civil society

Hivos, the Institute of Social Studies (ISS) and PSO joined forces on the 9th of June 2010 to explore the challenges Northern NGOs face in supporting social movements.

Workshop on challenges and questions of social movement support

The workshop is a joint effort of the ISS-HIVOS Civil Society Building Knowledge Programme and PSO.

As many Dutch development organisations are making conscious efforts to define their role and added value in complex development processes, theories of change have become quite popular. British NGOs and institutes, like the Institute of Development Studies (IDS in Sussex) are seen to be well-advanced in their thinking and practice regarding development issues and social change.

PSO and IDS will organise two workshops on 23 March and 20 April, during which participants will develop a shared understanding about what theories of change are, explore assumptions on how change happens, and discuss implications for practices in civil society strengthening.

The role of Dutch development organizations will undergo major changes over the coming years. Their role as conduit for development funds is under pressure. Further specialization and professionalism by these organisations could result in their concentrating on stimulating active citizenship. 

The course is on 20, 21 and 22 October, with overnight accommodation

How can I, as professional, ensure that I make a real contribution to the capacity development of Civil Society?

Sponsor, advisor, expert, confidante: various roles that are not easily combined.

It isn't that we know how to build capacity better today than we did yesterday - but the world has changed and yesterday's answers no longer achieve the goals we set ourselves.

It isn't that we know how to build capacity better today than we did yesterday - but the world has changed and yesterday's answers no longer achieve the goals we set ourselves.

Is it possible to also apply guidelines for capacity development designed for "regular" contexts to fragile environments? Fragile environments are characterised by violent conflicts, instability, and lack of capacity on which to build. Can methodologies such as the CIVICUS Civil Society Index and the Integrated Organisation Model be applied to Civil Society development in Fragile States?