The International Civil Society Meeting What it Is and Does

International civil society meetings come in all sizes and shapes, but some can seem positively summit-like in their numbers of participants. Their focus tends to be on the goals of a social movement, rather than affecting the outcome of official government negotiations. AWID, for example, focused on advancing the status of women, and the World Social Forum concentrated on finding alternatives to current patterns of globalization. A donor wishing to strengthen a movement and its actors (as opposed to trying to elicit particular commitments from governments) might support such a meeting in the hope of generating international or national campaigns for action. Procedural and logistical issues can be much easier than at official U.N. summits. Because civil society meetings are not bound by the complexities of the intergovernmental system, donors do not have to enter the process as early or be as concerned about whether or not their grantees are going to be allowed to attend. Civil society representatives — generally NGOs — are the main actors. Grants can be smaller and less complicated, supporting basic necessities like the organization of the meeting or participant travel. Another consideration is that such gatherings can attract surprisingly strong interest from local media and policymakers, which may be useful for donors who want to advance program goals in the meeting’s host country.