Civil society in the information age

How have information and information and communications technology affected the way civil society organisations behave, in their relationships with each other and with major multilateral organisations? This book of case studies 'examines…the principle goals, programmes, aspects of governance and working methods of selected major NGOs and civil society coalitions'. It examines 'the relationship of civil society and intergovernmental institutions and, in one case, civil society and a national government.' The cases touch many of the most well known and, frequently, controversial themes of contemporary civil society organisations (CSO). Among the international NGOs under the microscope are Amnesty International, Oxfam and Médecins Sans Frontières. The international struggles against land-mines and for the International Criminal Court are profiled, and the specific challenges confronting South-North NGO relationships are opened up.

The examinations of CSO-multilateral institution relations break some new ground. Hajnal himself examines encounters with the G7-G8 and Canadian officials Marc Lortie and Sylvie Bedard examine events around the Summit of the Americas in Quebec City 2001. Heidi Ullrich examines the information dynamic in the WTO-civil society interaction. Barbara Adams brings intelligent reflections on the UN-civil society engagements and Benjamin Rivlin looks at the specific case of religious organisations at the world body. The book includes an extensive bibliography and a detailed list of electronic sources.

Hajnal concludes with some useful reminders, among them that 'governments, IGOs and the business sector cannot take it for granted that civil society will act on their terms'. Civil society organisations, in good part, embody the demands of the world's dispossessed, who cannot be expected in all cases 'to await the beneficence of the rich'.

(From the publisher)