Global Civil Society is a spectrum of diverse social actors, which offers an alternative to the making of contemporary politics, and towards social change; it provides us with a new approach to change the existing global order through development rather than confrontation. For this reason, global civil society has recently attracted increased interest in the academic and political discourse and consequently has left the margins and is placed in the centre of contemporary International Relations and political theory. Utilizing neo-Gramscian ideas this study examines global civil society’s concept and core features and focuses on its role as well as transformative possibilities as an agent in contemporary world politics. This thesis demonstrates through the findings of our case study on "Civil Society Organisations" Response to the Fourth European Union – Latin America and the Caribbean Summit in Vienna 2006” the alternative approach in dealing with political issues and actively working towards those ends. This research’s conclusions designate the great potentialities of civil society’s organizations, if carefully managed to transform the contemporary world; as well as the necessity of addressing global civil society in order to understand the role of the social realm in reducing the gap of legitimacy in the contemporary world order.

“Trafficking” is not a thing. It is not an event. You cannot point a finger at it or take a photograph of it. “Trafficking” is a convenient, simple and useful label attached not to a single phenomenon but to a complex series of states and events that individually may or may not be harmful or wrong.”1Increasing attention has been given to the issue of trafficking in human beings worldwide because it is a gross violation of human dignity and human rights. Hundreds of thousands of women and children are now commodities sold on an international market to be exploited in prostitution, pornography and forced labour. No country is immune because trafficking is a problem that goes beyond national borders. This thesis focuses on the example of one country, namely Georgia, and its position in the fight against trafficking in human beings. The thesis employs a qualitative research strategy and a case study research design. As a developing country, Georgia greatly depends on assistance from various stakeholders from the international community and local civil society. Thus, the thesis examines a network of cooperation for the formulation of anti-trafficking policy with the help of foreign governments, international organizations and local non-governmental organizations. The conclusions drawn from the conducted research can be summarized as follows: anti-trafficking policy is a specific policy area where issue experts having knowledge about various aspects of this phenomenon count as much as establishments possessing political, economic and organizational power. Thus, anti-trafficking policy formulation and development in Georgia can serve as an example of an issue network.

A educação ambiental é um campo de conhecimento e de atividades pedagógicas constituído internacionalmente ao longo das últimas décadas, com o objetivo de compreender e oferecer respostas a um conjunto de problemas decorrentes das relações que envolvem a sociedade, a educação e o meio ambiente. Com rápido crescimento, a educação ambiental estendeu sua atuação para outras dimensões além da escola. A educação ambiental não formal praticada pelas organizações do terceiro setor apresenta-se como uma nova proposta pedagógica voltada para a mudança de hábitos, atitudes e práticas sociais que apontem uma solução para o quadro de degradação socioambiental que aflige o mundo contemporâneo. Esta trabalho é uma iniciativa de investigação no campo da educação ambiental não formal, procurando compreender sua constituição e dinâmica. Tem como objeto de estudo as práticas de educação ambiental não formal desenvolvidas pelas organizações não governamentais ONGs e problematiza a fundamentação epistemológica e pedagógica dessas práticas, refletindo sobre suas finalidades e condições de existência e funcionamento. Discute-se o papel pedagógico das ONGs em sua atuação como agentes detentores de know-how em metodologias, estratégias e programas de ação para o atendimento de demandas sociais que refletem a complexidade das relações socioambientais do tempo presente. Para consecução dos objetivos, foi realizado um levantamento da literatura da área e uma pesquisa empírica que aplicou duas metodologias: o estudo de caso e a pesquisa Delphi. Foi, também, elaborado um referencial analítico que permitiu a classificação dos processos educativos, a partir da sua orientação pedagógica. Os resultados apontam no sentido de uma crescente, embora ainda incipiente, consolidação das atividades de educação ambiental não formal desenvolvidas pelas organizações do terceiro setor. / Environmental education is a field of knowledge and pedagogic activities constructed internationally during the past few decades with the objective of understanding education and the environment and offering answers to a set of current problems that involve relationships with society. Growing rapidly, environmental education has extended its activity to other dimensions beyond the school. Non-formal environmental education practiced by third-sector organizations is presented as a new pedagogic proposal focusing on change in habits, attitudes, and social practices that point toward a solution to the situation of socio-environmental degradation that affects the contemporary world. This thesis is an investigation into the field of non-formal environmental education, seeking to understand its structure and dynamic. The objects of study are the non-formal environmental educational practices developed by non-governmental organizations - NGOs and this work raises the issue of the epistemological and pedagogical structuring of these activities, reflecting on their results and existing conditions and functioning. The pedagogic roles of NGOs are discussed in their performance as agents possessing methodological know-how, strategies, and action plans to serve the social demands that reflect the complexity of present-day socio-environmental relations. In order to achieve these objectives, a review of the literature and empirical research, which applied two methods: case study and Delphi, were realized. Also elaborated is an analytical benchmark that permitted the classification of the educational processes from their pedagogic orientation. The results point to a growing, while still incipient, consolidation of non-formal environmental educational activities developed by third-sector organizations.

