Reimagining Transcalar Civil Society Advocacy Collaborations: Starting from the Global South

Abstract

Addressing the currently highly salient topic of power in civil society collaborations, this article seeks to contribute to reimagining advocacy collaborations in the context of contractual relations between civil society organizations in development. It explores the integration of common aims: (1) relating between levels, commonly sought in civil society advocacy programmes in development and (2) local ownership for civil society organizations in the Global South, in such programmes. Based on 29 interviews with staff of civil society organizations, the article shows that country-based actors see collective process, centered at country level, as the foundation for effective collaboration in advocacy, centering on facilitation and support. This turns collaborations with the international NGO that is involved upside down. It also highlights the limited scope for international advocacy from such understandings, while underlining the role of international NGOs in expanding this scope. At the same time, rather than marginalizing the international NGO, country-based actors see a variety of important roles for international advocates at both national and international levels. Based on these insights, the article proposes new, transformative starting points for shaping transcalar civil society advocacy that integrate advocacy at different levels in new ways, grounded in mutual long-term engagement, with a focus on facilitation and support, while expanding horizons, with a country-up approach.