Global Governance and Global Civil Society
Discussion Evening
Monday 7 December 2009, 19-21.00
Z009 (Metropolitan Building),
Free University, Amsterdam
Discussing the ways of dealing with globalization, planetary threats and the increasing role of civil initiatives, we often refer to a concept of Global Governance. Unlike the debates about international cooperation, the discussion of global governance generally includes a much broader perspective: firstly, in terms of the values it is grounded in and secondly – in terms of the management process itself. In other words, what is the purpose of new forms of governance and how can all the actors involved make an effective contribution?
The debate is aimed at uncovering the basic ideas behind the concept of Global Governance with a special focus on global civil society. What is global civil society? What does it mean in the context of global governance ideas? What is the general purpose of global governance and how can civil society organizations contribute to it? Why do we need new actors and do individual voices matter? Finally, what are the main challenges, hopes, achievements and future prospects for global civil governance?
The debate will be led by representatives from international development organizations and global civil society initiatives. Presentations will be followed by an informal discussion and drinks organized by the Department of Political Science.
Panelists
• Rindert de Groot – WorldConnectors
• Daniel van Middelkoop – AliceO and the Windows to the World Project
• Dmitry Savelau – The Earth Charter Initiative