PADM 5450. International Public and NGO Management

3. The changing role of civil society in international management

September 5, 2023

What has come to be called civil society, referring to institutions that are not governmental, has always had a role to play in national political processes. International organizations like the United Nations have recognized that non-governmental organizations have a role in international affairs since their founding, but it is only recently that they have begun to play a significant role in both strongly influencing public policy and managing international operations. The session will discuss this growing role and why organizations of civil society may be more effective at the international level than at the national.

Questions covered	What is civil society? Historical participation of non-governmental organizations in international relations Limits and opportunities for trans-national civil society Issues in the governance of international civil society
Lecture	The Changing Role of Civil Society
Required readings	Global Policy Forum, "NGOs and the United Nations" Kofi Annan, "The Meaning of International Community" (Statement to the annual UN/NGO Conference, September 15, 1999 68th United Nations Civil Society Conference, Outcome Statement, Salt Lake City, 26-28 August 2019.
Recommended readings	Browse the site of the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Status with the United Nations (CONGO). We the Peoples… Together Finding Global Solutions for Global Problems , Final Report of the 67th UN/DPI NGO Conference August 2018.
Simulation	Teams will meet on specific objectives on 7 September . Text of the specific objectives in the Logical Framework Matrix for the Division chosen.
Discussion questions	How does the emerging international sector make non-governmental organizations more powerful and why do they provide added value? How is the management of NGO's different from that of international public organizations?
Session Recording	5 and 7 September 2023 are found in the course Canvas.

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John R. Mathiason

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Revised: August 28, 2023 .