Download or read book Supporting Civil Society written by Laura Macdonald and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-07-27 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many analysts are looking to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as the promoters of more equitable and democratic forms of development because of their status as actors in civil society. Based on a critical evaluation of six rural development projects in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, Supporting Civil Society shows that NGOs often perpetuate paternalism and dependency. It is argued that both international and national NGOs need to support social movements which are best able to express the demands of people at the grassroots.