ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the role of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and social movements in community development in Croatia, emerging in the last decade from state socialism, war, and ethnicised nationalism. It draws the most important social, political and economic dimensions of contemporary Croatian society, and asks how far these promote or impede progressive approaches to community development. The chapter outlines some of the origins of community development in Croatia. It also outlines trends in donor activities and will attempt to analyse the problems and possibilities of recent emphases on community development and suggests that alongside concepts of globalisation and neoliberalisation. The chapter addresses the nature of activities in Croatian civil society, including the role of diverse NGOs and social movements in relation to community development as a whole and specific themes and policy and practice issues. It concludes a series of possible steps that could enhance the progressive quality of NGOs' contribution to community development in contemporary Croatia.