Essa pesquisa está centrada no “Apadrinhamento Afetivo”, programa desenvolvido pela ONG Instituto Amigos de Lucas, situada na cidade de Porto Alegre/ RS, que visa instituir “madrinhas” e/ou “padrinhos” a crianças e adolescentes residentes em abrigos situados na cidade, com baixas probabilidades de serem adotados. Através do método etnográfico, a pesquisa discute a possibilidade de "criar parentesco" entre pessoas de gerações e classes distintas, através de uma forma institucionalizada de apadrinhamento, colocando ênfase nas negociações entre os significados e expectativas que as pessoas envolvidas na consecução do apadrinhamento e instituições relacionadas à proteção dos direitos da criança e do adolescente desenvolvem em torno dessa prática. / This research focuses on "Affective Godfathering" program developed by the NGO “Friends of Lucas Institute”, located in Porto Alegre / RS, which aims to encounter "godmothers" and/or "godfathers" for children and adolescents living in public shelters with low probability of being adopted. Through ethnography, the study discusses the possibility of "creating kinship" between people of different generations and classes, through an institutionalized form of godfathering, with emphasis on negotiations between the meanings and expectations that those involved in godfathering and institutions related to protecting the rights of children and adolescents develop around this practice.

Ce travail dérive d'une recherche dont l'objectif principal a été de discuter quelles pédagogies sont utilisées pour aborder et traiter les jeunes qui ont une dépendance aux drogues chimiques ainsi qu'enquêter comment l'éducation se comporte dans ces cas. La question principale de cette enquête est: Quelle conception de l'éducation soutient de telles actions? L'éducation est-elle responsable de produire des chemins pour ces jeunes, autres que la mort annoncée? Je soutiens l'idée que l'éducation ouvre des perspectives importantes pour le développement humain ayant en vue que les individus sont constitués dans et par l'interaction sociale et historique. Dans l'étude des jeunes et leur exposition au "business de la drogue" - euphémisme de "business de la mort" - il a été possible de percevoir que ce qu'on appelle "d'éducation" dans le contexte des actions de l'État en relation aux "consommateurs de drogues" ou "dépendants chimiques" constitue une politique de retour du problème aux propres dépendants. Le travail accomplit par les ONG pour la Réduction des Méfaits, n'exclut pas les jeunes de la drogue puisque ceci n'est pas son but. Sa proposition est éducative et génère une pédagogie dont la perspective, obtenue par les réducteurs de méfaits, ne fait aucune intervention directe sur le pronostic de la mort annoncée par l'usage de drogue, par contre elle met en place selon la stratégie de Réduction de Méfaits, la préservation de la vie et de leur conscience à ce sujet. Il est important dans ce processus d'établir de multiples interactions entre la jeunesse, les drogues, les réductions de méfaits et d'autres propositions de récupération face aux possibles actions éducatives de ce moment historique. Ce qui touche le champ empirique, j'ai enquêté l'ONG l'Industrie de la Solidarité : l'engagement avec la vie (Indústria da Solidariedade: compromisso com a vida - ISO), située à Imbituba - Santa Catarina, qui intervient aussi dans les municipalités voisines. Avec une perspective ethnographique, j'ai suivi les réducteurs de méfaits dans leurs approches avec les jeunes et j'ai réalisé une observation participante, à la fois, lors des approches ainsi que lors des interventions dans leurs actions éducatives. En plus, j'ai pu constater comment l'insertion et l'acceptation de la proposition de réduction des méfaits se manifestent dans la communauté. J'ai fait des annotations du quotidien de l'ONG par le biais d'un journal de bord et j'ai recueilli des témoignages de consommateurs de drogues. Le deuxième champ empirique a été le