21821 Grassroots Organising for Global Change

Subject level: Postgraduate

Handbook description

Within a context of globalisation, this subject critically appraises the diverse contributions an emerging global civil society in general, and non-government organisations (NGOs) in particular, make towards personal and societal global transformation. The connection of principles drawn from social and political theory such as participatory decision making and empowerment, to the practices of international NGOs, intermediate NGOs and Peoples' Organisations towards a 'grassroots' or 'bottom up' transformation are discussed. Students have an opportunity to explore these links and specialise in micro-skills development in specific areas such as program development and advocacy in assignment work.

Subject objectives/outcomes

On completion of this subject students should be able to:

1. Describe and evaluate the global political, economic and social context that non-state actors operate in, and identify its impact on specific communities.
2. Critically analyse the emerging notion of a global civil society.
3. Locate the functions of diverse grassroots organisations within global civil society, and identify their contributions to personal and societal transformation.
4. Identify principles of `bottom up' organisational practice such as empowerment and apply them to such practices as project development and evaluation.
5. Demonstrate an understanding of roles and micro skills in community organising, advocacy, social action and networking.
6. Describe and critically analyse specific contextual issues such as debt, aid and population movements, and identify some of the complex tensions when INGOs and NGOs become involved in these areas.

Contribution to graduate profile

Within the context of globalisation, this subject critically appraises the diverse contributions an emerging global civil society in general, and non-government organisations (NGOs) in particular, make towards personal and societal global transformation. Students will develop a broad understanding of grassroots organising by looking into the strategies and practices employed by NGOs to bring about change at the grassroots. Students will have an opportunity to explore micro-skills development in specific program areas, eg. microfinance, in class and also through assessment work.

Teaching and learning strategies

The Learning Guide, which contains subject and content outlines and information, suggests a learning pathway students might follow and directs student learning towards the assessment tasks. It helps students to keep track of the entire subject while simultaneously working on the details, and to move through the subject with some freedom about the pace and times that best suit them. Teaching strategies also include the promotion of learning partnerships. These partnerships are made up of smaller groups and provide an open and less formal forum for students to discuss interpretations of learning tasks, theoretical issues and responses to various readings. The Partnerships also allow students to share the diversity of their own experiences and backgrounds as a way of informing responses to issues raised in the course and promote networking among class members. These strategies are supported by a series of face-to-face lectures.

Content

• Grassroots movements `from below': towards people-centred development.
• Issues such as civil conflict, population movements, human rights abuses and environmental degradation.
• `Organising' global civil society: a critique of long discourse.
• NGOs and POs and social transformation within the state.
• Local grassroots practices and strategies.
• Cultural and social issues in grassroots organising.
• Civil society and advocacy with nation states, and international organisations.
• PO and NGO networks.
• Microfinance and global change: approaches and issues.
• Grassroots organising and foreign aid.

Assessment

Recommended text(s)

Book of Readings

Indicative references

Alvarez, Sonia, 1998, Culture of Politics, Politics of Culture: Re-Visioning Latin American Social Movements, Westview Press, Boulder, USA

Boli J and Thomas G (eds), 1999, Constructing World Culture: International Nongovernmental Organizations Since 1875, Stanford University Press, Stanford, USA.

Chasek, P.S., 2000, The Global Environment in the Twenty-First Century: Prospects for International Cooperation, The UN University Press, NY.

Dale, Ann, 2001, At the Edge: Sustainable Development in the 21st Century, UBC Press, Vancouver

Eade, Deborah (ed), 2000 Development, NGOs, and Civil Society, in Development in Practice reader, Oxfam, Oxford.

Heap, Simon, 2000, NGOs Engaging With Business, Intrac, Oxford

Hudock, Ann, 1999, NGOs and Civil Society: Democracy by Proxy?, Polity Press, Cambridge.

Hudson J, 1999, Community Aid Abroad: Marketing Charity for Change, PhD Thesis, University of Sydney.

Johnson, S. and T.Kidder, 1999, 'Globalization and Gender: Dilemmas for Microfinance Organizations', Small Enterprise Development, 10:4-15.

Korey, William, 1999, NGOs and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: The Curious Grapevine, Macmillan Press, London

Korten, David, 1990, Getting to the 21st Century: Voluntary Action and the Global Agenda, Kumarian Press, West Hartford, USA

Stiles, Kendall, 2000, Global Institutions and Local Empowerment: Competing Theoretical Perspectives, St Martin's Press, NY.