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Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations
Vol. 17, No. 1, March 2006 ( C[circlecopyrt] 2006)DOI: 10.1007/s11266-005-9002-0Civil Society Actors as Catalysts for Transnational
Social LearningL. David Brown1,3 and Vanessa Timmer2Published online: 5 April 2006This paper explores the roles of transnational civil society organizations and
networks in transnational social learning. It begins with an investigation into social learning within problem domains and into the ways in which such domain
learning builds perspectives and capacities for effective action among domain
organizations and institutions. It suggests that domain learning involves problem
definition, direction setting, implementation of collective action, and performance
monitoring. Transnational civil society actors appear to take five roles in domain
learning: (1) identifying issues, (2) facilitating voice of marginalized stakeholders, (3) amplifying the importance of issues, (4) building bridges among diverse
stakeholders, and (5) monitoring and assessing solutions. The paper then explores
the circumstances in which transnational civil society actors can be expected to
make special contributions in important problem domains in the future.KEY WORDS: transnational civil society networks; international nongovernmental organizations;
social learning; problem domains; global governance.INTRODUCTIONCivil society actors, such as nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), social
movements, and advocacy networks, are becoming major players in transnational
governance and problem-solving. Together with nation-states, intergovernmental
organizations and multinational corporations, transnational civil society organizations and networks have engaged in defining and in learning how to solve1The Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard
University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.2Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver,
British Columbia, Canada.3Correspondence should be directed to L. David Brown, The Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, 79 John F. Kennedy Street,
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA; e-mail: l. david [email protected]/06/0300-0001/1 C[circlecopyrt] 2006 International Society for Third-Sector Research and The Johns Hopkins University2 Brown and Timmertransnational problems in domains ranging from human rights to environmental
protection to corruption to poverty alleviation and development. Transnational
problem domains are social, economic, and environmental challenges facing society that affect populations across borders and require the involvement of actors
in more than one country to resolve. The civil society sector is composed of
associations, institutions, and public discourses organized around shared values,
in contrast to the organization of the state sector around authority and...