Introduction

Questions

1. In what specific ways do you participate in civil society? What influence has doing so had on (a) your daily life and (b) your political activities and opinions? (1-2)
2. Is it possible to objectively study and understand a sociopolitical phenomenon such as civil society? Why or why not? (3)
3. Name and describe the basic goals of an NGO with which you've been involved or had some personal contact. What has been the nature of your involvement or contact with this organization, and what has resulted from it? (3-4)

Exercises

NGO Differences

Although NGOs are often lumped together for purposes of analysis, they can vary considerably in terms of their organizational objectives and the strategies they use to accomplish these goals.

Browse and compare the websites in one of these three groups:

• EII, RAN, Greenpeace
• Womankind Worldwide, Oxfam
• IGC, OneWorld

For your selected websites:

1. What is each of these organizations trying to accomplish?
2. What strategies and tactics does each NGO employ to realize its objectives?
3. In what significant ways do these organizations differ from each other?

NGOs as Civil Society Actors

As noted in the book, NGOs have become increasingly involved in politics and society over the years.

Think of an NGO you've heard about, made a donation to, or otherwise been involved with and visit its website.

1. What does this organization do? How does it portray itself?
2. Using pages 1-2 of the book as a reference point, how would you characterize this particular NGO's participation in "civil society"?