ONTRAC 50. Civil society at a new frontier – new dynamics, challenges and opportunities

This special double issue of ONTRAC is to celebrate both the fiftieth issue of our newsletter, and also the twentieth anniversary of INTRAC. As part of our anniversary activities, we held an international conference in December 2011 on civil society – one of our core themes that lay at the heart of why we exist and what we do. The conference looked at civil society in the light of economic growth and the post-aid environment, and the challenges and opportunities presented by these. The articles in this issue draw together reflections from the twentieth anniversary conference, and looking to the future for civil society.

The issue begins with an overview by one of INTRAC’s founders on the insights and lessons that can be drawn from our own organisation’s experiences over the last twenty years. Then, following an outline of the emerging trends currently impacting on civil society across the globe, authors from Europe, South Asia, the Middle East, and North America come together to offer different perspectives, experiences and ways forward for civil society in the current climate.