Civil society in a changing world
Civil society is evolving in impactful and dynamic ways.
Definitions are changing as civil society is recognized as encompassing far more than a mere “sector” dominated by the NGO community: civil society today includes an ever wider and more vibrant range of organized and unorganized groups, as new civil society actors blur the boundaries between sectors and experiment with new organizational forms, both online and off. By being engaged with government, business and international organizations, civil society actors can and should provide the resilient dynamism the world urgently needs. The power and influence of civil society are growing and should be harnessed to create trust and enable action across sectors. The changes that civil society is undergoing strongly suggest that it should no longer be viewed as a “third sector”; rather, civil society should be the glue that binds public and private activity together in such a way as to strengthen the common good.
Roles are also changing: civil society actors are demonstrating their value as facilitators, conveners and innovators as well as service providers and advocates, while the private sector is playing an increasingly visible and effective role in tackling societal challenges. Renewed interest in the role of faith is identifying powerful sources of social capital. In playing this role, civil society actors need to ensure they retain their core missions, integrity, purposefulness and high levels of trust. The world will always need independent organizations and individuals to act as watchdogs, ethical guardians and advocates of the marginalized or under-represented. Civil society in all its forms has an important role in holding all stakeholders, including itself, to the highest levels of accountability.
Furthermore, the context for civil society is changing: economic and geopolitical power is shifting away from Europe and North America; technology is disrupting traditional funding models and dramatically shifting social engagement; and political pressures are restricting the space for civil society activities in many countries. All of these shifts pose challenges, create opportunities and require rapid adaptation on the part of traditional actors. The shifting definitions, roles and contexts described in this report suggest that leaders across civil society, business, government and international organizations possess the opportunity to harness these shifts in order to design new solutions to societal challenges. Civil society can play a particularly powerful role in this process as an enabler and constructive challenger, creating the political and social space for collaborations that are based on the core values of trust, service and the collective good.
Underpinning all of this is the sense that civil society in 2013 is a increasingly innovative in its attempts to solve societal challenges and support local, national and global governance.
Looking forward to 2030, civil society leaders need to understand how shifting external contexts will shape their opportunities to achieve impact, and, in particular, what this evolution means for their relationships with businesses, governments and international organizations. In a turbulent and uncertain environment, actors can no longer work well in isolation - new, more effective ways of tackling societal challenges will inevitably transcend traditional sector boundaries. This means civil society actors need to look to unusual sources for inspiration and relevance in order to adapt successfully.
Four future contexts are particularly challenging for civil society actors to consider in light of these shifting roles.
Mad Max raises the spectre of international conflict;
Transparently Blurred focuses on the impact of openness and technology:
Turbulence and Trust Deficits looks at the prospect of low growth combined with low institutional trust; and
Privatized World asks what civil society would do if the corporate sector were the primary actor “for the common good”.
These scenarios allow civil society leaders to test strategies and think through opportunities presented by a rapidly changing world.
By being engaged with government, business and international organizations, civil society actors can and should provide the resilient dynamism the world urgently needs. The power and influence of civil society are growing and should be harnessed to create trust and enable action across sectors.
The changes that civil society is undergoing strongly suggest that it should no longer be viewed as a “third sector”: rather, civil society should be the glue that binds public and private activity together in such a way as to strengthen the common good.
In playing this role, civil society actors need to ensure they retain their core missions, integrity, purposefulness and high levels of trust. The world will always need independent organizations and individuals to act as watchdogs, ethical guardians and advocates of the marginalized or under-represented. Civil society in all its forms has an important role in holding all stakeholders, including itself, to the highest levels of accountability.
The shifting definitions, roles and contexts described in this report suggest that leaders across civil society, business, government and international organizations possess the opportunity to harness these shifts in order to design new solutions to societal challenges. Civil society can play a particularly powerful role in this process as an enabler and constructive challenger, creating the political and social space for collaborations that are based on the core values of trust, service and the collective good.
Dr. Prashan Kumar Thakur
Secretary