Global civil society is a term that has gained popularity in the present modern-day society. The term was coined in the late 20th century but has gained a populace in various fields such as academics and politics. However, its actual definition has raised various debates and criticism. Its real meaning is a contested issue. Questions arise with regards to whether it accommodates a world view or western world views, how to make it more powerful and significant to modern-day society, and how to improve on its impact on society in general. Concerns about its definition have also arisen as to whether the definition should capture the formative structure on how it functions or whether to consider its norms of operation. Global civil society is an issue of progression, proponents of a global society view the norms of operation as the best approach towards solving this issue.
Civil society as defined by the Centre for Civil Society (2004, p.1) in the field of voluntary and collective actions with common interests, duties, and values. Their activities are distinct from those of the political state or family duties. In many nations, civil societies appear in the form of charity organizations, non-governmental organizations, church organizations, business organizations, trade organizations among others. These organizations differ on establishment grounds, level of formality in different states, and their roles in society. They arise as a result of a revolution or in support of an underprivileged or a minority group who feel that their interests are not well represented in their state governments. It is also worth noting that, although civil societies are outside government, they assist governments in policy formulations. A global civil society is a dynamic non-governmental system of social-economic institutions that are linked and cover the world as a whole, with its complex effects being felt throughout the world. It incorporates the views of renowned civil liberators like Mahatma Gandhi, Karl Marx, and Martin Luther King among others. It also comprises international groups like the International Red Cross, Catholic relief services, the United Nations among others (Keane, 2003 p.11). The global civil society has for a long time fighting for the rights of the poor and vulnerable in our societies. With the recent rise in disasters and emergencies, the global society has joined hands and mobilized funds to assist those affected. A good example is what the world recently observed during the Haiti earthquake disaster. This essay describes the extent to which the Global Civil Society has impacted the behavior of states in the post cold war era with a major emphasis on humanitarian intervention.
History of the cold war
The ‘cold war’ was marked by extreme political conflicts between nations, military enhancements to increase superiority, and competition of trade to build economic giants. This happened after the end of World War 2 in 1945, and the major players were the United States and the USSR. The US-made coalitions to defeat the USSR and there was a big race for nuclear arms, competition on technological improvements, and the spread of war-like propaganda. This period was marked with high tension internationally as various wars occurred during this time, such as the Vietnam War and the Berlin crisis. The era of the Cold war ended in 1991 after the fall of the powerful USSR with the US becoming the superpower in terms of military might. These events marked an important era in the history of the present-day world. The post-cold war era is the period after the collapse of the USSR in 1991 to the present day. Goldmann, Hannerz, and Westin (2000 p.2) defines the Post-Cold war Era as the present day, the 1990s, or even perhaps the future which is the early twenty-first century.
The global civil society has been accredited with the creation of institutions that have offered humanitarian assistance to those affected by either natural disasters like earthquakes or manmade disasters like civil wars. According to Hehir (2008 p.53), the ability of the global civil society to initiate debates regarding humanitarian intervention is quoted by the supporters of civil societies as a manifest and worthy achievement. Civil society has acted as checks for governments and this shapes the behavior of nations towards a certain issue and influences the policies that follow.
Behavioral changes of states
The behavior change in the states towards humanitarian intervention as a result of the global civil society can be grouped into three categories. These are; the political changes, military superiority, and economic changes. On the political front, nations have often been enforced to adopt the policies that have been proposed by the global civil society. The UN has organized world forums where various discussions are made and a common stand is taken. During these forums, influential people in the governments like the head of states, prime ministers, or ministers are in attendance representing their various states. During these forums, various policies are formulated and should be implemented in the different countries which are represented. It is a common tendency that superior states take these opportunities to propagate their views and expect them to be followed by other nations. This has brought various criticisms as various nations have the feeling that their sovereignty is abused by such directives. Sovereignty is the foundation of politics in a state and the idea of supreme authority in the state as well as a constitutional idea of the rights and duties of the governments and its citizens (Jackson, 2007 p.183). An example is the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Saddam was accused of harboring weapons of mass destruction, linkages of the Al-Quida, and abuse of human rights through mass executions of innocent citizens. Civil actions were banned and their efforts to demand intervention were thwarted by the dictatorial leadership of the Saddam government. Critics argue that the US was just paranoid of invasions by Iraq, while proponents of the war stress the need for a laid down set of criteria that should be adhered to, to justify humanitarian intervention. This was because humanitarian intervention can be used to justify an immoral interior agenda disguised as assistance. Global civil society action should work towards maintaining peace and should also have voluntary cooperation where its political actions should result in no violence. Though preventing human suffering, the international community should respect the sovereignty of the concerned states and should also take precautions against propagating ulterior motives which could lead to modern-day colonialism (Hehir, 2008 p.184).