Centre de Convivialité Écologie de l'Être (Centro de Convivência Ecologia do Ser). Comme observatrice, en possession de mon journal de bord et d'entrevus avec la coordonnatrice, j'ai suivi des jeunes en cure depuis la période de désintoxication jusqu'au processus de réinsertion sociale, c'est alors que des objectifs comme le retour aux études/cours et la pratique du sport ont été mis en place. Ces jeunes ont écrit des témoignages décrivant leurs expériences jusqu'à présent et la signification de la drogue dans leurs vies. La compréhension de l'éducation comme possibilité pour l'être humain est le résultat du croisement de plusieurs expériences, d'avoir une autre perspective de créer des liens sociaux, d'être capable d'interpréter et conduire sa propre histoire à n'importe quelle époque de sa vie, c'est-à-dire d'avoir un futur ouvert. Je conclus en montrant les limites de la stratégie de Réduction de Méfaits comme politique de l'État et les possibilités pédagogiques présentes en interventions qui viabilisent d'autres trajectoires pour les jeunes consommateurs en excluant le chemin de la dépendance chimique. / O presente trabalho deriva de uma pesquisa cujo objetivo central foi o de discutir que pedagogia(s) são utilizadas para abordar e tratar jovens em contextos de uso de drogas, os quais se constituem como dependentes químicos, bem como investigar como a educação se articula nessas relações. A questão central da investigação é: que concepção de educação sustenta tais ações? Ela produz pedagogias, ou seja, intervenções que possibilitem produzir outras trajetórias para esses jovens que não a da morte anunciada? Defendo a idéia de que a educação abre perspectivas importantes para o desenvolvimento humano, tendo em vista que os sujeitos se constituem nas e pelas interações sociais e históricas. No estudo dos jovens e sua exposição ao "negócio da droga" - eufemismo para "negócio da morte" -, foi possível perceber que o que se chama de "educação", no âmbito das ações do Estado em relação aos "usuários de drogas" ou "dependentes químicos", configura-se como política de devolução do problema aos próprios dependentes. O trabalho desenvolvido pelas ONGs para Redução de Danos não afastam os jovens das drogas, posto que esse não é seu intento. Sua proposta é educativa e gera uma pedagogia cuja perspectiva, concretizada pelos redutores de danos, não faz intervenção direta no prognóstico de morte anunciada pelo uso de drogas, mas coloca em ação a estratégia de Redução de Danos que tem em vista a preservação da vida e de sua consciência sobre ela. Foi importante, nesse processo, estabelecer múltiplas interações entre juventude(s), drogas, redução de danos e outras propostas de recuperação frente às ações educativas possíveis neste momento histórico. No que toca ao campo empírico, investiguei a ONG Indústria da Solidariedade: compromisso com a vida - ISO, localizada em Imbituba - Santa Catarina, que atua também em municípios próximos. Com uma perspectiva etnográfica, acompanhei os redutores de danos em suas abordagens com jovens e realizei observação participante, tanto das abordagens como das intervenções em suas ações educativas. Além disso, observei como se expressam, na comunidade, a inserção e a aceitação da proposta de Redução de Danos. Registrei o cotidiano da ONG por meio de um diário de campo e coletei depoimentos de usuários de drogas. O segundo campo empírico foi o Centro de Convivência Ecologia do Ser, onde acompanhei - com observação, caderno de campo e entrevistas com a coordenadora da proposta - jovens internos desde o período de desintoxicação até o processo de reinserção social, quando colocaram em ação metas, como o retorno ao estudo, cursos e a prática de esportes. Esses jovens escreveram depoimentos, nos quais descreveram suas trajetórias até então e o significado da droga em suas escolhas de vida. Do cruzamento dessas várias experiências, resultou a compreensão da educação como possibilidade aberta para o ser humano, para