Many analysts are looking to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as the promoters of more equitable and democratic forms of development because of their status as actors in civil society. Based on a critical evaluation of six rural development projects in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, Supporting Civil Society shows that NGOs often perpetuate paternalism and dependency. It is argued that both international and national NGOs need to support social movements which are best able to express the demands of people at the grassroots.

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Authors and Affiliations

Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada

Laura Macdonald

Bibliographic Information

Book Title: Supporting Civil Society
Book Subtitle: The Political Role of Non-Governmental Organizations in Central America
Authors: Laura Macdonald
Series Title: International Political Economy Series
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-25178-0
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan London
eBook Packages: Palgrave Political & Intern. Studies Collection, Political Science and International Studies (R0)
Copyright Information: Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited 1997
eBook ISBN: 978-1-349-25178-0Published: 27 July 2016
Series ISSN: 2662-2483
Series E-ISSN: 2662-2491
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XV, 195
Topics: Development Policy, International Political Economy, Development Studies, Political Science, Development Economics

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Table of contents (5 chapters)

Front Matter

Introduction: Civil Society, the State and Non-Governmental Organizations in Central America

State and Civil Society in Central America

The Political Role of Non-Governmental Organizations in Costa Rica

The Political Role of Non-Governmental Organizations in Nicaragua

Toward Global Civil Society?

Back Matter

About this book