civil society Civil society is often pictured as a third sector of society alongside--if not in opposition to--the state and the market. In her 2002 Killam Lecture, Dr. Martha Piper, President of the University of British Columbia, offered a different perspective: "For the purposes of this talk, I am defining a civil society as a vigorous citizenry engaged in the culture and politics of a free society. In this definition, the key agent of influence and change is neither the government nor the corporation, but rather the individual, acting alone or with others to strengthen civic life. In turn, how individuals think about themselves and others, the values they espouse and enact, become the essential features of a civil society." Dr. Piper's perspective allows us to see everyone--regardless of the field they work in--as personally responsible for the values underlying civility. Nevertheless, a vigorous civil society does have its own distinctive institutions that function as an important counter-balance to government and commerce. The growing global integration of markets and coordination of governments creates the need for a corresponding global civil society. "The traditional thinking is you must first establish a strong and innovative economy in order to have the resources to afford the quality of life that will build a civil society. The Brookings Institution study ["Technology and Tolerance: The importance of Diversity to High-Technology Growth", 2002] suggests just the reverse--that is, in order to have an innovative economy, you must first have a civil society--one that is tolerant, culturally diverse and humane--that in turn provides the stimulus for creativity and innovation."(Dr. Martha C. Piper) Your thoughts? This page was originally developed by Mary Rogal-Black.

links UN Civil Society Home Page Institute for Media, Policy, and Civil Society

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