CIVIL SOCIETY
IN THE MODERN WORLD:
ROLE AND IMPACT
AICESIS REPORT
CONCEPT NOTE
Prof. Iosif Diskin
Civic Chamber of Russia
CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE MODERN WORLD:
ROLE AND IMPACT
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
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Inform members of AICESIS on the state of civil society in
various countries of the world, problems and goals of
development;
Forge AICESIS common perception of the role and impact of the
civil society institutions in the process of shaping and
implementing national economic and social development
strategies;
Present national experts’ evaluations regarding the level of
engagement, cohesion and impact of various civic communities
on performance of national social, economic and governmental
institutions.
CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE MODERN WORLD:
ROLE AND IMPACT
REPORT OUTLINE
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Introduction: aims and objectives of the Report;
Chapter 1. Role and functions of civil society in social and
economic development, enhancement of efficiency of social,
economic and governmental institutions;
Chapter 2. Civil society in the modern world: records of
international comparative studies;
Chapter 3. Impact of national civic communities on performance
of social, economic and governmental institutions (research by
the AICESIS member-states):
Conclusions and recommendations.
CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE MODERN WORLD:
ROLE AND IMPACT
Chapter 1. Role and functions of civil society in social and economic development,
enhancement of efficiency of social, economic and governmental institutions:
• Civil society may be described as a community of those who share values of
solidarity, social equity and democracy, esteem civic engagement,
accountability and intolerance of any violations of human rights and freedoms;
• The principal interest of civil society is in creating an efficient and widely
respected system of social, economic and political institutions;
• Institutions’ efficiency depends heavily on social conditions (D. North), with the
primary importance of moral foundations. Without them, even the most
complete formal institutions would be substituted by absolutely different,
typically disgusting social practices. Civil society united by common values and
universally acclaimed ethical and moral patterns may provide a source of
regulatory and institutional imperatives for all the other social subsystems.
• Mandatory requirements for creating necessary social conditions produce
demand for specific social resources which can be provided exclusively by civil
society. These are, first of all, civic engagement and accountability, solidarity,
care for the common good, protection of human rights and freedoms.
CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE MODERN WORLD:
ROLE AND IMPACT
Chapter 1. Role and functions of civil society in social and economic development,
enhancement of efficiency of social, economic and governmental institutions
(continuation):
• Dialogue between a government and civil society, social control based on the
values of civil society can restrain governmental institutions, making their work
accountable and efficient, free from excessive red tape, let alone corruption;
• Accountability of civil society is an important value, whose contribution in
national development should be increasing. Institutions of civil society have
to maintain a constant debate about prospects of national economic and
social development. This would make civic activists feel involved in
implementation of national goals and objectives, and provide feedback
between the purposes of development of civil society, on the one hand, and
operation of its institutions, on the other.
CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE MODERN WORLD:
ROLE AND IMPACT
Chapter 1. Role and functions of civil society in social and economic development,
enhancement of efficiency of social, economic and governmental institutions
(continuation):
• Dialogue between a government and civil society, social control based on the values
of civil society can restrain governmental institutions, making their work
accountable and efficient, free from excessive red tape, let alone corruption;
• Accountability of civil society is an important value, whose contribution in national
development should be increasing. Institutions of civil society have to maintain a
constant debate about prospects of national economic and social development. This
would make civic activists feel involved in implementation of national goals and
objectives, and provide feedback between the purposes of development of civil
society, on the one hand, and operation of its institutions, on the other;
• Interdependence of civil society and governmental institutions should provide
quality of government operations matching formal parameters and, above all,
meeting people’s needs, creating social environment where people would perceive
government as genuinely caring about their needs.;
• Civil society is meant to supplement governmental institutions in giving “human
dimension” to the goals of economic, social and political development, initiate real
actions in tune with people’s everyday wants, needs and concerns.
CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE MODERN WORLD:
ROLE AND IMPACT
Chapter 1. Role and functions of civil society in social and economic development, enhancement of efficiency of social,
economic and governmental institutions (continuation):
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Institutionalization and accountability of civil society are important preconditions for
its involvement in a responsible debate meant to produce a social contract with the
state;
Institutional efficiency as a factor of national competitiveness gives the strongest
impetus to dynamic and productive economic development;
Improvement of regulatory legal framework is predicated upon the institutional
enhancement. It is meaningless to pass populist legislation detached from the real life,
that would undermine credibility of the law – an essential precondition of institutional
efficiency. Legislative process and law enforcement should be based on the current
social and economic settings and strengthen moral foundations of institutional systems;
The main priorities are horizontal accountability and drastic increase in activity of
business associations, including their subdivisions responsible for compliance with
business ethics.
Civil society institutions are aimed to put pressure on business associations to make
them fulfil their civic duties. This pressure should result in mutually beneficent and
efficient control and self-control of the corresponding institutions.
Development of civilian control over private enterprises in accordance with the
interests of society is a primary task. Such control would allow to detect violations of
the law, primarily the rights of consumers (for instance, counterfeit products, false
technical specifications, etc.).
Introduction of the civilian control system in this sphere requires understanding of its
specific features. Civilian control cannot be allowed to turn into a tool for unfair
competition, or another barrier for dynamic economic development.
CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE MODERN WORLD:
ROLE AND IMPACT
Chapter 1. Role and functions of civil society in social and economic development,
enhancement of efficiency of social, economic and governmental institutions
(continuation):
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A strong culture of social accountability of business should be bred by
the efforts of civil society. Major importance here belongs to social
partnership and integrated relationship with local communities,
making it possible not only to tap into their resources, but also to
augment their human and social capital.
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Importance of ethical and, correspondingly, institutional transformations in
the community sector rests on the high value of social justice;
Social justice in the community sector faces constant challenges. Civil society
is very sensitive to any violations of social justice in education, healthcare,
cultural, labor or social assistance systems. Community sector is subject to
constant scrutiny and efforts by civil society.
So, it is mandatory to put forward new approaches towards social equity that
would meet ethical norms as well as national social and cultural circumstances
and needs of further development. Otherwise, growth of ethically acceptable
and efficient institutions would be significantly impeded.
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CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE MODERN WORLD:
ROLE AND IMPACT
Chapter 2. Civil society in the modern world: records of
international comparative studies:
1. The CIVICUS Civil Society Index, CSI — CIVICUS» (the Civil Society Index, CSI)
It is an action-research project that aims to assess the state of civil society in countries
around the world. It conceptualizes civil society as a social area outside family, state and
market created by individuals, groups of individuals, organizations and agencies to promote
their common interests.
2. The Comparative Nonprofit Sector Project (CNP), John’s Hopkins University
It is a systematic effort to analyze the scope, structure, financing, and role of the private
nonprofit sector in countries around the world in order to enrich our understanding of this
sector, and to provide a sounder basis for both public and private action towards it. Now it
operates in more than 45 countries. The project estimates three indexes: capacity – the size
of a civil society and magnitude of mobilized efforts; sustainability – the ability of a civil
society to maintain itself from legal, financial and social mobilization perspectives; impact –
contribution of civil society into economic and political life of a country.
CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE MODERN WORLD:
ROLE AND IMPACT
Chapter 2. Civil society in the modern world: records of international
comparative studies (continuation):
3. The UN Nonprofit Handbook Project – John’s Hopkins University
This project offers countries a standard set of guidelines for highlighting the accounts
of the nonprofit sector so that it can be seen and analyzed as a distinct sector in
national economic accounts.
The resulting “satellite accounts on non-profit institutions” pull together a much more
comprehensive and reliable picture of the civil society sector, making it possible to
gauge its contribution and track its evolution over time. As part of this process,
statistical agencies are also called on to estimate the scale and value of the volunteer
work these organizations mobilize and to include this in estimates of economic activity.
4. CSO Sustainability Index – USAID
The Index estimates general state and sustainability of civil society for the needs of
policy-making. Currently the project covers 29 countries in Europe and 25
countries in Africa. The Index analyzes and assigns scores to seven interrelated
dimensions: legal environment, organizational capacity, financial viability,
advocacy, service provision, infrastructure, and public image.
5. Better Life Index – Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
This Index is based on 11 topics, including civic engagement, that virtually
estimates formal procedures facilitating involvement of citizens, business groups
and civil organizations in democracy through the two indicators: consultation on
rule-making and voter turnout.
CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE MODERN WORLD:
ROLE AND IMPACT
Chapter 2. Civil society in the modern world: records of
international comparative studies (continuation):
• Values of civil society:
 personal freedom;
 respect for equality of all before the law;
 privacy;
 solidarity, mutual assistance, mutually beneficial relationship;
 active engagement in social life;
 Social equity, equitable income distribution;
 charity, help for the needy;
 tolerance, respect for individual, social, religious and cultural
diversity, respect for each other.
CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE MODERN WORLD:
ROLE AND IMPACT
Chapter 3. Impact of national civic communities on performance of social, economic and
governmental institutions (research by the AICESIS member-states):
• Indicators measuring engagement and accountability of civil society:
 regulation of activities of civil society organizations in different countries;
 contribution of civil society organizations and civic communities to the process
shaping the values of social engagement and accountability;
 participation of civil society organizations and civic communities in the process
of shaping moral and institutional norms necessary for functioning of economic,
social and governmental institutions;
 role of civil society organizations and civic communities in mobilization of
people and their engagement in civil initiatives in various spheres;
 involvement of civil society organizations and civic communities in charity
projects;
 level of coherence between corporate structures and civil society organizations;
 level of impact of corporate structures and civil society organizations on the
process of shaping their own economic and social positions.
CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE MODERN WORLD:
ROLE AND IMPACT
Chapter 3. Impact of national civic communities on performance of social, economic and
governmental institutions (research by the AICESIS member-states) (continuation):
• Participation of civil society in addressing urgent issues of national economic and social
development:
 engagement of civil society organizations and civic communities in the process of shaping
national agendas and their public discussion;
 involvement of civil society organizations and civic communities in debate on priority
issues of economic and social development;
 contribution of civil society to the reduction of social inequality, facilitation of fruitful
social engagement, creation of human and social capital;
 role of civil society organizations and civic communities in the dialogue between
government and society (forms, methods, results);
 representation of civil society organizations and civic communities in official consultative
and expert bodies, evaluation of the results of these activities;
 Participation of civil society organizations and civic communities in civil control over
executive authorities.
CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE MODERN WORLD:
ROLE AND IMPACT
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
• Current problems and contradictions in civil society development
worldwide;
• Obstacles for increasing the contribution of civil society
organizations and civic communities in addressing the urgent
issues of economic and social development;
• Priorities for civil society organizations and civic communities in
the field of national economic and social development.