Exploring the impact of farmer-led research supported by civil society organisations

Background: The impact and consequences of social media adoption on society are only just being realised and studied in detail; consequently, there is no universal agreement as to the reasons for the adoption of these services. Even understanding why some social media services are popular remains to some extent elusive. The practical use of Web 2.0 does not provide any answers either with, for example, a noticeable difference in the way social media was strategically used by Barack Obama and Mitch Romney in the lead-up to the 2009 American elections. However, recent studies that have focused on social media adoption within specific sectors have begun to shed some light on these emerging adoption patterns; two studies in particular are illustrative: a 2012 study on the newspaper sector and a study on social media adoption and e-government.Objectives: This study investigates why South African civil society organisations (CSOs) adopt Web 2.0 services and the perceived and actual benefits of such adoption.Method: A survey questionnaire was sent to 1712 South African CSOs listed in the Prodder database to explore why certain social media services were adopted and the perceived benefits thereof.Results: Internal reasons for the adoption of social media services by South African CSOs coalesce around organisational visibility and access to information. External reasons focus on organisations needing to become more relevant and more connected to like-minded organisations and initiatives.Conclusion: The pervasiveness of Web 2.0 technologies makes it inevitable that CSOs will have to restructure themselves to remain relevant.

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Approaches to Development in M4D Studies

Promoting Social Change and Democracy through Information Technology - Advances in Electronic Government, Digital Divide, and Regional Development ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-8502-4.ch002 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 26-48 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Jakob Svensson ◽

Caroline Wamala Larsson

Keyword(s):

Civil Society ◽

Mobile Phones ◽

Mobile Communication ◽

Civic Participation ◽

Developing Regions ◽

Civil Society Organisations ◽

Dialectical Approach ◽

Economic Understanding ◽

The Impact ◽

Future Path

There is no doubt that the proliferation of mobile phones in developing regions has opened up a range of possibilities and new avenues for individuals, governments, development agencies and civil society organisations. But we also know that development is a disputed concept and conveys a range of different connotations. Therefore in this chapter we examine the areas, where mobile phones are discussed as vehicles for development (i.e. M4D), and how mobile communication is related to the idea(s) of development today. To examine this, we have reviewed M4D articles in three major conference series and open source journals during 2008-2012. Three dominant areas of M4D emerge out of our sample: livelihood, health and civic participation. We find that M4D is largely based on an economic understanding of development and biased towards techno-determinism. We conclude this chapter by suggesting a future path for studying the impact of mobile communication in developing regions, something what we label as a dialectical approach.

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Against the Tide: Transnational Solidarity in Brexit Britain

Transnational Solidarity in Times of Crises ◽

10.1007/978-3-030-49659-3_7 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 181-207

Author(s):

Simone Baglioni ◽

Olga Biosca ◽

Tom Montgomery

Keyword(s):

Civil Society ◽

Vulnerable Groups ◽

Top Down ◽

Civil Society Organisations ◽

Transnational Solidarity ◽

Refugees And Asylum Seekers ◽

The Unemployed ◽

The Impact ◽

Funding Cuts ◽

The Relationship

Abstract This chapter discusses UK-based civil society organisations supporting vulnerable groups (migrants, refugees and asylum seekers; disabled people; and the unemployed) which have been on the front line of a decade of austerity and funding cuts. It does so by exploring the relationship between these organisations and policymakers; the impact of austerity on the organisations themselves; the mission and activities of these organisations and the cooperation between organisations at different scales (transnational, national and local). Our findings reveal a tale of ‘two Britains’: one of top-down policies and discourses which are anti-solidarity and re-activate decades-old discourses of dependency and deservingness; and another Britain of grassroots solidarity, (self-)organised from the bottom up, often in partnership with austerity-hit local government.

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Civil Society Activism in Italy Across Different Fields: A Multifaceted Picture of Solidarity in Hard Times

Transnational Solidarity in Times of Crises ◽

10.1007/978-3-030-49659-3_3 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 61-89

Author(s):

Nicola Maggini ◽

Veronica Federico

Keyword(s):

Civil Society ◽

Local Level ◽

Daily Basis ◽

Civil Society Organisations ◽

Policy Domain ◽

Hard Times ◽

And Migration ◽

Social Vulnerabilities ◽

Transnational Solidarity ◽

The Impact

Abstract Over the last years, Italian civil society organisations have been working on a daily basis to mitigate the impact of both the global economic crisis and the refugee crisis, which have increased social vulnerabilities. Relying on the data gathered through 30 in-depth interviews with transnational solidarity organisations’ representatives, this chapter analyses solidarity practices in three fields of activity: disability, unemployment and migration. Results show that solidarity attitudes, practices and discourses are strongly influenced by the policy domain in which the organisations are active. Furthermore, the crisis led organisations to search for new strategies and approaches, even though it has been an ineffective vector of transnationalisation due to lack of resources, and the necessity to cope with pressing needs at national and local level/s.