ter outras perspectivas de relacionar-se socialmente, de ser capaz de interpretar e conduzir a própria história em qualquer época da sua vida, ou seja, de ter um futuro aberto. Concluo evidenciando os limites da estratégia de Redução de Danos como política estatal e as possibilidades pedagógicas presentes em intervenções que viabilizem outras trajetórias para os jovens em contextos de uso de drogas, que não a da dependência química. / The present work drifts of a research whose central objective was the discussing what pedagogy(ies) are used to approach and to treat young in contexts of the drugs use which are constituted as chemical dependents and to investigate how the education pronounces in those relationships. The main subject of the investigation is: what education conception does sustain such actions? Does it produce pedagogies, in other words, interventions that make possible to produce other paths for these young ones that not the announced death? I defend the idea that the education opens important perspectives for the human development, having in mind that the subjects are constituted in the and for the social and historical interactions. In the youth's study and their exhibition to the "business of the drug" - euphemism for "business of the death" - it was possible to notice that what calls her "education", in the scope of the State actions in relation to the "users of drugs" or "chemical dependents" is configured as devolution politics of the problem to the own dependents. The work developed by NGOs for Reduction of Damages does not moves away young people of the drugs, although it is not its project. Its proposal is educational and it generates a pedagogy whose perspective, realized by the reducers of damages, does not do direct interventions in the prognosis of announced death by the use of drugs, but it places in action the Reduction of damage strategy that aims the preservation of the life and their conscience about it. It was important, in that process, to establish multiple interactions among youth, drugs, reduction of damages and other proposals of recovery front to the possible educational actions at this historical moment. In relation to the empirical field, I investigated NGO Solidarity Industry: commitment with the life (Indústria da Solidariedade: compromisso com a vida - ISO), located in Imbituba - Santa Catarina, which also acts in close municipal districts. With an ethnographic perspective, I accompanied the reducers of damages in their approaches with young people and I accomplished participant observation, as much of the approaches as of the interventions in their educational actions. Besides, I observed the insertion and acceptance of the proposal to Reduction of damages are expressed in the community. I registered the daily of NGO through a field diary and I collected users of drugs depositions. The second empirical field was the Center of Living Ecology of the Being (Centro de Convivência Ecologia do Ser), where I accompanied - with observation, field notebook and interviews with the coordinator of the proposal - internal youth from their desintoxication period to the process of social reinsertion, when they put in action goals, such as the return to the study, courses and the practice of sports. These young ones wrote depositions in which they describe their paths and the meaning of the drug in their choices of life. Of the crossing of those several experiences, it resulted the understanding of the education as open possibility for the human being, to have other perspectives to be connected with the society, being able to interpret and to lead the own history in any time of their life, in other words, having an open future. I conclude evidencing the limits of the Reduction of Damages strategy as state politics, and the present pedagogic possibilities in interventions that make possible other trajectory for the youth in use of drugs contexts, that no the one of the chemical dependence.

