Lecture 11

Globalization and civil society

CIVICUS INDEX
Dr. Tho Le- Dr. Nguyen Manh Cuong
 Content

1. Quotes
2. Globalization, Global Governance and Civil Society
3. Global CS movement / Global Civil Society
4. Civil Society in the
United Nations
5. CIVICUS Inde
1. CS Famous quotes

"Our times demand a new definition of
leadership - global leadership. They
demand a new constellation of

international cooperation - governments,
civil society and the private sector,
working together for a collective global
good."

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Speech at World Economic Forum
Davos, Switzerland (29 January 2009)

4
 Liberalism and Socialism

 Liberalism: the social system of a civil society based
on and protective of personal liberty and human
betterment.
 Socialism: governmental power instead of peaceful
and free association; a handful of imposed political
plans instead of a pluralism of as many personal
plans.
 the state: the political master? People: the obedient
citizen-servants?
 https://mises.org/wire/socialists-vs-civil-society
 Voltaire

 “I Disapprove of What You Say, But I Will Defend
to the Death Your Right to Say It”
 “Tôi không tán thành điều anh nói, nhưng tôi bảo vệ đến
chết quyền được nói của anh” - Voltaire
 https://quoteinvestigator.com/2015/06/01/defend-
say/
 Famous quotes: Kant

 “a truly good polity for all but not for the
majority”, Kant
“một chính thể tốt thực sự cho tất cả chứ không
phải cho đa số” – Kant
 Phan Châu Trinh
xây dựng đất nước
Quan điểm ôn hòa,
văn minh trên cơ sở nâng cao nền tảng
nhận thức của nhân dân hơn là nỗ lực
thay đổi đất nước thông qua các cuộc
cách mạng bạo lực.
“Chi Bằng Học” = “Khai dân trí,
Chấn dân khí, Hậu dân sinh”
2. Globalization, Global Governance
and Civil Society

 2.1. Globalization
 The process of increasing the connectivity and

interdependence of the world's markets and businesses.
 World System Theory: Globalization is the process,
completed in the twentieth century, by which the capitalist
world-system spreads across the actual globe.
 World Society Theory: Globalization is the growth and
enactment of world culture.
J. Meyer et al. World Society and the Nation-State, 1997
 World Culture Theory: Globalization refers to “the
compression of the world and the intensification of
consciousness of the world as a whole”
R. Robertson, Globalization, 1992: 8
 2.1 Globalization
Multiple dimensions: cultural, political,

communication, economic, financial
movements/global force emerge
Reducing the role of nation states:
interventionism.
Emerging global actors: IMF, WB, WTO, EU, etc.
Colonial period (empire) versus current period of
globalization in term of speed, intensity, and
penetration of global forces (violent versus non-
violent): political map versus competitive map
showing the real flows of financial and industrial
activities
 2.2 Problems arising in the process
of globalization

Global governance
Environment
Millennium Development Goals -> SGDs
Cultural globalization
Other pressing development challenges
 2.2 Globalization – Pros and Cons

Pros Cons

· Increased national · weakens the position of those lacking skill

income through or capital
· economic openness can not be managed by
comparative advantage poor weak states
· access to global capital · leads to exploitation of workers in poorer
· spread of technology countries
· opportunities for · global capital markets are destabilizing
individuals · loss of cultural integrity
· national economic autonomy is
· spread of human undermined or destroyed by open capital
rights markets and flexible exchange rates
· weaker countries must accept the rules of
the game set by the rich
 2.3 Social capital problems and civil society
 Common idea of social capital and civil society:

economic activity can not take place without
social capital, norms and structures
 However, to Francis Fukuyama: social capital is
the province of the better-off and the better-
organized than of the poor in poverty
alleviation=> it is in the danger of explaining
everything and nothing.
 Social capital’s importance to economic
development can erode the communitarian ties
and relationship.
 Western-derived management reforms: administrative
capacity and performance
 The dominant development paradigm: the West is the best,
the rest had to follow. Underdevelopment is pure Western
invention

=> Need to unmask this assumption and reinsert the
perspectives of the indigenous and the oppressed.
 Minogue argues that it is oversimplified model of the relation
between economic and political change.
 Human rights at the centre of the good governance
agenda: as universal values => plural moralities reflects
different sets of values, culture.
 Donors: has neither ethical nor empirical foundation.
 Development paradigm: need to be more democratic,
equitable, inclusive, and pluralist.
2.3 Global governance problems
 Global Governance

