Is civil society equipped to face multiple, linked global crises?
26 August 2010 Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) must learn to build coalitions that link local, national, regional and global civil society in new ways if they are to address the failings of multilateral governance, argued John Gaventa at one of the world’s largest gatherings of NGOs and other civil society groups earlier this month. Presenting research from his new book Globalizing Citizens: New dynamics of inclusion and exclusion, edited with IDS partner Dr Rajesh Tandon, Dr Gaventa contended that civil society may be inadequately prepared to respond to the complex and interconnected crises of global economic slowdown, climate change, fiscal shortfalls, and rising energy and food costs that are having enormous impacts on people living in poverty around the globe.Civicus World Assembly The discussion took place as part of the Civicus World Assembly, which brought together over 500 civil society, donor and government representatives in Montreal. The theme of the event was Seeking
