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  • From: John Weitzmann <johnweitzmann AT creativecommons.org>
  • To: "cc-europe AT lists.ibiblio.org" <cc-europe AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [CC-Europe] Your input regarding anti-astroturfing measures
  • Date: Mon, 24 Nov 2014 13:33:36 +0100

Hi all,

together with some other organisations we're talking about how to better define the notorious make-believe "civil society" groups formed here and there, not only in Europe but that is our main concern right now. These entities usually aim at becoming accepted on all participatory levels of politics and administration, and then share the same administrative bucket as CC, Communia, Wikimedia and others even though they are inherently not at all actual civil society advocates, but are astroturfed entities trying to distort what politicians here from the direction of civil society.

This is an invitation to give some input on the definition or real civil society groups proposed below. If you know of other accepted/tested/resonable definitions, please also let us know.

Best
John


Definition

For the purpose of this definition, all NGOs, NPOs and similar organizations will be should be referred to as using the general term of "Civil Society Organisations" (CSOs).

* CSOs are voluntary self-governing bodies or organisations established to pursue the essentially non-profit-making statutory objectives of their founders or members.

* CSOs must not be subject to the direct or indirect control by public or private entities. They are autonomous, but may integrate themselves in superior entities of an also non-profit nature.

* The statutory objectives of these CSOs shall be related to progress of society and the full realization of fundamental rights, achieveing a fully democratic society and the respect to the Rule of Law. Those CSOs which either do not have these objectives or even under the aforementioned objectives are engaging in practices oriented to private interests shall not be considered CSOs or civil society representatives.

* A key factor in defining the structure of true CSOs is their members' independence, both in relation to each other and in relation to any single outside entity or interest. If all or most members of an organisation are (legally, economically or otherwise) depending on one another and/or on some single outside entity or interest, that organisation cannot be regarded a CSO.


  • [CC-Europe] Your input regarding anti-astroturfing measures, John Weitzmann, 11/24/2014

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