The Internal Contradictions of Global Civil Society – What Impact on Global Democracy?
Year: 2007
Type: preprint
Abstract: In today’s international system, key decisions that change the lives of millions of people and influence the policies of national governments are taken by institutions that show a significant deficit of democratic participation and control. Not only institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, which are often described as the least democratic bodies in global governance, but also the United Nations and the World Trade Organization have come under growing scrutiny for their lack of democratic accountability, and for being effectively controlled by Western elites and multinational corporations. This international democratic deficit has become the target of many civil society organisations and movements fighting for the democratisation of global governance and the creation of a democratic global system. Apart from proclamations and official statements, however, it remains to be seen whether this new ‘global civil society’ is actually contributing towards global democracy in its day-to-day activities. Is global civil society really democratising the world by opening up new space for citizen participation, or is it just another global aristocracy striving to play a niche role in the international system?
Source: SSRN Electronic Journal
Author: Lorenzo Fioramonti
Institution: University of Pretoria
Language: English
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2208833774