Political Science 2225E Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Civil Society, Common Purpose, Global Governance
Document Summary
Civil society is a political space, or arena, where voluntary associations of people seek, from outside political parties, to shape the rules (formal & informal) that govern one or the other aspect of social life. These are voluntary, politically oriented associations comprised of people who share concerns about a particular policy area of problem. Aims to shape the way power is distributed & exercised. Go back to 1839 for the first international ngo movements in the world. Change in consciousness regarding the limits of territoriality & the principle of. Improvements in communications technology (especially the internet) non-intervention. Growth in activism", especially amongst the middle classes. New issues that transcend the state: human rights, environment, nuclear weapons, land mines, disease. Growing awareness that states" & igos" efforts to tackle these problems are insufficient. 6 principles comprise the un definition of an acceptable ngo. An ngo should support the aims & the work of the un.