Review: Will Civil Society Save the World?

Second Quarter 2003

by Alaine Gherardi

Local Ownership, Global Change (WorldVision/MARC, 2002) is an impressive collection of essays discussing the contemporary dilemmas and challenges facing civil-society organizations (CSOs), particularly those that are adjusting their strategies to deliver effective aid and development assistance to Third World countries. The editors, Roland Hoksbergen (Calvin College) and Lowell Ewert (Conrad Grebel College), have assembled nearly two dozen Christian academics and development practitioners to focus on two major themes. The first is the influence that Christian values and norms should have in the work of CSOs. The second is the shape and character of effective models for human development.

The collection of essays leaves many unanswered questions and, perhaps, a bit of frustration with its conclusion that many obstacles to effective development remain. However, these extremely thought-provoking and reflective essays provide a refined analysis of the dilemmas facing today's development organizations. Arid for practitioners who struggle daily with the obstacles, the book opens the way to a more comprehensive understanding of how CSOs can help to make a lasting contribution to the world's poorest and neediest.

Today, the phrase "civil society" is all the rage, indicating the variety of nongovernmental and nonbusiness organizations that can and often do serve as welfare providers and empowerment organizations for people living under repressive or transitional governments. Many such governments are unable or unwilling to deliver the most basic of social services to their citizens. In addition, CSOs have been engaged by international financial institutions as a primary policy tool for spurring economic growth and global market integration. Raymond Offenheiser Jr. explains in his essay, "Bearing Witness for Justice Through Development," why we all have become so enthralled with the concept of civil society. He discusses how the support from western governments and the impact of globalization have made space for numerous social actors to contribute to wide-sweeping social change. At their best CSOs promote purposeful partnerships among organizations, awareness among privileged elites, and a political voice for those on the margins of society. However, what often gets lost, as Offenheiser and Paul Nelson (in a separate essay) contend, is the original Christian character and purpose of many CSOs. The original Christian language of "stewardship," "neighbor," and "solidarity," is secularized as CSOs appeal to a larger audience for increased funding and greater political support (Offenheiser). Thus, Christian CSOs are in danger of jeopardizing the very quality that put them at the forefront of the movement for just social change and sustainable development throughout the world.

A common theme running through the book is the desire for a more precise definition of "civil society." Although the authors cannot agree on a suitable definition, they all maintain that the lack of agreement among CSOs about their role and purpose contributes to some ineffectiveness and misconceptions. James Skillen and Lowell Ewert shed some light on the definitional problem, bringing a biblical perspective to bear, respectively, on the plural structure of human responsibility and the meaning of human rights in God's creation. Ewert conjectures that CSOs will accomplish the most good only when their actions and projects function to uphold the worth and dignity of every individual. While Ewert believes that "civil society does not possess the ability to save the world," an appeal to secure human rights does, in his view, provide the firmest foundation for holding governments accountable.

The case studies presented in this collection uphold the value and, indeed, the necessity of faithbased, civil-society organizations. While not all faith-based organizations share the same model and mission, demonstrated in the essays by Denis Goulet, David Bronkema, Rebecca Samuel Shah, Terrence and Vernon Jantzi, Kenneth Martens Friesen, and Kathleen Braden and Heather Eggen, faith-based agencies do bring a unique spirit and vision to development work. While the work of CSOs has often been viewed as somewhat idealistic and is often disconnected from hard political and economic realities, Christian organizations have been successful precisely because of their religious character and positive drive. The message of "hopeful visionaries" has encouraged and motivated many to act in new ways and convinced even the most downtrodden that social change and improvement is possible (Offenheiser).

Although the authors do not outline definite strategies that Christian CSOs can undertake in order to remain relevant in a secularized development environment, they all agree that a renewed and deeper commitment to the principles of solidarity, stewardship, justice for all, and unswerving faith in Christ is greatly needed.

Ms. Gherardi is Associate Director of the Civitas Program in Faith and Public Affairs.

See also Will Civil Society Save the World? by Roland Hoksbergen (First Quarter 2001), an article containing excerpts from the conference in 2001 that commenced a project on Third World Development. Local Ownership, Global Change contains papers from that conference.