In the first historical account of international NGOs, from the French
Revolution to the present, Thomas Davies places the contemporary debate
on transnational civil society in context. In contrast to the
conventional wisdom, which sees transnational civil society as a recent
development taking place along a linear trajectory, he explores the long
history of international NGOs in terms of a cyclical process
characterised by three major waves: the era to 1914, the inter-war
years, and the period since the Second World War. The breadth of
transnational civil society activities explored is unprecedented in its
diversity, from business associations to humanitarian organisations,
peace groups to socialist movements, feminist organisations to pan-
nationalist groups. The geographical scope covered is also extensive,
and the analysis is richly supported with reference to a diverse array
of previously unexplored sources. By revealing the role of civil society
rather than governmental actors in the major trans- formations of the
past two-and-a-half centuries, this book is for anyone interested in
obtaining a new perspective on world history. The analysis concludes in
the second decade of the twenty-first century, providing insights into
the trajectory of transnational civil society in the post-9/11 and
post-financial crisis eras.
