side.
25
Sometimes the term refers to the growing inter-connectedness and inter-
dependence of citizens in new social networks among environmental and human
rights activists, students, or global media. There is no agreement on its definition or
scope, but its emergence, both in terms of new global social movements, and in the
academic literature is recognition of a sphere of public activity that is above and
beyond (yet often connected to) local, national, and regional societies. The
globalization of civil society, like economic globalization, is a process that is
extending into new areas of emergent global governance: environmental regulation,
consumer rights and protection, and human security.
It is clear that in the 1990s, a supranational sphere of social and political
participation became vibrant and allowed space for citizens, social movements, and
individuals to dialogue, debate, and deliberate with each other, with representatives
of governments and the business community in what can be called multi-stakeholder
global conversations.
The number of international NGOs, their scope in geographic and thematic
terms, and their level of organization has incalculably increased over the past 2-3
decades. They make up, however, only part of the increased activity at the global
level. There are also grassroots groups with global reach (movements of indigenous
peoples who have put their concerns on to global agendas) and multi-theme
coalitions that form, transform and recede in response to global challenges. 26 Many
different kinds of groups organized by citizens have come to play increasingly
crucial roles since the 1990s by gathering and disseminating information and
generally raising public awareness for advocacy and action to influence public
policy. This shift in global dynamics is unprecedented.
Part of this vigorous development in the role, function and authority of civil
society organizations at the global level is the growth of technological and financial
25
Like economic globalization, global civil society can be identified as being highly concentrated
in north-western Europe, in Scandinavia, the Benelux countries, Austria, Switzerland, and the
United Kingdom. This is also where the concentration of TNC activity and financial capital is
located, as well as being the area that is most interconnected by technology. (ANHEIER, et. al.:
2001.)
26
See, for example, The Ruckus organization at: ‹http://www.ruckus.org›, which says it “… provides
environmental, human rights, and social justice organizers with the tools, training and support needed
to achieve their goals.”
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