Toward A Global Civil Society

Comprises 26 essays dealing with civil society and social justice in the context of the internationalization of economies and politics. Considers civil society a key to democratic stability and a counterweight to totalitarianism and authoritarian government. Questions the role of the nation State and looks at the possibility of a renewal of democratic socialism.

* Takes an interdisciplinary approach to interpreting global civil society * Contributors are some of the leading theoreticians in the field * A sound handbook for activism The term "global civil society" has become a catchphrase of our times. But efforts to define and interpret what global civil society actually is have led to ambiguity and dispute. This major work of scholarship and advocacy pierces through the generalizations and debates. It presents cogent examples of groups within civil society--from the Seattle and Genoa protesters to transnational grassroots movements, such as Slum/Shack Dwellers International--that are creatively meeting the challenges and opportunities of an increasingly interconnected world. The contributors offer clarity and the hope that another world is possible--one in which civil society’s global networks can effectively create a free, fair, and just global order. Scholars, students, and anyone interested in understanding new forces influencing contemporary world politics will want to have this book on their shelves.

′Even though current public interest and engagement in issues of global violence are the results of terribly tragic and disturbing events, it is good that these matters are receiving widespread attention. I argue for a wider use of our voice in the working of global civil society - to be distinguished from military initiatives and strategic activities of governments. The Global Civil Society Yearbook can make a substantial contribution to the expression of public voice without border′ - Amartya Sen Suicide bombings, collateral damage, kidnappings and air strikes pepper the lexicon of twenty-first century politics. Global Civil Society 2006/7 explores the complex relationship between violence, civil society and legitimacy in a unique dialogue that crosses political, cultural and religious boundaries. Is the use of violence by non-state actors ever justified? How is violence transmitted from the private to the public sphere? Why is terror and ′the war on terror′ catalysing rather than suppressing violence? Do Western and Islamic traditions of thought offer any solutions? This edition of the Yearbook also includes new research on economic and social rights, the politics of water, and football. Chapters include: - Not Even a Tree: Can Violence be Justified in a Global Era? Mary Kaldor and Heba Raouf Ezzat - Bringing Violence ′Back Home′ Jenny Pearce - Pipe dream or Panacea? Global Civil Society and Economic and Social Rights Marlies Glasius - War and Peace: the Role of Global Civil Society Mary Kaldor, Denisa Kostovicova, and Yahia Said - Water: a Global Contestation Willemijn Dicke, Patrick Bond, Fadia Daibes-Murad, Sanjeev Khagram, Alessandro Palmieri, Carlos Vainer, Zoë Wilson and Patricia Wouters - The Church, the Mosque and Global Civil Society Mark Juergensmeyer - The Odd Couple: Football and Global Civil Society David Goldblatt

John Keane, a leading scholar of political theory, tracks the recent development of a big idea with fresh potency - global civil society. In this timely book, Keane explores the contradictory forces currently nurturing or threatening its growth, and he shows how talk of global civil society implies a political vision of a less violent world, founded on legally sanctioned power-sharing arrangements among different and intermingling forms of socio-economic life. Keane's reflections are pitted against the widespread feeling that the world is both too complex and too violent to deserve serious reflection. His account borrows from various scholarly disciplines, including political science and international relations, to challenge the silence and confusion within much of contemporary literature on globalisation and global governance. Against fears of terrorism, rising tides of xenophobia, and loose talk of 'anti-globalisation', the defence of global civil society mounted here implies the need for new democratic ways of living.

While one world government is not on the cards, the globalisation of political life has progressed significantly over the last decades. This volume starts out from the idea of the world as one interconnected political system.

Examines complex and diverse links between philanthropy, civil society and globalization as a single theme that goes beyond standard economic interpretations Has the potential to generate interest among a wider audience of academics, public policy makers and administrators in the field of philanthropy, civil society and globalization

Examines the prospects for cosmopolitan democracy as a viable and humane response to the challenges of globalization. This book looks at various aspects of cosmopolitan democracy in theory and practice.