ABSTRACT
Civil society can be viewed as a composition of people who are connected neither for profi t making nor for governmental power, but for some public purpose. In the last decades civil society has undergone a “global associational revolution” (Salamon et al. 1999), meaning that its non-profi t and non-governmental organisations have grown in number, signifi cance, and visibility. Moreover, civil society and its activities have become essential factors in democratisation, and its actors are expected to keep both public and private institutions accountable and promote their “good governance”. However, it is argued in this chapter that voluntary organisations (VOs) are themselves not yet properly transparent and accountable for their own actions and operations, which questions the legitimacy and effectiveness of their watchdog activities, as well as their ability to act as a strong public voice.
