Human Rights Clark, A.M., Friedman,

Human Rights

Clark, a.M., Friedman, E.J., & Hochstetler, K. (1998). The sovereign limits of a global civic society. World Politics 51 Oct 1998).

The state is no longer the locus of control, even at the domestic level. Realists continue to champion the supremacy of the nation-state, and downplay the relevance of NGOs. On the other hand, the emergence of a "global civil society" via trans-national social organizations cannot be ignored. Clark, Friedman & Hochstetler (1998) present the concept of a "global civil society" in terms of empirical evidence. Moreover, the authors center on three key areas on which the global civil society acts: the environment, human rights, and women.

There are two ways trans-national organizations may influence state governments. First, the social cohesiveness of a trans-national body creates an aggregate political force. Thus, a trans-national body can increase political interest and participation, reducing apathy. Second, a trans-national body can also prevent tyrannical states from usurping political freedom via the use of force. NGOs may be one of many types of trans-national organizations that can impact the global civil society. The "norms of democracy" are usually invoked to give credibility to NGOs and any other global civil or social organization (p. 6). NOGs frequently find themselves working on two distinct but related fronts: by working at the grassroots level to inspire political empowerment and awareness; and by working directly with state governments to create the policy, legal and legislative changes necessary.

In spite of the increasing power of NGOs to influence social and civic change, empirical evidence reveals structural impediments in the effectiveness of NGOs. NGOs are excluded from crucial stages of conference planning and are thus hindered from accomplishing goals. What can be done to increase the status of NGOs so that they may compete with -- or in some cases supersede -- the influence of nation-states? What are the ethical conundrums associated with NGOs in terms of their interfering with national sovereignty and how can such issues be ameliorated?

Boli, J. & Thomas, G.M. (1997). World culture in the world polity: A century of international and non-governmental organization. American Sociological Review 1997(62).

Boli & Thomas (1997) trace the origins of what can be called a global society. Examining the first major wave of organizations that helped create global political and social norms, the authors establish the case that a global society exists. This global society can be conceived of as a unified polity with shared social systems and norms. International NGOs (INGOs) are one of the institutional hallmarks of the global society. The study of INGOs illustrates the structure and function of global culture. Furthermore, INGOs can and should expand their role. Because they transcend the peculiarities of insular cultures and the nation-states that support them, INGOs present opportunities for human rights improvements.