Civil Society @ Crossroads: Shifts, challenges, options?

The discussion in this document focuses on civil societies and the mobilisation of those groups of people to enact change, or express their voice for change to the government or ruling party. Approximately 18 countries and 18 different instances of civil society mobilisation are presented and examined.

This report makes a comparative analysis of how effective civil societies have become (more or less) effective over the years. The partnership of civil society, for example, with the old and new media both expands and regulates outreach and impacts. The relationships between civil society, government, and business are also changing. These changes impact the role of civil society and the effectiveness and outcomes of civil mobilisation to effect change, either by protest or by mobilising skills to effect an outcome.