FROM THE DESK OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

If civil society organisations cannot change how governments can?

Release Date: 01 August 2007

By Kumi Naidoo, CIVICUS Secretary-General

Dear e-CIVICUS Subscriber,  

Today, Irfan Mufti, the Manager for the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) and I met with Sayaka Funada Classen from Japan here in Johannesburg. She is the vice-chair of TICAD Civil Society Forum (TCSF), which is actively engaged in the TICAD IV (Tokyo International Conference on African Development) process. The TICAD IV conference will take place in late May 2008 and will serve as a key event leading up to Japan's G8 summit in July 2008. The Civic Commission for Africa (C-CfA) and TCSF have successfully held a workshop at the Alternative Summit in Rostock, Germany, and the steering committee of C-CfA had its first meeting in Accra recently.

According to their website, the TICAD Civil Society Forum (TCSF) is a non-profit organisation established in July 2004. With its main mission of delivering voices from civil society and grassroots of Africa to Japanese policy makers and citizens, TCSF aims to improve Japan’s policy to Africa and to contribute to the betterment of the livelihoods of ordinary and poor people in Africa. To achieve this goal, TCSF has conducted several activities including a review and ana lysis of Japan’s policy, advocacy and publicity, and the holding of seminars in and outside of Japan.

In the course of our discussions with her she stressed that Japanese civil society was keen to create space for African civil society voices to be heard directly and she was keen to ensure that the role that Japanese civil society plays is to ensure that southern voices in general and African voices in particular are the ones that are predominant in the activities planned for next year’s G8 in Japan. She said that it was critically important for civil society to be able to deal with the contradictions that exist between north and south, if we want our governments to change.

Civil society movements and alliances understandably reflect all the contradictions that exist in global society more broadly. The challenge for civil society organisations wanting to develop a more equal and just world is firstly to recognise some of the contradictions and tensions that exist. I have previously said that no one should be advantaged or disadvantaged within civil society movements simply as a result of where they were born. However, it is important for all of us to recognise some of the tensions that exist between the developed north and the developing south and for civil society activists to talk about this in an open and non-confrontational manner.

There are several examples that can highlight some of these contradictions and inequalities that manifest themselves in civil society. The reality is that civil society organisations in rich countries tend to be better resourced, though there are exceptions, particularly those civil society groups that deal with indigenous people’s issues and other unpopular causes in developed countries. One example that is evident within CIVICUS’ work is the Affinity Group of National (NGO) Associations (AGNA). Those from developed countries have substantially larger budgets, staffing capacity and so on. 

However, within the framework developed by CIVICUS, notwithstanding these inequalities, national NGO networks have been working together to foster peer learning and to draw from each others’ skills and experience. 

Another inequality that has operational impact is in terms of travel. Most civil society activists from poor countries tend to have more restrictions on their travel. They have to spend a huge amount of time, energy and resources applying for visas when their counterparts from rich countries do not need visas for most developing countries. If the Secretary General of CIVICUS came from a G8 country for example, the amount of resources needed for planning travel would be significantly less.

Language is another factor with the growing dominance of English and, to a lesser extent, Spanish and French. Most international meetings are conducted in English and this excludes for example participants from Indonesia, the fourth largest populace in the world or, for that matter, Chinese participants. While, of course, there are English speakers in these countries, the language realities exclude several potential participants from global processes.

Several Northern NGOs, faith based institutions and foundations support southern civil society groups and this is generally welcomed and seen as critical for the resourcing of civil society activity in developing countries. There is however a power imbalance in these relationships and sometimes when the resources are secured from developed country governments the terms and conditions mean that the relationship can sometimes become a traditional donor-donee relationship even if southern civil society groups are referred to as partners.

Notwithstanding these differences and inequalities, there are growing efforts to ensure that these differences are m ana ged in a respectful and honest manner. The efforts by Japanese civil society, in preparation for next year’s G8 meeting, should be applauded. They are very keen to ensure that there is real voice given to African civil society and want to play the role of facilitators rather than determining the agenda themselves. 

These contradictions will be with us for many decades to come. The challenge for those coming from developed countries is to understand their relative power and privilege and deal with this in an open manner; for those from developing countries, they also increasingly, while often financially poor, must recognize that their location gives them important political leverage in civil society movements. Only if we recognise our common humanity and transcend historical divisions, not of our own making, can a truly democratic and inclusive global civil society environment be achieved.

Warmest regards,

Kumi Naidoo, CIVICUS Secretary-General

Below you will find all previous columns published. 

