Global Civil Society and Governance

JAWAHARLAL NEHRU UNIVERSITY

CENTRE FOR POLITICAL STUDIES

MONSOON SEMESTER 2016

COURSE:PO414: POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY

TERM PAPER ON: GLOBAL CIVIL SOCIETY AND GOVERNANCE

SUBMITTED TO: DR. AMIR ALI

SUBMITTED BY: ANAM SHAMS

M.A FIRST SEMESTER

GROUP E

REG NO. 71403

                                    ABSTRACT

Governance and civil society are relatively new themes in global discourse. Global civil society is a key feature of progressive governance worldwide. The underlying aim of civil society and governance globally is ensuring transparency, accountability, effective public sector management, and public participation in making and implementing policy. The paper first develops a notion of civil society and explores the circumstances that have prompted the growth for global civil society through globalization. The paper then evaluates global civil society particularly in relation to matters of global governance. The conclusion offers several suggestions that could help to maximize the benefits and minimize the pitfalls of global civil society.

                           INTRODUCTION

Civil society is a highly contested concept having different meaning in different time periods, places, theoretical perspectives and political persuasions. Therefore, it is difficult to have a particular definition of civil society. The essence of civil society lies in its notion that promotes insight and effective policy making on the contemporary world with regard to cultural and historical context. Civil society is not the state, it is non-official, non-governmental not a part of state apparatus. civil society is not market; it is noncommercial realm. There is a thin borderline between money driven market and civil society but it lies outside the 'private sector' of market economy. Civil society is a mobilized deliberate attempt from outside the purview of state and market through voluntary associations in an organized concerted manner to mould policies, norms and social order. Civil society is a 'collective' in which 'civic' groups, organizations ate individual elements. Civil society has enormous diversity, different organizational forms, various resource levels, distinct tactics and wide range of objectives.

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          EMERGENCE OF GLOBAL CIVIL SOCIETY

Global civil society emerged in 1990's as part of a wide concern with globalization. Inception of global civil society is inseparable with globalization. Global civil society encompasses any civic activity that addresses transworld issues involving transborder communication working on the premise of supraterritorial solidarity with a global organization. Global civil society exist when civic associations transcend territorial geography to address environmental, health economic issues globally. Activism of global institutions and increasing economic interdependence is important in stimulating global civil society. Global civil society is also the byproduct of governmental or intergovernmental action or inaction. The synergy of states to strengthen multilateralism has boosted the access and funding of global civil society. And the more a society is globalized and the more multilateral the government, the more favorable is the infrastructure and the opportunity for the growth of global civil society. Considerable civic activism has been directed at global governance agencies like the United Nations, the Bretton Woods institutions, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the World Trade Organization. Global civil society has acquired substantial proportions in the late twentieth century. Owing to the contemporary growth of global issues, global communications, global organization and global solidarities, civic activity can today no longer be understood with a territoriality conception of state-society relations.

This global activism of civil society has taken place within a particular political constellation produced by the combination of institutional backing, socio-economic processes, technological innovation, and the dominance of a specific political ideology among other elements. A number of international organizations have supported the inclusion of civil society actors within international decision-making. The UN has actively promoted cooperation with civil society in global governance, especially in relation to the world summits which have provided a forum for global civil encounters to occur. The European Union has followed a similar approach by integrating different types of civil society organizations within its governance mechanisms. The globalization process has generated a sense of common purpose among civil society actors, and has thus been a trigger for both internal unification, increasing the sense of solidarity among civil society organizations, and for contestation of the socio-economic consequences of globalization. The rapid intensification of neo-liberal socio-economic policies has provoked a strong political response from very different sectors of civil society. A number of ad hoc coalitions and campaigns have been organized on a trans-ideological basis, going beyond the traditional political barriers of previous forms of mobilization, and targeting a number of controversial aspects of globalization technological innovations in the IT field have revolutionized the organizational patterns within civil society. Through the internet, groups from different parts of the world have been able to familiarize themselves with other political realities, like-minded organizations, and alternative forms of action. In this way, they have been able to increase their political know-how and their ability to coalesce trans-nationally on common targets. The wider international system, based as it is primarily on liberal western principles, has offered a conducive environment for these kinds of activities to develop. The widespread recognition of the transnational value of human rights, civic participation, accountability, social empowerment, and gender equality have enhanced the possibilities for civil society organizations to gain space and legitimacy in the international system beyond the traditional framework of state based representation.