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Women's Emancipation and Civil Society Organisations

10.1332/policypress/9781447324775.001.0001 ◽

2016 ◽

Keyword(s):

Civil Society ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

Civil Society Organisations ◽

Wide Range ◽

Women's Lives ◽

The Status ◽

Emerging Issues ◽

The Rich ◽

Entrepreneurial Activities ◽

The Impact

Women are at the heart of civil society organisations. Through them they have achieved many successes, challenged oppressive practices at local and global levels and have developed outstanding entrepreneurial activities. Yet CSO research tends to ignore considerations of gender and the rich history of activist feminist organisations is rarely examined. This anthology examines the nexus between the emancipation of women, and their role(s) in these organisations. Featuring contrasting studies from a wide range of contributors from different parts of the world, it covers emerging issues such as the role of social media in organising, the significance of religion in many cultural contexts, activism in Eastern Europe and the impact of environmental degradation on women’s lives. Asking whether involvement in CSOs offers a potential source of emancipation for women or maintains the status quo, this anthology will also have an impact on policy and practice in relation to equal opportunities.

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The Restructuring and Re-Orientation of Civil Society in a Web 2.0 World

International Journal of Cyber Warfare and Terrorism ◽

10.4018/ijcwt.2015010104 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 47-61

Author(s):

Kiru Pillay ◽

Manoj Maharaj

Keyword(s):

Civil Society ◽

Web 2.0 ◽

Environmental Issues ◽

Social Advocacy ◽

Civil Society Organisations ◽

Operational Level ◽

Global Environmental ◽

Planning Processes ◽

The Impact

This study focuses on how civil society organisations strategically deploy Web 2.0 technologies for transnational social advocacy and the impact of this technology adoption on civil society organisations' roles, structure, and orientation. The global environmental justice organisation, Greenpeace is used as a case study. Greenpeace advocates for changes in environmental policy and behaviour, has been at the forefront of environmental issues, and has used the mass media as an effective campaigning tool. The key findings that emerged was that social media has become a key ingredient of Greenpeace's campaigning strategy and has been embraced at both a strategic and operational level. The emergence of a collaborative communications paradigm has necessitated a level of organisational introspection evidenced in both changes in the organisation's strategic planning processes and changes to the organisational structure.

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Promoting Democracy in the Western Balkans after the Global Financial Crisis: Good Intentions Badly Executed?

Southeastern Europe ◽

10.1163/18763332-03703003 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 37 (3) ◽

pp. 283-311 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Adam Fagan

Keyword(s):

Civil Society ◽

Global Financial Crisis ◽

Good Governance ◽

Western Balkans ◽

Donor Funding ◽

Emergency Relief ◽

State Reform ◽

Civil Society Organisations ◽

The Global Financial Crisis ◽

The Impact

International donors got involved in the Western Balkans during the last two decades, mainly through civil society organisations (CSOs), with the initial aim of providing emergency relief, and then to promote democracy and broadly support the Europeanization agenda. The intention has also been to contribute to the spread of western values and norms, as well as advance notions of ‘good governance’ and state reform. However, most local CSOs in receipt of such assistance have not developed high capacities and remain dependent on donor funding. They are also vulnerable to political pressures and have become detached from their local constituencies. Through a survey of donors that have operated across the region, this article seeks to examine why the long-term provision of aid and attempts to promote democracy via civil society have seemingly not delivered a sufficient dividend. What is examined here is whether donor conceptualization of ‘civil society development’ is the critical variable determining success. If we acknowledge that how donors view civil society and its contribution to democracy and state building is the basis from which aid is provided, projects are supported, and objectives set and measured, then better understanding the donors’ perspective is an important basis for trying to understand limited success. This, combined with poor co-ordination and collaboration amongst donors and between them and local stakeholders, arguably compounds the problem. The article concludes that although it has long been recognised that donor strategies are contentious and determine the impact of assistance, the economic crisis is exerting a significant impact in terms of priorities, exit strategies and co-ordination, the outcome of which is by no means certain.

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