ABSTRACT
Intervention from the transnational social movements is one of the most exciting, though still under-researched, phenomena in China’s era of reform. In general, the idea of transnational social movements (TSMs) indicates cross-border cooperation and joint campaigns among the nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) from various countries to achieve social or political change, typically campaigning in the issue areas of human rights, environment, development, humanitarian relief, capitalist globalization, and health epidemics. From empowerment and consciousness-raising in the community to attempts to change policies of states and inter-governmental organizations like the United Nations (UN) agencies, grassroots activists have increasingly collaborated beyond traditional territorial entities (Kriesberg 1997). However, it is analytically more useful, particularly for this discussion, to also highlight the TSMs as a sphere still dominated by influential international NGOs (or INGOs), which include: large organizations that maintain their own formal branches in many countries (such as Greenpeace and Oxfam), and some internationally oriented national NGOs, which also maintain global representation (such as the Ford Foundation and Carter Center).
