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The next big thing …
‘Die Krisen räumen auf’ (‘Crises clear the decks’) wrote 19th century German historian Jakob Burckhardt, but what do they clear the decks for? How has the world changed as a result of the present financial …
Breaking with the past
Very few, if any, of the ideas in this issue are truly new. But together, they do sketch an urgent agenda for leaders who see the need to take philanthropy in a new – even …
Democracy still a ‘work in progress’
If there is one region whose political landscape has dramatically changed in the last 20 years, it is Latin America. After several decades of dictatorships in many countries, the region is now engaged in strengthening …
Civil society assistance revisited
Sobriety remains the primary message at the end of the second decade of Western civil society aid for post-communist societies, just as it was after the first, while the challenges and best practices I identified …
Reversing the flow – a new democratic conversation?
Mike Edwards, former director of the Ford Foundation’s Governance and Civil Society unit, reminded an audience of charitable trusts and foundations in London last year that ‘democracy is a journey, not a destination: a process …
The long search for enduring success
The overriding idea that tugged at me as I read these illuminating articles and interviews is that efforts by donors to improve democracy and strengthen civil society are the litmus test of their relevance, humility …
Moving beyond apathy
The Trust for Civil Society in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE Trust) has decided to mark the anniversary of the democratic sweep in 1989 with a Civil Society Forum, which will aim to explore the …
Then and now
There will be numerous events taking place this year commemorating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, among them the CEE Trust’s Civil Society Forum in Bratislava in September and the European …
European foundations in the Balkans – From US exit to European entry?
European Union (EU) enlargement into Central Europe and the European integration process in Southern and Eastern Europe have had a major impact on democracy promotion and civil society development. On the basis of the lessons …
Civil society as ideology: lessons from Russia
When I was 15 in the sleepy city of Krasnodar in southern Russia, I led a double life. By day, I was a ‘model’ teenager with good grades and a member of the school Komsomol …