ONTRAC 20. Changing expectations? The concept and practice of Civil Society in international development

In December 2001, international delegates gathered in Oxford to attend INTRAC’s 10th Anniversary Conference. The delegates represented a broad cross-section of organisations and individuals involved in international development, including civil society organisations from a range of regions, international NGOs, official donor agencies and foundations. The aim of the Conference was to evaluate and appraise different approaches to supporting, building and reinforcing civil society.

In its ten-year history, INTRAC has always sought to play a bridging role between academia and practitioners in international development. It was therefore appropriate that the Conference brought together theoretical debates on the nature of civil society with practical experience, placing an emphasis on panel discussions between a broad cross-section of people.

Brenda Lipson reflects on the state of practice in capacity building at the level of civil society. Drawing on principles and experiences from the field of organisation development, and proposes an integrated and developmental approach to strengthening civil society.

Ontrac 20 also reports on INTRAC’s 10th Anniversary Conference written by Vicky Brehm, discusses a special profile of civil society organisations in Iran by Catherine Squire, and includes a tribute to the late Dr. Peter Oakley, INTRAC’s Research Director.