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Global Civil Society -

Shifting Powers in a Shifting World

Uppsala, April 12-13, 2011

International conference organized by the Uppsala Centre for Sustainable Development, Uppsala University n cooperation with the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida)/Team Civil Society

Call for Abstracts

Social movements and other forms of civil associations increasingly connect transnationally to mobilise political pressure, resources and other forms of support. Transnational civil society organisations and networks have also become important actors on the international political arena, striving to affect agendas and policies of UN bodies, trade organisations and corporations. These global networks have strengthened the impact of civil society actors vis-à-vis political decision-makers at local as well as national and international levels.

However, the political space available for civil society actors is largely determined by modes of governance exercised by more powerful actors, such as states and the international market. With market liberalization and democratization, civil society has been given an increased, but sometimes narrowly defined, role as service providers and watch-dogs. This includes the terms set up by donor countries for development aid directed at civil society organizations. With new emerging global actors, such as China or the G-20, the role of civil society is yet to be seen. Also within civil society, the distribution of power and influence is unequally distributed, affecting who sets the agenda and to what causes resources are directed.
This conference addresses these various power relations, and what effect they have on social and political change. We invite researchers, actors in international development cooperation, activists, and others with interest in the issues to participate and make presentations during the conference.

Keynote lectures:

- Global civil society and global decisions makers
Lecturer: Jackie Smith, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame, USA

- Power relations within global civil society: north-south and south-south cooperation
Lecturer: Kumi Naidoo, Greenpeace International, earlier CIVICUS

- Civil society in shifting modes of global governance
Lecturer: Jude Howell, Department of International Development, London School of Economics and Political Science (to be confirmed)

- Civil society - new global power broker in aid and development?
Lecturer: Tony Tujan, IBON International, the Philippines and BetterAid Coordinating Group (BACG).

The following parallel sessions invite presentations (see attached document for session descriptions):
- Social movements in a neoliberal era: Ethnographies of local activists in transnational networks
Chair: Eva-Maria Hardtmann, Department of Social Anthropology, Stockholm University
Discussant: Jackie Smith, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame, USA

- Diaspora, transnational engagement and the national regimes
Chair: Erik Olsson, Centre for Research in International Migration and Ethnic Relations (CEIFO), Stockholm University
Discussant: to be confirmed

- Globalisation and trade union internationalism
Chair: Nora Räthzel, Department of Sociology, Umeå University
Discussant: to be confirmed

- The implications of the growing clout of emerging powers for civil society
Chair: Johan Lagerkvist, The Swedish Institute of International Affairs
Discussant: Jude Howell, Department of International Development, the London School of Economics and Political Science (to be confirmed)

This is an open call to submit abstracts for the parallel sessions.

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Abstracts (summaries) of your presentations should be on1 page and include: title of presentation, name and affiliation of presenter, name of the session the presentation would fall under, and text describing the presentation.
Abstracts should be submitted to: Heidi.Moksnes@csduppsala.uu.se.
(Please write "Global Civil Society" as the topic of your e-mail.)

Deadline for submission of abstracts is February 10, 2011.

Submitters will be notified by March 9, 2011, of whether their abstract is accepted. No more than 3-4 presentations per session will be chosen in order to give ample time for joint discussions. Each presenter will have approximately 15 minutes to her/his disposal for presentation. The abstracts will be distributed to all conference participants.
Conference proceedings. All paper presenters are welcome to publish a short version of their paper (3-4 pages) in the ensuing conference proceedings, in the series Outlook on Civil Society, published by CSD Uppsala. Guidelines for these will be given later.

Travel grants. We will provide travel grants for 2-4 delegates from Latin America, Africa or Asia to present their papers at our conference, provided their abstracts are accepted. The grant will cover travel costs (airplane ticket and bus/train to and from airports) plus 2-3 hotel nights in Uppsala. Meals during actual conference time are included without costs for all participants. NB. Per diems will NOT be paid, due to university regulations that prohibit such payment. We therefore recommend that you apply for funds elsewhere to cover such costs during your stay in Sweden.

Delegates applying for a grant need to send in not only an abstract but the complete paper by February 10. (This is to ensure the quality of the presentation.) The paper does not have to be longer 5 pages: each presenter has no more than 15 minutes to her/his disposal. Be sure to state when you send in your paper whether you apply for our travel grant.
You will be notified by March 9 whether your abstract has been accepted for presentation, and whether you will receive a travel grant.
Deadline for conference registration (for participants not making presentations) is March 14. Register to Mia.Melin@csduppsala.uu.se

The conference, including lunches and coffees, is free of charge.
Venue: Missionskyrkan, S: Olofsgatan 40, Uppsala. (Suggested hotel, across the street from venue: Hotel Uppsala, www.profilhotels.se)
Time: April 12-13, 2011.

Hompepage: http://www.csduppsala.uu.se/civsoc/

Coordinators of the project Outlook on Civil Society

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