• Climate Change: How much longer can we ignore this catastrophe and how will climate change affect the work of civil society?

• Civil society engaging with inter-governmental organisations: is the feeling mutual?

• 07/07/07: Reflection on the mid-point of the Minimalist/Millennium Development Goals

• Towards the Legal Empowerment of the Poor

• Continuity and Change: The position of CIVICUS' Secretary General

• Continuity with change: Governance change at CIVICUS

• From a whisper to a whimper: Reflections on the on the G8 Summit

• Will the G8 deliver according to its broken promises?

• CIVICUS World Assembly need you to set the agenda 

• "We' re Living in a World of Global Economic Appartheid" 

• Renewed dedication to the Call for Poverty Eradication and Equality  

• Wolfowitz must resign to regain World Bank's credibility  

• Criminalising Human Rights in Zimbabwe

• Who's accounatability to who and why?

• Civil society and the progress of the feminist movement in transitional democracy

• The role of civil society organisations in promoting corporate citizenship

• Civil society faces increasing challenges in Zimbabwe

• The road to Accra: Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness

• CIVICUS Youth Assembly to urge for ‘Accountability to Future Generations’

• International Women’s Day, 8 March 2007: Men will never be free until women enjoy full gender equality

• The World Economic Forum is too important to be left to economists alone

• From Nairobi to Davos: Reflections on the World Social Forum and World Economic Forum

• The role of civil society organisations in managing for development results

• World Social Forum 2007: Another World is Possible for Africa

• The importance of civil society in the year 2006

• International Advocacy NGO Accountability Charter: Walking the talk

• Human Rights Day: Righting the Wrongs

• Sharing member impressions and why civil society should be part of CIVICUS’ alliance

• 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence

• CIVICUS strategic planning takes centre stage

• Reflections on the CIVICUS Civil Society Index country reports

• Civil society and the challenge of Regional Integration in the Pacific

• Over 20 Million People 'STAND UP AGAINST POVERTY' to Set New Guinness World Record

• People created poverty. Only people can eradicate it." World-wide commemoration of October 17: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

• Campaigning Works!

• If only civil society was taken seriously: Reflections on the fifth anniversary of the tragedy of 11 September 2001

• Help set a Guinness world record by standing up to poverty

• Civil society takes centre stage at the AIDS Conference

• Can we reform the International Finance Institutions?

• Article on the Doha collapse

• Civil Society and the Middle East Conflict

• Reflections of a Meeting with the Russian President, Vladimir Putin

• You can participate in the CIVICUS World Assembly even if you are not going to be there in person

• Can Civil Society make a difference in Iraq?

• The Ethics of Cherry Picking: The dilemma of where you live, work and play!!!

• Former CIVICUS Board Member passes away

• Reflections on a visit to prison

• The struggle for justice is a marathon not a sprint: A personal reflection

• Can Civil Society make 2006 a year of more and better coherence, coordination and communication?

• What 2005 means for civil society?

• Argentina: Thriving without the IMF

• Can legal frameworks strengthen civil society? Is the time right for a Campaign for Civil Society Rights?

• Why trade justice matters to you

• December 2005: Determined, Dedicated and Diverse Dimensions to Direct Action For Justice, Human Rights and Equality

• Reflections on the United Nations Summit

• Civil society gears up for the UN World Summit

• Reflections on the G8 Summit

• Nelson Mandela: Inspiring civil society efforts to create a just world

• Children, youth and the struggle for a just world

• So we think democracy is growing?: Rethinking social exclusion

• You can make difference on ‘Whiteband Day’ - 1 July 2005

• CSW Monthly Bulletin provides a global forum to protect the rights of civil society

• What does democracy really mean today

• The absence of democracy at the World Bank

• Grassroots activism: ordinary people making an extraordinary difference

• Madrid, Manhattan, Manica and Musina: Civic activism driving the agenda for social and political justice

• On International Women's Day civil society wonders if this is Beijing Plus Ten or Beijing Minus Ten

• Internal governance: Responding to the challenge of civil society legitimacy, accountability and transparency

• Poverty or social exclusion - What unites civil society in the North and South?

• Should civil society engage with governing institutions even when they have deep democratic deficits?

• One month gone, eleven to go: Is 2005 the year civil society focuses on its common shared values and agrees to disagree on strategy and tactics?

• The beginnings of the biggest ever mobilisation against poverty launched at the World Social Forum

• Civil Society gears up for a major global campaign against poverty

• What the Tsunami Tragedy means for Civil Society.

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