CHED FACULTY TRAINING FOR THE TEACHING OF THE NEW GENERAL EDUCATION(GE)

CORE COURSES: SECOND GENERATION TRAINING

I. Title: THE GLOBAL CIVIL SOCIETY

II. Learning Objectives:

At the end of the chapter/lesson, the students must be able to:
define the term Cosmopolitanism;
discuss the relation of the nation-state to the global civil society based
on three points;
describe the evolution international non-government organizations
which campaign for the global protection of human rights;
compare and contrast the different functions of the different non-
government organizations of human rights protection;

III. Introduction:
In the Enlightenment era, the global citizen is an intellectual who was
widely travelled. In the 19th century, however, two branching off of travelling
groups such as occupational and professional organizations, on the one
hand, and political movements of the oppressed on the other hand emerged.
The idea of travelling was an expression of cosmopolitanism.
Cosmopolitanism is construed as somewhat harmful to the environment or
local culture, yet it can promote international understanding. As already
expected, informal networks and formal transnational organizations pursuing
professional or social interests became an international feature of
international politics as creations of global civic society. It is not clear,
however, if transnational associations are acting as global citizens since they
are primarily promoting their own particular concerns.
The chapter of our study undertakes to first tackle the issue whether or not
campaigners for human rights are promoting cosmopolitan goals. Second, it
will deal with how far is solidarity promoting social equality in global
citizenship. Third, it will investigate functions of the different organizations
offering aid and working for economic development. Fourth, it will examine
the role of some environmental organizations which are concerned with the
welfare of the global commons.

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CORE COURSES: SECOND GENERATION TRAINING

IV. Content:
The Global Civil Society.
The concept of civil society initiated from social networks from below to
provide independence from the state as a resistance.
Since then, democratic theorists argued that civil society is essential to
democracy both as a barrier to an encroaching state and as participative
function in voluntary bodies for political education and responsible citizenship.
Based on the above discussion, there is no simple definition of civil
society.
For Hegel and Marx, they have defined a civil society as somehow
causing individualism and social division when they said a civil society is
the sphere defined by the market economy and its resulting individualism and
socially divisive effects.
There are organizations arising out of the economy to pursue group aims,
whether federations of industrialists or trade unions as are consumer groups.
A civil society also suggests very informal links.
By no means all the activities and institutions of civil society within states,
therefore, are explicitly political-indeed many are social, religious, cultural or
professional.
What is the relation of global civil society to the nation state?
First, global civil society transcends nation state frontiers like in the case
of transnational networks or movements and holding of transnational
conferences to promote social interests. Second, the global civil society
poses a direct challenge to states when groups within one country ignore or
oppose official policies to create links with citizens in other countries. Third,
the role of many bodies within global civil society is to assist and lobby
international governmental organizations to promote goals of governmental
internationalism or cosmopolitanism.

Campaigning for Human Rights: Cosmopolitan Principles and International

Law.
Belief in equality and human rights among all men is basic to
cosmopolitanism. Transnational organizations supporting human rights are
both cited in the sphere of global society and global citizenship. For Richard
Folk, the global civil society promotes world order not because of national
interest but for the interests of human beings.

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CORE COURSES: SECOND GENERATION TRAINING

In relation to this, Amnesty International is an international organization

which is so well known for human rights advocacy.

Womens Rights and Transnational Solidarity.

A lot of transnational networks and organizations are promoting issues
affecting women which is a result of the massive feminism of the 1970s.
However, womens groups already existed even before the Second World
War which proved the importance of establishing womens rights in the
international law during the founding of UN. After 1970s, feminists were
campaigning issues like contraception and abortion rights, womens health,
sex tourism and violence against women.

Transnational Action for Aid and Development.

Extending material and financial aid to people in distress in other parts of
the world originated from the nineteenth century philanthropy. Until the 1940,
offering practical aid was only the responsibility of religious organizations and
voluntary charitable institutions.
On the other hand, during the Second World War, The International Red
Cross and the Red Crescent in Turkey played this role of giving aid to the
innocent victims of war. Hence, after the second world war, this role has
broadened into a global obligation.
Since 1945, numerous nationally based and transnational groups offering
material aid have sprung up in order to help alleviate suffering (e.i.The
Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation which has also a national based foundation in
the country). Aside from temporary material aid, these organizations also
provided skilled and professional expertise to those in need after a disaster
like free professional medical and legal services.
Although essentially apolitical, transnational relief efforts may raise
questions on the efficiency of response of the national government to
distressed citizens.
Green Activists and World Citizenship.
Groups that campaign for a better environment only prove that they are
worthy responsible citizens of this global civil society. Lipschutz said: one
political space in which global civil society is particularly visible is that
surrounding environmental politics. In other words, ecological concern is a
primary preoccupation of the local political environment.

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CORE COURSES: SECOND GENERATION TRAINING

Despite the need for political support, there are private organizations
identified with this environmental cause like Friends of the Earth, the World
Wildlife Fund and Greenpeace International which contribute significantly to
global civil society.
Truly issues here of ecological nature are transnational for various
reasons such as the following:
1. environmental issues naturally tend to cross state boundaries (i.e. the
smog experienced in 2015 in the country came from the annual haze in
Northern Thailand);
2. since the 1970s green campaigns tended to grow and are very influential
on the international laws and institutions. It is here that Greenpeace
International exemplifies its campaigns;
3. green concerns are not only responses from many western groups. As it
can be noted that many poor people in developing countries suffer the
effects of environment disasters.

Consumers as Global Citizens.

Economic boycotts are part of movements for social justice both within
and between states. They may take in the form of banking, trading and
marketing protests.
Other consumers limit their spending in order to save although a great
number of them may forego their spending on certain products and services
which have been identified as threats to their consumer beliefs. Their actions
become a basis of decision for change in the packaging of products and
services which have acquire a negative consumer assessment.

V. Activity/Assessment:
Directions: Read each item below and answer in a separate sheet of paper.
Each item has a unique rating relative to the degree of relevance to the
learning objectives.
1. Identify, at least three international non-government organizations and give
their related significant functions. (10 points)
2. Based on three points, determine the link between the global civil society and
the nation state (10 points).

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CORE COURSES: SECOND GENERATION TRAINING

VI. References:
Carter, A. (2001). The Political Theory of Global Citizenship. New York:
Routledge.
Germain, R & Kenny, M. (2005). The Idea of Global Civil Society: Politics and
Ethics in a Globalizing Era. London: Routledge.
Scholte, JA (1999). Global Civil Society: Changing the World. University of
Warwick.

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