Permalink : http://hdl.handle.net/2115/34575

This article is aimed at theorizing about “African civil society”. This is a wider concept than European one leaded by “rational” citizen who understands capitalism and Nation-State. African traditional society was rural and cultural. But it historically changed and was divided into social classes, elite-mass and sub-nationalistic or ethnic groups. Though the civil society has a relationship with Nation-State, African one has little connection with it. Since 2001, global civil movements WSF (World Social Forum) are remarkably against Neo-liberalism and for democracy and peace. Can African civil society participate in these global movements? Can it resolve African problems, civil wars, poverties, refugees, diseases, environment disruptions, etc., through the civil networks? These are difficult questions because of distance between fluid or divided societies and Nation-State in Africa. This distance, which occurred during the modernization, prevents Africa from going over the marginalization caused by globalization.