The guest editor for this Alliance special feature is Georgie Shields.

Past, present and future, philanthropy’s role in promoting democracy and civil society in the post-communist world is reviewed in this issue of Alliance magazine. Funders’ perspectives come from Ford Foundation governance and human rights pioneer Bill Carmichael, Pavol Demes of German Marshall Fund, Fabrice de Kerchove of King Baudouin Foundation, Sandra Breka of the Robert Bosch Foundation and OSI president Aryeh Neier. The special feature also includes Olga Alexeeva on the fragile state of democracy and civil society in Russia and reflections on South Africa and Latin America from Christa Kuljian and Anabel Cruz, plus the views of a range of young activists on democracy and civil society.

Also in June’s issue of Alliance: Gara LaMarche reflects on the furore over Barack Obama’s tax cuts while Jed Emerson provides a back to basics guide to sustainable investing. As the economic crisis spreads around the world, its impact is tracked in key countries in the developing world and across Europe, including France, Germany, Portugal and the UK.