Why is civil society important

1
Why is civil society important?

• Because it holds the key to real change, social
  justice, and greater distribution of the wealth
  and benefits of development.

2
NGOs came from diverse origins not always well
integrated to local civil society

• Limited original frameworks as welfare and
  charity
• Poor links to local societies
• Unaware of changes privatisation of aid, end of
  cold war, development of local civil society.

3
Did we really appreciate the post-cold war
changes?

• New emphasis on democratisation
• New awareness of importance of civil society and
  citizenship
• Political basis for development.
• Rethinking of the role of the state.
• New geopolitics (aid orphans and darlings)

4
NGOs took a disproportionately important role

• But didnt always really adjust to the bigger
  role of supporting local civil society

5
We need to rediscover the essence of civil society

• by building up a credible, rooted civil society
  which can provide a legitimate balance to the
  state.
• recognise the importance of the citizen working
  through their own organisations

6

• We need to ensure that as development agencies
  (especially those from civil society) we are not
  complicit in ensuring the continuation of
  structural constraints on reducing poverty and
  inequality by ignoring wider political
  constraints and promoting unsustainable
  solutions!

7
Functions of civil society

• Generate the social basis for democracy
• Promotes political accountability beyond the
  party
• Produces social trust, reciprocity and networks
• Creates and promotes alternatives through
  collective practice. Contests ideas from the
  state.
• Supports the rights of citizens and the concept
  of citizenship

8

• We need to work to support civil society as it is
  threatened by its enemies and sometimes its
  friends.
• We need to rebalance NGOs as one part of civil
  society, not the dominate actor.