ABSTRACT
The origin of mobilization efforts by French civil society to promote third world debt relief is closely linked to the so-called ‘alter-globalization movement’, which has often employed confrontational politics in its drive to combat neoliberalism. However, the discourse and nature of these efforts in France and other European countries signal the emergence of a new type of social movement, one that encompasses different forms of mobilization and social organization. In short, this movement marks the advent of a new set of social actors, a new way of formulating and defining demands, a new approach to mobilizing material and intellectual resources and a new advocacy- and negotiation-based relationship with government.
