In January and May, a group of eight intellectuals, critical scientists and practitioners – each from a different country and background – examined the main elements of a new approach to development in a brainstorming session. The group members formed the Civic Driven Change (CDC) Initiative at the prompting of Alan Fowler and Kees Biekart. They considered the broad pallet of local political initiatives and change processes that are already taking place around the world, as well as the experiences and dilemmas of the global movement known from the World Social Forums (WSF) and other initiatives. The initial outcome of these sessions is a collection of essays, which are intended to be a starting point for a broad, global debate about how an alternative narrative on change can be realized. This special report highlights some elements from both the essays and the brainstorming sessions.

This is an initiative of some of the largest development and peace organizations in the Netherlands. Aware that the current aid paradigm is heavily under fire, they have facilitated an independent process that could eventually lead to drastic changes in their own policies. Will NGOs continue to ‘assist’ the poor from the outside with resources and expertise, or will they opt to strengthen the political and normative – the civic – struggles that people fight within the market, the state and civil society?