The 700 participants of this four-day event in Montreal on 20-23 August constituted a microcosm of civil society itself. There were representatives from NGOs of all stripes, trade unions, think-tanks, foundations and donor institutions. Some had local concerns, others global, and there was generally a good geographic spread.

The declared theme was ‘Acting Together for a Just World’ but ‘Why the World is Unjust’ might have been more appropriate. Of the numerous sessions and workshops, the most engaging session was on economic justice, largely because it was moderated by a skilled communicator (from the BBC’s World Have Your Say programme) and the speakers came from very different backgrounds.