Contemplating Civil Society Building

Civil society has become a coin of worldwide circulation, usually referred to in an unequivocally positive sense by those who strive for social change. Once hailed as a magic bullet for development, a sword for democratization and a shield against the excesses of power, the transformative power of civil society is increasingly being questioned.

After two decades of civil society promotion, what improvement has really been made? When trying to answer this question, it is important to address another question: How do different development actors envisage social change through civil society conceptually and how do interventions play out in practice?

Based on these questions, HIVOS and PSO present five learning and reflection sessions, in 2010 and 2011. For more information and to register, please check out the invitation.