Political changes
In the modern political world, support for civil society has been used by politicians to gain political mileage. Major political figures in the world have come up due to their support of civil societies and their participation in humanitarian work. Key leaders like the former president of the United States Bill Clinton formed welfare organizations that offer humanitarian assistance to those faced by disasters. His efforts are recognized in the fight against HIV/AIDS in poor African nations. He is also an ambassador to the United Nations which is a global society. When an earthquake disaster hit Haiti recently, international leaders headed their nations in contributing large sums of money towards humanitarian assistance. This was a gesture worth commendation.
Economic changes
The other behavioral changes observed as a result of global civil society are economic. Many states especially in developing countries have relied more on donor assistance to fund their major projects and prevent disasters. When the donor money fails, such projects stall and a humanitarian crisis may crop up that might require intervention. The donor nations then come in with new policies and regulations which must be adhered to before economic support can commence again. The said countries must therefore make appropriate adjustments to meet these conditions while at the same time maintaining sovereignty. The United Nations offers humanitarian assistance to nations faced with a crisis. According to Chesterman (2004 p.42), the assistance offered usually depend on the supply the United Nation can provide rather than the demands by the people in disaster situations. This brings into focus donor politics than those of the communities receiving the aid. Donor aid has major effects on a nation’s economy. It destabilizes the transitional economy for providing services to the expatriates and causing distortions to the labor market. The UN has also been accused of wastage and missed opportunities in its duties, and referred to as a cow that drinks its milk. As exemplified by East Timor, a large sum of money was used to buy drinking water for the UN employees. This part of the budget could have been used economically for water purification purposes and benefited both the employees and the society at large (Chesterman p.42). The global civil societies have advocated for equalities in health provision, education, and provision of clean and safe water. Many governments have had to formulate policies that will enable them to meet these targets. In the spirit of meeting the millennium development goals, the governments are working tirelessly to meet these demands. The global society, therefore, plays as a check to states in the provision of essential commodities to the less privileged in our societies.
Finally, it is also worth noting that, before the cold war, states were diverting more attention to their military. They battled against each other competing overpower in military advancements. For instance, the US was competing with the USSR on the manufacture of nuclear weapons. In the post-cold war era, civil societies have embarked on missions to maintain peace in the world. Peace summits have been called for by the United Nations to make the world a safer place to live in for every individual, regardless of their race. In the cases of civil wars as in the Rwandan genocide, the UN’s Security Council sends its troops on peacekeeping missions. Talks are held between the warring sides with the mediation of the international community and global civil society. This enhances communication and a ceasefire is attained.
In modern times, military attention has been diverted to more constructive and peaceful duties. In disaster management, the expertise of the military men is applied in dealing with victims in the disaster sites. They do this by assisting the medical personnel, providing clean drinking water, rescuing victims among others. This is a turn of events from their previous roles which were invasive to protect their territorial boundaries. In the event of fire disasters, the military assists the firefighters in combating the fires. This is due to their expertise in training and the availability of modern equipment and resources.
Conclusion
The term globalization has been applied by various sectors to mean what they propagate. One notion is that it means internationalization implying much interaction and interdependence between nations. The second notion is that it implies liberalization which means making the world a free place for movements and free trade. Finally, it is taken to mean universalization, that is, anything that can be found anywhere in the world. With advanced technology, the world has become one large nation and is commonly referred to as a global village. Many nongovernmental societies have been formed that champion the civil rights of the minority and the underprivileged. These institutions have joined hands with the common purpose of making the world a better place for all of us. They have formed organizations that can be found in every part of the world with common governing policies that lay down their working structures. These global civil societies have played a major role in the running of state governments. They work together with state apparatus in the formulation of policies especially in matters involving humanitarian assistance. Many famous liberators like Gadhi were members of civil societies and used their positions to fight for the lower classes in society. Critics have however noted that the prominence attributed to these transnational social forces that influence states’ decisions have caused utopia. This position is however moderate as there is enough evidence that the global civil society has impacted much establishing an identity and acquiring a major role in the running of states (Baker and Chandler 2005 p.8). The global civil society like the UN is a major player in organizing humanitarian assistance to the affected people in case of disasters. With the advent of civil societies, states have had to change their behaviors to tone up with what is preferred and avoid repercussions as a result of lack of change. On the economic front, nations have diverted much attention to those humanitarian needs affecting their population. This can be seen where they create large budgets to provide health care and relief to the poor and anyone in need. There is also a provision of relief food and clothes to those in need. On political changes, many governments have recognized the role of civil society, especially humanitarian assistance. They have accounted for their activities in their budgets with organizations like the Red Cross receiving government assistance and even making their acquisition of goods for humanitarian assistance tax-free. This has supported the global civil societies in their efforts to provide much-needed assistance. Finally, change in the role of the military is also prevalent. The military not only serves in invasive duties but also provides rescue services during either manmade or natural disasters.
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