Week 12 Post-Class: The Global Commons

The Global Commons

The Infancy of a Global Civil Society

     This is a bit of a rehash of my (second) argument from our most recent class discussing the emergence of a global civil society. Before we begin, I'll put all cards on the table. I originally selected 'unicorn', basically suggesting that a global civil society (GCS) does not exist. I prefaced this on the notion that a global civil society would require a form of global social contract that does not presently exist (see: global governance vs global government). All of that being said, following some excellent insights from my classmates (namely, Kirstin) and looking up a more accurate definition of civil society (yea, that happened) I changed my mind. After sitting in class for the next several minutes thinking about the issue, I reached a conclusion that a global civil society was emerging.

     What defines civil society? Here's what the World Bank has to say...

"...organizations that have a presence in public life, expressing the interests and values of their members or others, based on ethical, cultural, political, scientific, religious or philanthropic considerations."

"Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) therefore refer to a wide of array of organizations: community groups, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), labor unions, indigenous groups, charitable organizations, faith-based organizations, professional associations, and foundations."

     ...(of note, there is nothing that requires a mechanism of civil society to 'bring people together' in an all encompassing moralistic sense - the sense in which we were arguing it in class - it simply must enable the expression of those interests and values and have an affect on public life. If it divides us, it's still [technically] civil society. The division is more our fault, than its.)

     What makes a civil society entity global versus national? The crossing borders part is critical, however the commitment must go further. It requires, in my opinion, that the entity and its membership place human issues above national politics. It is evident from a snapshot of the organizations we looked at in preparation for Week 13 (ah, the benefits of a post-class blog!) that a plethora of NGOs, charitable organizations and the like exist and cross borders. One of the most famous... MSF, otherwise known as Doctors Without Borders.

     Now, such examples are not alone. The 21st century has also democratized a growing, albeit controversial, example of civil society: the Internet. My fellow classmates made a variety of points about the virtual global commons, some supporting the Internet as example of global civil society, others suggesting that it is too limited. I would like to do two things: rebuke its limitations as a characteristic which disqualifies it as a contributor to a global civil society; additionally, I would like to define the Internet's role in global civil society.

     Rebuke: Quite simply - evolution. Many great points were made about the extent to which the Internet has been democratized to lower-income countries with weaker infrastructure and less wealth populations. None of these points disqualifies the reality that the Internet acts as an 'entity' (definition forthcoming) of civil society. In truth, the Internet is in its infancy as such a mechanism (read: 'entity'). Of course this birth will start in the most technologically and monetarily advanced nations. By comparison to where we were 10 or even 15 years ago, the Internet's reach and influence have expanded exponentially. I am certain that this reach and influence will continue to grow. While it may be imperfect now, it is both global (though not total) and growing. Sooner or later, individuals in the Congo, or the poorest parts of India will have access to the world's forum (hint) and with it, join in on global civil society. Does this mean their voices will all be heard? Does it even mean that their voices will overpower those in the West or in Asia? No, there are no guarantees, but nevertheless there will be global communities on the internet where their interests and values can be expressed. The absolutist and historically disconnected argument that because an 'entity' does not reach *everyone*, that it is invalidated, is flawed and contradicts any examples we have in reality.

     Finally, my attempt at defining the Internet's role. The Internet serves as a global forum for activity ranging from communication to trade. In the case of civil society, the Internet, as a global forum, serves as a platform to enable the creation of such entities across borders. Examples include social media, subject-specific forums and any website dedicated to a specific cause or set of interests and values. Thus, the Internet is an evolving (but active!) springboard for the creation of global civil society. In many ways, it has already established an strong presence in public life and its reach is only growing.