Background & Objectives

Tags: Worldwide , Knowledge programme
Additional tags: Knowledge Programme Civil Society Building

Hivos and the Institute of Social Studies (ISS) have been working together since 2005 in a joint effort to contribute to the debate on Civil Society Building (CSB). At the core of this collaboration is the interaction between practitioners and researchers to facilitate knowledge development, dissemination and application. This process – also called knowledge integration – has the potential to be of enormous value to the development sector involved in CSB. Both organisations have the ambition to contribute to the debate and further strengthen CSB efforts.

Academic-practitioner collaboration has enormous potential. The academic world can help provide a platform for learning and improving the analytical capacities of NGOs. Working with development practitioners linked to NGOs gives the academic world access to practical expertise and an opportunity to test ideas and theories or gather case material.

In 2005, Hivos and the Institute of Social Studies (ISS) launched such a collaborative project to set up a Knowledge Network focused on the theme of civil society strengthening in developing countries. At the core of this collaboration between Hivos and ISS is the interaction between practitioners and researchers to facilitate stronger knowledge sharing. The next phase of the Civil Society Building Knowledge Programme (2008-2010) will further develop and transform new and existing knowledge, thereby contributing to the debates on the main challenges facing the international development sector.

The Knowledge Programme has research, outreach and capacity-building components which are elaborated in this document. The focus is on fundamental questions and themes related to the dynamics of civil society formation; the role of external actors in strengthening civil society; and the contribution of CSB to structural changes in unequal power balances.

With this Knowledge Programme, Hivos and ISS seek to produce of a variety of outputs for a wide range of audiences (both academic and practitioners) that incorporate experiences based on research and practice. Efforts will be made to transform knowledge so that it is more accessible, relevant and action-oriented for Southern partners and actors.

The main aim of the Knowledge Programme on CSB is to better understand and improve the contribution of CSB efforts to bring about changes in the unequal balance of power in favour of vulnerable and marginalised groups. The three specific objectives of the Programme are the following:
1. To foster new and innovative research on CSB in the academic and development sectors.
2. To intensify the links between practitioners and researchers in order to stimulate dialogue and debate on CSB.
3. To contribute to improving policy and programmes aimed at strengthening the capacity of civil society organisations.