[governance] definition of "civil society" (was Re: MAG Renewal)

[Norbert Bollow]

JFC Morfin <jefsey at jefsey.com> wrote:

> Kivuva's questions are excellent questions. However, the first
> missing question is: "what is civil society?".

Indeed that is very much a key question.

In Bali, Markus Kummer remarked that he liked the “giggle test” in
regard to that question: A claim to be a civil society person can
be considered to have been disproved when upon making that claim
in a room full of civil society people, people start giggling about
that claim.

That is true.

However I think that in view of various developments, the “giggle test”
is nowadays not an effective method anymore for determining the
boundaries of civil society.

Here's my proposal for a definition:

  In the context of multistakeholder processes, the term "civil
  society" should be used only as referring to organizations and
  individuals who engage while maintaining their independence from
  those who hold governmental power or economic power in relation
  to the topics under discussion.

Greetings,
Norbert

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