Even the idea that the advancement of democracy has been slow but
nevertheless steady has become groundless. In this connection, Amnesty
International noted that in 2003 human rights and international
humanitarian law suffered themost important setback in half a
century.^85
Fortunately, in the bleak landscape depicted above there is a ray of
hope emanating from the mobilization of civil society, often described
as the “other superpower.”^86 Global civil society comprises a vast
network of 25,000 international non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) and an even greater number of groups working on the
national and local level.^87 Thanks to the systematic use of information
technologies, this network is more and more tightly knit. And, as it
expands, global civil society is becoming increasingly representative.
While it was admittedly dominated for a long time by organizations
from the North, the situation has gradually begun to change. Since the
early 1990s, NGOs have definitely developed at a faster rate in poor
countries than in rich ones.^88
The various organizations of civil society are concerned with a
broad spectrum of issues (human rights, development, international
economy, environment, and gender), but they all pursue a common
goal: to promote a globalization that gives priority to solidarity rather
than competition. Contrary to a view often expressed in the media,
civil society’s contribution to the political debate is not restricted to
street demonstrations during major diplomatic meetings. For more
than a decade, its representatives have participated as legitimate
partners in a wide range of international negotiations. The creation of
the World Social Forum in 2001 is further proof of how civil society
groups are striving to define an alternative social project through a
constructive approach. All in all, the rise of civil society offers the
hope that one day the management of global affairs may move toward
the realization of a more democratic, more humane world.
(^85) Ibid.
(^86) Jonathan Schell, “The World’s Other Superpower,”The Nation, April 14,
87 2003.
Commission on Human Security,Human Security Now: Protecting and
Empowering People, New York, Commission on Human Security, 2003, p. 88.
(^88) Centre for the Study of Global Governance,Global Civil Society 2003, Oxford
University Press, 2003, Figures 1.2 and 1.3 (www.lse.ac.uk/Depts/global/
Yearbook/outline2003.htm).
80 Left and Right in Global Politics