Dr. Christopher Pallas Presents at the Transnational NGO Initiative at the Maxwell School at Syracuse University

KENNESAW, Ga. (Aug 1, 2016) — On October 13, 2015, Dr. Pallas presented:

Undemocratic Activism? Transnational Civil Society, the World Bank, and the Democratization of Global Governance

For much of the past 20 years, scholars and practitioners have argued that transnational civil society organizations (CSOs) can act to remedy power imbalances within global governance. They have argued that the UN and the World Bank privilege the interests of the Northern societies over those in the global South, who are marginalized in the decision-making processes and also disproportionately impacted by the resulting policy. However, new research is showing that civil society itself is divided by disparities in power and resources between CSOs.

Drawing on evidence from civil society engagement with the World Bank, Dr. Pallas showed how CSO advocacy is heavily influenced by the pre-existing views of professional activists and the financial incentives created by their donors, and how CSOs exploit State power in advancing their policy agendas.