial distances and territorial borders

  4. Globalisation of what? • Economy • Technology • Politics • Culture • Law • People • …

  5. Early debates on globalisation: • Globalisation isn’t happening: We’ve seen all this before, not so revolutionary, states still in charge (Hirst and Thompson, 1996) • Globalisation is good for you: Global trade benefits all, global norms defeat local bullies, global contacts breed nice people (The Economist) • Globalisation is bad for you: Globalisation increases inequalities, destroys local cultures, destroys the environment, undermines democratic accountability (Hines, 2000)

  6. What kind of globalisation are we talking about? What kind do we want?

  7. Why did it happen? Standard explanations: • New technology enabled global communications, global financial flows, cheap transport • Iron curtain came down, allowed global cooperation and global trade • IMF and World Bank conditionalities together with transnational corporations crack Third World states

  8. Civil Society, The State and the Market: ca. 1890s-1970s S S CS CS M F M F International treaties or war State 2 State 1

  9. Deeper causes of globalisation: 1960-70s peak of nation state – two reactions: • - New Social Movements, from 1968, incl. Peace, Human Rights, Women, Environment • - Neo-liberalism, 1980s, Chicago School advocates retreat of state. Thatcherism, Reaganism, IMF/World Bank

  10. S S CS CS F/I M F/I M Civil Society, The State and the Market: 1990s- Global governance Global civil society Migration/ New Identities State 1 State 2 Global economy

  11. Aun San Suu Kyi Nelson Mandela Vaclav Havel Rigoberta Menchu

  12. Transnational advocacy networks: • Promote causes, principled ideas and norms that cannot be reduced to self-interest • May include NGOs, local social movements, foundations, media, churches, trade unions, consumer organisations, intellectuals, parts of IGOs, civil servants, politicians • Work through information politics, symbolic politics, leverage politics, accountability politics (Keck and Sikkink, 1998)

  13. The boomerang pattern (Keck and Sikkink) Pressure IGO State B Pressure State A Pressure XXXXXXXXXXX Blockage NGO NGO NGO Information NGO

  14. Global civil society? “Even though the implications of our findings are much broader than most political scientists would admit, the findings themselves do not yet support the strong claims about an emerging global civil society” Keck and Sikkink, 1998, 33.

  15. A descriptive definition: “Global civil society is the sphere of ideas, institutions, organisations, networks and individuals located between the family, the state and the market, and operating beyond the confines of national societies, polities and economies.” Anheier, Glasius and Kaldor (2001, 17.)

  16. What does that mean? • It is not just civil society organisations, individuals, networks working at the global level • But rather, the whole of organisations,individuals, networks with transnational elements in their line of work, partners and networks, or ideology • But they are not a homogeneous bunch!

  17. The normative connotations of civil society: • Trust, social capital • Active citizens in public affairs • Non-violent and resisting violence • Fostering public debate • Counter-hegemonic: challenging the powerful; championing the marginalised

  18. Global civil society has yet more normative connotations: • Being part of a global imagined community, a sense of connection • Belief in human rights, global social justice rather than just civil rights, justice for own citizens • Belief in global and shared responsibility for the environment, ‘One World’ solutions, ‘global governance’ • Challenging the winners, championing the losers, of globalisation

  19. NGOs and global civil society: Normative concept Descriptive concept Global civil society NGOs Civil NGOs Society Or even (!): GCS NGOs NGOs GCS

  20. First international conference of the Anti-Slavery Society, 1840

  21. Part II: The Political Economy of INGOs

  22. Students for West Papua, Dublin

  23. S S controls controls M M CS CS Before Globalisation: Country 1 Country 2

  24. Retreat of the State. A combination of globalisation, privatisation, NGO-isation.: Control? S S Market Civil society Country 1 Country 2

  25. Some Figures: Revenues of Relief and Development INGOs $ bln 1980 1988 1999 Public 1.6 2.4 1.7 Private 3.6 4.5 10.7 Total 5.2 6.9 12.4 Clark, 2003, 130. Number of INGOs 1981 1991 2001 9,789 17,826 24,797 Anheier and Themudo, 2002, 195. NGOs with UN consultative status 1945 1965 1985 2005 0 361 760 2,595 Glasius, Kaldor and Anheier, 2005, Record 17, 421.

  26. Globalisation has changed the organisational environment for NGOs. New Opportunities: • Retreat of states and decline of party politics • Expanded private and institutional donations • Major reductions in communication costs • More democracy, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly Lindenberg and Bryant, 2001, 9; Anheier and Themudo, 2002, 198.

  27. New problems: External: • More complex and diverse cultural, political and economic environment • Relations with diverse constituencies and stake-holders • Managing different legal and fiscal systems • Complex international funding environment Internal: • Transnational governance structure must be clear on responsibilities, line management and enforcement • Need to develop a common mission and language within the organisation • Structure that remains accountable to dispersed membership and reflects diversity

  28. Member consultation: One vote per member (Amnesty) One vote per country (FOEI) Headquarters: Move to South (Civicus, ActionAid) Split HQ (World Rainforest Movement) Ring structure (Panos) Boards More Southern and female (ActionAid) Regional sub-boards (HRW) Forms of organisation Unitary organisation (HRW) Partnerships (Christian Aid) Federations (IFRC) Confederations (Oxfam Int) Networks (YES!) Different Solutions

  29. 1990s move from service-delivery to advocacy: Macro-explanations: • Political party activism declines, decision-making power seeps away from national level • development encounters international politics Micro-explanations: • NGO staff increasingly frustrated by lack of macro-impact of their work on development • Northern NGOs need new role: capacity-building and advocacy

  30. ‘advocate: an intercessor or defender: one who pleads the cause of another’ ‘advocacy: the function of an advocate; a pleading for’ Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary ‘advocates plead the cause of others or defend a cause or proposition’ Keck and Sikkink, 1998, 8.

  31. What can be the basis for NGO advocacy? - representation - moral conviction (values)          - experience/expertise

  32. Representation: speaking for Problems: • constituency • procedure • time • money

  33. Some solutions: • transparency about procedures or lack thereof • networks • accompaniment Deeper problem: What does it mean to ‘represent’? To speak ‘on behalf of?

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