 Global governance : viewed primarily as
intergovernmental relationships.
Global governance Now: includes
+ the interaction of non-governmental
organizations (NGOs),
+ citizen’s movements,
+ multinational corporations, and
+global capital market.
Commission on Global Governance, Our Global Neighbourhood: The Report of the
Commission on Global Governance, Oxford University Press, New York,
1995, pp. 2-3
2.4 Globalization and the role of Civil Society

-

CSOs help democratize global governance
Exploit the advantages that can come from
globalization (such as new communications, etc. )
- Control and resist the drawbacks:
+ the centralization of economic power in the hands
of TNCs (transnational corporations) and
+ the international economic institutions (WTO,
IMF, and the World Bank)

Riva Krut, UNRISD. Globalization and Civil Society - NGO Influence

in International Decision-Making, p.6.
 2.4 Globalization and the role of Civil Society


 Environmental issues such as climate change, greenhouse
effect, etc. and the implementation of MDGs require
international and multi-party participation, demanding
consistent and sustained financial, technical and human
resources.
 CSOs can increase the effectiveness of the collective drive
towards achieving the MDGs -> SDGs.
 Globalized Civil Society promote the people’s Participation
in development process
 Service delivery of CSOs and globalized crisis
 Climate change?

 https://www.google.com/

 https://www.google.com/search?q=climate+change
&oi=ddle&ct=228335976&hl=en-
GB&si=ANhW_NqMq05hm_NHatki2oB83qRn9HU6
YTauVAJv82wgMbWR1afqYhPm7Pa2oU1CJqyU7ea
CdXtfgKGfttNNm37upt4l5aRa_U3eZP3RkzNioVaEL
Kt5BKU%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi1-
8nN_ab3AhWZd94KHdfLDG4QPQgC&biw=1366&b
ih=568&dpr=1
 COP26- UK 2022

 COP26: ‘The global north must remain accountable
and committed to tackle climate change’

 Source: https://www.civicus.org/index.php/media-
resources/news/interviews/5422-cop26-the-global-
north-must-remain-accountable-and-committed-to-
tackle-climate-change
 Zero Hour

 a youth-led movement creating entry points, training and
resources for new young activists and organisers.
 has supported the work of activists in Jamaica, the
Philippines and Singapore, looking to create immediate
action and bring attention to the impacts of climate
change.
 “No farmers, No food”

 Hơn 100 máy kéo "bao vây" tòa nhà Quốc hội Anh
(msn.com)
3. Global CS movement
/Global Civil Society

 3.1 Global CS movement

Women’s Right to Vote
Civil Rights Movement
LGBT Rights Movement
Internal Resistance Against Apartheid
The Environmental Movement
 Social Movements—and Their Leaders—That Changed Our
World (globalcitizen.org)
 9 movements

 1. Black Lives Matter
 2. Schools Strike for Climate
 3. Indigenous land rights movement
 4. Girls’ rights to education
 5. Movement against apartheid
 6. #MeToo
 7. Marriage equality
 8. Women’s rights to drive, Saudi Arabia
 9. Amnesty International
 9 powerful social change movements you need to know
about - Amnesty International Australia
 Amnesty International

 began in 1961 when two Portuguese students were jailed
for raising a toast to freedom.
 British lawyer Peter Benenson decided to collect and
distribute information about ‘prisoners of conscience’ –
people imprisoned, tortured or executed because of their
political views or religious orientation. He gave life to the
vision of collective action that defines our work today.
 Amnesty has grown to a global human rights movement of
over 8 million people in more than 150 countries and
territories.
Which movement ?

