Civil society at the heart of global democracy hypocrisy
By Ingrid Srinath, CIVICUS Secretary General

Issued Date: e-CIVICUS 410, 10 October 2008

Dear friends and colleagues,

“More than at any time in history mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness, the other to total extinction. Let us pray that we have the wisdom to choose correctly.” That facetious remark of Woody Allen’s has been stripped of all irony by recent events.  

Despite frantic efforts by governments, financial institutions and central banks, the virus precipitated by the sneeze on Wall Street appears not to be responding to any of the drastic remedies prescribed, and is, as yet, spreading uncontrollably across the globe.  

Before the developments of the past month hit us, the outlook on aid and trade were already grim. Poverty alleviation efforts and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), in particular, were already being threatened by the food and energy crises. We were still, however, permitted some optimism on the climate justice front, as public opinion and political will appeared finally to gain some momentum.  

The new financial pandemic threatens to wreak utter devastation across all these fronts. If the developed world was unable to meet its commitments to the world’s poor and to the planet when it was awash in the prosperity of the past decade, what chance, if any, is there that we will see progress on these when it is tumbling into precipitous economic disaster? And this, even as the need for solutions grows more severe every day.  

It may seem unthinkable that there is any greater priority than salvaging the world’s financial systems and achieving a modicum of economic stability. Yet, the cures may present a greater threat than the ailment. In the quest for urgent and drastic remedies we run the risk of failing to address the root causes of the crisis and clutching at whatever straws are thrown our way.  

At risk are not only the modest gains of the past decade, but the opportunity to re-invent our deeply flawed and unjust economic, social, political and environmental orders. This crisis has brought together some unlikely allies. It has not yet thrown up the leadership – in government, the market or civil society – that will resist the urge to focus on short-term goals by withdrawing into narrow sectoral or national fortresses. Now, more than ever, those committed to democracy, human rights and social justice must stand together in solidarity to ensure that we do not repeat the errors of history. 

For this week's e-CIVICUS 410 column, I have asked my collegue Carmen Malena, Director, CIVICUS Participatory Governance Programme, to write on the experiances civil society is facing on global democracy. To read her article, click here.

With gratitude, faith and solidarity,

Ingrid Srinath,

To send your comments, suggestions or contributions of articles to e-CIVICUS, e-mail editor@civicus.org.

For previous articles from the Secretary General, see details below: 

. Financial meltdown or tipping point? 

. A study in contrast: Reporting from the UN High Level Event on the MDGs

. Civil Society Challenges: 60 years on

. Human rights education at the UN DPI NGO conference in paris

. Citizens must be at the centre of effective aid

. Disabling by Design? - The Ethiopian Charities and Societies Proclamation

. China: Double double talk

. View from civil society: Key political challenges for social justice in Africa

. What now, Mr. Lamy?

. "If CIVICUS didn’t exist, we’d have to invent it"

. Beyond G-8: At the table? On the table? Whose table?

. Beyond G-8: Civil society challenges

. Recalling the Day of the African child

. CIVICUS 2008 World Assembly, a unique opportunity to effect real change

. CIVICUS new Secretary General appointed. 

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