* Draws on social action experiences as far afield as Belgium and Brazil
* Focuses on new social movements, governance and the state of law, North-South NGO relations, and the use of development theatre in working for social and political change

Throughout the world, civil society organizations (including NGOs) are playing an increasingly prominent role in promoting pro-poor policy change both in their own countries and internationally, whether through advocacy or through direct action and popular mobilization. In the global re-alignment following the end of the Cold War, the challenge is to move from mere protest and opposition to constructive forms of engagement both with the state and with the private sector.