 Civil rights Movement
 The Global Context of the Civil Rights Movement - Cross
Cultural Solidarity

 Part I: The Rise of Fascism & World War II:
 The Uncomfortable Comparison to Nazism
 Fighting the Nazis with a Segregated Army
 Part II: The Cold War and Decolonization:
 White Supremacy Becomes a National Security Problem
 The United Nations and the Humiliation of Foreign Dignitaries
 “To Secure These Rights”
 American Propaganda: Telling Stories About Race and Democracy
 The International Dimension of Brown v. Board of Education
 Epilogue: The Civil Rights Movement
Global civil society: its rise to power
- UNESCO Digital Library

 Conformist, reformist or radical?
 Ideological risk?
 Global public arenas
 Reform of UN
 NGOs of the South
 Illegitimate violence
 
 Citizen Participation, Politics and Power in the
Extractive Sector - The Experience of a Global Civil
Society Movement (David vs Goliath) | Columbia
Center on Sustainable Investment
 
 Citizen Participation, Politics and Power in the
Extractive Sector - The Experience of a Global Civil
Society Movement (David vs Goliath) | Columbia
Center on Sustainable Investment
 3.2 Global CSO

Global CSO is used loosely to describe civil
society organizations that are interested in issues
of global governance, development and
democracy.
Wapner (1996): a space where people can
organize and act collectively, and across national
borders, to pursue shared aims.
Scholte (2000): global civil society focuses on
transnational issues through forms of
communication, organization, and identity that
all transcend national boundaries.

 Threats to Global Civil Society
Global civil society faces threats from above,
below, and from within 
- From obove: authoritarian states, totalitarian states
and absolute monarchies
- From below: such as Al Qaeda, criminals, warlords,
and proto-nationalist leaders
- From within: policies designed to undermine them
(racist goals, organizations which seek to limit the
free movement of people, etc.)
Mervyn Frost. FRAGILE POWER: GLOBAL CIVIL SOCIETY POST 9/11. Centre for
International Relations, King’s College London
4. Civil Society in the

United Nations
In 24 October 1945, the United Nations
officially came into existence.
In 1995, Article 71, Chapter X of the UN

Charter mentions the consultative status of
NGOs with the Economic and Social Council
(ECOSOC) -> no means of consultation with
the General Assembly, the Security Council or
the International Court of Justice.
Since 1990, UN's international conferences
applied the rule for NGO participation.
NGOs have been involving more within the
UN process, playing a part in global decision-
making.
 Boutros Boutros-Ghali,
they
“In many parts of the UN,
are being welcomed as
legitimate contributors to global
governance, as integral to the
United Nations and its
mission.”
the DPI Annual
Conference, United Nations, New
York, September 1995
"Our times demand a new definition of

leadership - global leadership. They demand
a new constellation of international
cooperation - governments, civil society and
the private sector, working together for a
collective global good."

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Speech at World Economic Forum
Davos, Switzerland (29 January 2009)
ECOSOC – United Nations Economic and Social
Council

The current chamber of ECOSOC

 ECOSOC – United Nations Economic and Social
Council


 A founding UN Charter body established in 1946 for the
discussion, debates and policy recommendations of the
world’s economic, social and environmental challenges
 Regular meetings throughout the year with prominent
academics, business sector representatives and 3,200+
registered NGOs.
 54 member Governments: 14 of Africa, 11 of Asia
(including China), 6 of Eastern Europe, 10 of Latin
America and Caribbean, and 13 of Western Europe and
other States.
 Members are elected by the General Assembly for
overlapping three-year terms. Election requires a two-
thirds majority and the largest number of votes.

 4.B CSOs by region
Africa  6353

Asia 4451

Europe 4400

North America 3855

Oceania 655

Latin America and Caribbean 2717

Not Specified 4935

Source: http://esango.un.org/civilsociety/login.do
 4.B Fields of activity
Economic and Social

Financing for Development
10629
1777
Gender Issues and Advancement of
Women
5534
Population 1850
Public Administration 1951
Social Development 6655
Statistics 1290
Sustainable Development 7516
Peace and Development in Africa 56
Conflict Resolution in Africa 40
NEPAD 42
Source: http://esango.un.org/civilsociety/login.do
 
5. CIVICUS Index
5.1 Overview of CIVICUS

 5.1 History

CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen
Participation: Originally based in Washington, DC,
USA
 NYARADZAYI GUMBONZVANDA: Board Chair
& Chair of The Executive Committee
Donors: EC, Ford Foundation, Oxfam GB,
United Nation Democracy Fund (UNDEF),
UNDP, etc.
 History (cont.)

