Claiming Global Space and Scaling Up Influence: Civil Society Working Together - Scenario 2

to appear in Centre for Global Studies, University of Victoria

Ramesh Singh

Published: October 2006

Keywords: Civil society, global, governance, organization, organisation, ngo, igo, Civil Society

Abstract:

A Concept Paper for the Civil Society Conference, Waterloo, Ontario, October 17-19, 2006

There is an emerging consensus, as indicated by various other background papers for this conference, about how
- important it is to take into consideration the perspectives and voices of civil society in global governance to ensure human rights, social justice and prosperity
- civil society, mainly due to fragmentation, does not have adequate or effective voice or place at the decision making 'tables' of global governance
- civil society organisations and forums are organised and aggregated in various manner which is inadequate for becoming an effective voice and influence
- there are many reasons why civil society organisations are unable to or have failed to come together collectively to any effective form of global aggregation
- new ways and methods of consolidating, aggregating and presenting powerfully the perspectives, voices, resistance and propositions of civil society organisations and social movements are needed urgently to have influence and results at the global governance 'tables'.

This paper is an attempt to initiate discussions and explore possibilities about ways and means of developing an entity, a forum or a framework for ensuring aggregation of civil society voices in the global arena. The ideas outlined below have benefited from discussions, perspectives and ideas from my colleagues but what is presented here does neither represent their or ActionAids's position.

Disciplines: Governance

Publication: Scenario-2_Ramesh-Singh.pdf