Shifting the Development Discourse: A Narrative of a Civil Society Network in Ecuador

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 666-682 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Appe
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Development Discourse

scholarly journals Benchmarks for a truly universal Post-2015 Agenda for Sustainable Development

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens Martens
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Millennium Development Goals ◽  
Civil Society Organizations ◽  
Reference Period ◽  
Development Discourse ◽  
Business People ◽  
World Community ◽  
The World ◽  
Development Goals

“Post-2015” is the “flavor of the day”; it is currently right in the center of the development discourse. The United Nations, governments, civil society organizations, researchers, and even business people are currently discussing what will come aft er the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). As you all know, the reference period for the MDGs will expire in 2015, and this is the reason why the world community is now engaged in the task of formulating an agenda for the following period. But this Post-2015 Agenda can and must be much more than just an updated list of MDGs.

“Development”: Projects, Power, and a Poststructuralist Perspective

2009 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aram Ziai
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Power Relations ◽  
Civil Society Organizations ◽  
Development Projects ◽  
Development Discourse ◽  
Empty Signifier

The postdevelopment school has criticized development projects for their inherent power relations and their authoritarian implications. However, since the 1980s a transformation in development discourse can be observed that includes an emphasis on participation and civil society organizations. Through the analysis of several development projects, the article pursues the question of whether this transformation can also be observed on the level of projects—and on the level of inherent power relations. From a poststructuralist perspective, it argues that “development” functions as an empty signifier that can be filled with almost any content but constrains its form.

scholarly journals Civil society: a revived mantra in the development discourse

Water Policy ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lina Suleiman
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Main Concern ◽  
Development Discourse ◽  
Water Utility ◽  
Governance Process ◽  
Democratic Performance ◽  
Privatisation Programme ◽  
Governance Processes ◽  
Governance Reforms

There is an assumption that the inclusion of civil society in governance processes promotes democratic performance and contributes to ‘good governance’, in the sense of pluralism, accountability and transparency. This paper refers to the governance process of the water utility in Accra involving the private sector, and examines the validity of the assumed roles regarding the inclusion of civil society in the governance process. For the purposes of this study, civil society is defined as ‘non-state and non-market organisations that can, or have the potential to, champion democratic governance reforms and act as agents for political and socio-economic change’. Contrary to assumptions made about the inclusion of civil society, the analysis herein shows that the inclusion of civil groups in the governance process of the water utility led to hostile and undemocratic processes and to weak indicators of ‘good governance’. The main concern of the key actors was centred on how to build consensus around the privatisation programme of the water utility. ‘Managing consensus’, however, is an inappropriate planning measure. It is argued here that the focus should rather be on how to design governance structures and arrangements, mobilised by legitimate and committed political leadership, to build and enhance the capacity of governance processes.

Civil Society under Authoritarianism

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica C. Teets
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society

The Cement of Civil Society

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario Diani
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society
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