 In 1991, a group of 20 civil society leaders (included
Brazil, Germany, Kenya, Japan, Saudi Arabia and the U.S)
decide to form an organization reinforcing and
supporting the citizen participation all over the world.
 By mid-1993: the first meeting of the founding Board of
Directors (composed of CSOs’ representatives from 18
countries on six continents)
 By end of 1997: an expanding membership to 400 (from
over 100 countries)
 In 2002, established its global headquarters in
Johannesburg, South Africa
 5.2 Activities
dedicated to
An international alliance
strengthening citizen action and civil society
around the world
Three priority areas:
1. Protecting the rights of civil society
2. Strengthening civil society good practices
3. Increasing the influence of civil society
Cross-cutting projects
1. CIVICUS World Assembly
2. The Civil Society Index
 CIVICUS World
Assembly


The plenary at CIVICUS World Assembly 2012 courtesy: CIVICUS 2012

 

5.3. Civil Society Index by

CIVICUS
 The CIVICUS Civil Society Index is a participatory
needs assessment and action planning tool for civil
society
 The two primary goals:

- Enhance the strength and sustainability of civil
society
- Strengthen civil society’s contribution to positive
social change.
 The two types:
- Classic CSI
- CSI Rapid Assessment tool (CSI-RA)
 5.4 Methodology

 Measure the five core dimensions:
1. Civic Engagement: The extent to which individuals
engage in social and policy-related initiatives
2. Level of Organisation: The degree of
institutionalisation that characterises civil society
3. Practice of Values: The extent to which civil society
practices some core values
4. Perceived Impact: The extent to which civil society is
able to impact the social and policy arena
5. External environment: Includes the conditions (e.g.
socio-economic, political and cultural variables) within
which civil society operates.
 

Source: http://civilsocietyindex.wordpress.com

 5.5 CSI Rapid Assessment tool

In the late 20th century, in many
countries, CSOs exist in a state of
heightened volatility, flux and
disconnect
-> Need for a more inclusive
understanding of civil society in order
to encompass all facets of participation
-> In 2012, CIVICUS developed the new
Civil Society Rapid Assessment tool
 CSI Rapid Assessment tool
 The CSI-RA allows each project partner to make an

assessment of what they want to measure and which
dimensions they wish to focus on.
 Some of the possible areas of assessment:
- The enabling environment for civil society
- Power relations within civil society
- Level of institutionalization of civil society
- Civil society’s practice of values
- Perceptions of civil society impact
- Civil society resourcing
- Participation and activism
 Reference 1
 Globalization and Civil Society - NGO Influence in International


Decision-Making. Riva Krut, UNRISD.
 Global Civil Society: The Path Ahead. David C. Korten, Nicanor
Perlas, and Vandana Shiva. November 20, 2002.
Available: http://www.davidkorten.org/global-civil-society
 Global Civil Society 2012: ten years of ‘politics from below’. Mary
Kaldor, 30 April 2012.
Available: http://www.opendemocracy.net/mary-kaldor/global-civil-
society-2012-ten-years-of-%E2%80%98politics-from-below%E2%80%99
 Presidential Lecture by Dr. Kumi Naidoo: Civil Society,
Governance and Globalisation
Available:
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/CSO/0,,co
ntentMDK:20095848~pagePK:220503~piPK:220476~theSitePK:228717,00.
html
Social Movements—and Their Leaders—That Changed Our
World (globalcitizen.org)
 Reference 2
 Edwards, Michael (2004), Civil Society, Cambridge: Polity Press,
chapters 4-5

London: Palgrave Macmillan. 

 Williams, R., 2006. Leadership accountability in a globalizing world.

 Jeremy Hobbs. A civil society transition.

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2011/1045/op2.htm
 Peter Johnsson. Poland: Economic growth, Income disparities and Inequality
in a Transition Economy
http://balticworlds.com/economic-growth-income-disparities-and-
inequality-in-a-transition-economy/
 Mikheil Saakashvili. Failed No Longer
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/04/15/failed_no_longer?p
age=0,0
Global civil society: its rise to power - UNESCO Digital Library
Citizen Participation, Politics and Power in the Extractive Sector - The
Experience of a Global Civil Society Movement (David vs Goliath) |
Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment
9 powerful social change movements you need to know about - Amnesty
International Australia
Thank you!
