NGOs, Civil Society, and Development: Is There a Third Way?

For more than a decade, there has been talk by politicians, academics, and others of a "third way," referring to means and principles of social organization other than the State and the market. Most of this discussion about a third way for development focuses on the roles that can be played by NGOs and other elements of civil society. In this article, the author discusses the ways in which local and global forces compromise the ability of NGOs to achieve lasting reform. He then outlines a new type of reform effort integrating grassroots activism, participatory democracy, social justice, and networking into a truly transformational organization. (Contains 1 note.)