Whose Space, Whose Interests?: Clashes within Armenian Diasporic Civil Society

Abstract

First paragraph: The concept and understanding of civil society is complex and debated, but it is generally accepted that it refers to the realm separate and autonomous from the state, based on voluntary civic associations concerned with encouraging social and political participation (e.g., church groups, trade unions ). The global counterpart term refers to a wide umbrella of social movements and activists across the world, and seeks to unify them under the banner of the global (e.g., environmental groups and the anti-war movement). Although global civil society in particular is deeply contested and there are huge differences between groups that fall under its heading, the term has captured the emergence of a global consciousness in response to the impact of globalization.