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Special features
CIVICUS civil society index – Strengthening civil society’s infrastructure
Over the last decade, donors have been increasingly recognizing the need for programmes to strengthen civil society. What has been missing, however, is a tool to gauge the current situation and specific needs of civil …
The infrastructure of civil society – Hitchhiker’s Guide[1]
‘There is a theory which states that if ever for any reason anyone discovers what exactly the Universe is for and why it is here it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even …
Between East and West
Turkey is currently in the throes of fundamental social and economic transformation, embracing a vision of a strengthened democracy and inclusion in an enlarged Europe. As a result of rapid reforms – many of which …
Latin America – Gaining public trust?
In the last decade Latin America has witnessed a marked increase in civil society participation in the public arena. But this trend has not been totally welcome around the continent and questions about CSO governance …
Balancing accountabilities
In recent years, BPD[1] has explored a variety of relationships between the public, private and civil society sectors, with the aim of determining how their different institutional arrangements can facilitate the provision of water and …
Improving governance through partnerships
In a casebook on partnerships being developed by the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), a study cited[1] suggests that effective partnerships have a positive impact on governance. The authors agree that a change in …
New approaches to governance in CEE
Civil society in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) has achieved remarkable success over the past decade. Yet notably absent among its achievements is an appreciation of the importance of boards and the governance function. Boards …
Hungary – Introducing the concept of governance
In Hungary, as in other CEE countries, the importance of NGO boards is increasingly recognized. As foreign donors leave and fundraising becomes more than a matter of writing grant proposals, boards more often find themselves …
The Philippines – Self-regulation on trial
The Philippine Council for NGO Certification (PCNC) provides the world’s first example of government delegating to a non-profit organization authority to certify NGOs for tax benefit purposes. Established in late 1998, PCNC has now evaluated …
Participatory capacity building – A journey into trust
We funders are all striving to make a difference, aren’t we? But we have to do it through others. What would happen if we allowed NGOs to control how funds are used and trusted them …