Just another Emperor

The myths and realities of philantrocapitalism

Tags: Worldwide, Civil Society Building

The mainstream civil society debate tends to concentrate on the dynamics between civil society organizations and the state. Yet, in a globalizing world, state power is increasingly migrating away to trans-national actors that often straddle the traditional private/public divide.

A case in point is the emergence of large private foundations, privately funded by capitalism’s big winners like Bill Gates. Last year, Michael Edwards wrote a book about this movement dubbed ‘philantrocapitalism’. What does this movement have on offer for a better world. Is it the new magic bullet for development or Is philantrocapitalism just another emperor in the aid industry? Have a look at the attached summary or follow this link to a free digital copy of the book