AIRESS Conference Cycle

Africa Institute for Research in Economics and Social Sciences organises a seminar on Thursday, May 26th at 03:30 p.m under the theme ''New Challenge for Global Civil Society''.

Our guest speaker for this event is László Kákai, Visiting Professor from Pècs University (Hungary)

Abstract

Global civil society as an existing, yet at the same time emerging and potential force can neither be encompassed by the total number of international NGOs nor is it synonymous with the anti-globalization protestors that receive so much of the media’s attention. It emerged in response to what is viewed as the rampant and uncontrolled extension of liberal market process that have caused are causing increasing environmental and social insecurity.
Like the term “globalization”, the definition of “global civil society” is debated and contested and is one of the reasons it is attractive to stakeholders from differing fields of interest and activity. Sometimes it is described and explained in terms of new social movements that take place on a global scale. In international relations it is called “transnational civil society”. In economics it is related to the international labor movement and the public reaction to globalized markets and neo-liberalism. In political science the focus is on the characteristics of spreading democracy around the world.