Role of Civil Society

Civil society can be defined as non-governmental, non-profit making organisations, networks and voluntary associations.

The contribution of civil society to good governance may be summarized under the following four headings:

• Public Policy and Decision Making - Civil society organizations can play a role in mobilizing particular constituencies to participate more fully in politics and public affairs.
  
• Transparency and Information- Civil organizations can contribute to better governance by improving transparency and increasing the availability of information about the making and implementation of government policy.
  
• Enhancing State Performance- The quality and effectiveness of public services and expenditures are integral to good governance. Civil society organizations can contribute here by working directly with government in shaping, financing and delivering public services in a variety of ways.
  
• Social Justice, Rights and the Rule of Law- The fourth area where civil society can make a contribution to good governance is in the field of social justice, rights and the rule of law.

Sources of Information

World Bank Development Forum Public venue for online discussions on development issues. See especially Partnering with Civil Society in the Communities of Practice section, which shares the knowledge and learning which took place during this discussion.

CIVICUS (World Alliance for Citizen Participation) International alliance dedicated to strengthening citizen action and civil society throughout the world.

Democracies Online Newswire A free online newswire about the convergence of democracy and the Internet around the world connecting 2500 experts, practitioners, journalists, and citizens globally. Subject topics include politics online, new media, e-governance, e-government, online advocacy, and citizen interaction.

Euforic Europe’s Forum on International Cooperation. Electronic conference centre used by member organisations to debate topical issues. Look out for the project on Civil society Information Sharing. Archives include an e-debate on ’Joint Action between Local Government and Civil Society’, and a ’watchdog’ group report on a web conference on civil society participation. The site also contains a section on civil society resources.

Near East Foundation NEF Online Discussion Groups allow practitioners, programme managers, students and academics to explore issues facing contemporary development practice. A recent discussion was ’Contextualising Civil Society’.

Pambazuka News A weekly electronic newsletter published by Fahamu, which currently has 8.500 subscribers. The newsletter is an advocacy tool for social justice, covering news, comment and resources across a wide range of areas, including rights and democracy, with a specific focus on Africa.

Research and Discussion Group of Democracy and Development in Africa Multidisciplinary research and discussion group on the problems concerning development and democratisation in Africa.

RFE/RL (Un)Civil Societies A weekly collection of news briefs from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty about freedom of the press, religion, and other civil society issues in Eastern Europe and Eurasia. Back issues are available. RFE/RL also publishes Watchlist a weekly online bulletin which reports on events affecting civil societies in Eastern Europe and Eurasia.