Programas que contemplem a restauração florestal são importantes para conter o processo de degradação ambiental. A análise do processo de restauração florestal se faz necessária para verificar como estas ações vêm sendo realizado e quais suas características, bem como os principais atores do processo. Este estudo apresenta um diagnóstico do estado atual e das tendências que guiam o processo de restauração florestal no Estado de São Paulo realizado por prestadores de serviços e organizações do terceiro setor. No primeiro capitulo é apresentada uma revisão com aspectos conceituais e práticos da restauração florestal, com a descrição das partes interessadas da restauração. No segundo capítulo foi realizado um diagnóstico do processo de restauração florestal realizado por organizações do terceiro setor (organizações não governamentais) e empresas prestadoras de serviços da área. Para isto foram realizadas visitas a campo e entrevistas com organizações do terceiro setor e prestadores de serviços que desenvolvem projetos de restauração florestal. No capítulo três foi realizado um estudo de caso analisando a colheita de sementes para a restauração florestal por produtores familiares na região de Ribeirão Grande, SP. De acordo com os resultados obtidos no diagnóstico observa-se que a restauração florestal realizada por organizações do terceiro setor e prestadores de serviço do Estado de São Paulo está seguindo duas vertentes: a restauração para recuperação e conservação ambiental e, a restauração devido a exigências legais, para compensação de passivos ambientais ou licenciamento ambiental. Dentro destas vertentes têm surgido novos mercados de valorização da floresta, como o marketing ambiental e o mercado voluntário de compensação das emissões de carbono. As organizações do terceiro setor são também articuladoras do processo, tendo um trabalho importante na captação de recursos para a restauração e na formação de uma consciência ambiental pela sociedade. Para a maioria das organizações do terceiro setor e alguns prestadores de serviços, o processo de restauração florestal tem obtido melhores resultados quando envolvem atividades de educação ambiental e ações participativas com as comunidades envolvidas. A diversidade de espécies utilizadas nos projetos aumentou, bem como a preocupação com a qualidade das sementes utilizadas, apesar da dificuldade de rastreamento do processo. A atividade de colheita de sementes por pequenos produtores familiares tem se desenvolvido como um complemento à renda em regiões com fragmentos de mata nativa. A colheita de sementes também proporcionou uma maior valorização da floresta pelos produtores rurais. As dificuldades enfrentadas pelos produtores relacionam-se à falta de capacitação com a colheita, a identificação das espécies, a marcação de matrizes e também com o transporte das sementes. A colheita de sementes trouxe alguns benefícios econômicos para os produtores, porém aquém do esperado, em parte pela falta de estruturação na comercialização das sementes e de capacitação para a colheita. Os resultados encontrados poderão ser úteis na formulação de políticas públicas para regular e guiar o processo de restauração florestal e a melhoria da qualidade dos projetos resultantes. / Forest restoration programs are important to mitigate environmental degradation. The analysis of forest restoration process is needed in order to determine how these programs are being carried out, its mains characteristics, as well as who are the key stakeholders. This study provides an analysis of the current state and trends that drive the process of forest restoration in the São Paulo State conducted by NGOs and service providers. The first chapter presents a review addressing conceptual and empirical aspects of forest restoration. The descriptions of main stakeholders involved with restoration projects were also reported. Chapter two presents an analysis of forest restoration projects and their underlying process. Field visits and interviews were conducted with NGOs and service providers for forest restoration projects. In chapter three a case study was conducted based on seed collection practices for forest restoration by farmers in the region of Ribeirao Grande, SP, Brazil. The results of this thesis show that the restoration projects are being conducted for two main purposes: for recovery and conservation of environmental services and due the legal requirements to compensate or for compliance with environmental licensing. New markets and opportunities had emerged for forest restoration, such as green marketing and voluntary compensation of carbon emissions. NGOs are important players, raising funds for the restoration and environmental awareness. Forest restoration projects have shown better results when they involve environmental education and participatory activities with communities. The diversity of species used in these projects has increased, as well as awareness about seed quality, despite difficulties from collection, tracing and proper economic valuation. Seed collection by small farmers has generated income alternatives for areas with native forest fragments. Farmers are also giving proper value to forest areas. Seed producers main difficulties are associated with seed collection, species identification, seeds transportation and seed registration. Seed collection brought some economic benefits for collectors, but less than expected, partly due to the lack of seed market structure and of capacitation. These results may be useful for policy making and makers to regulate and guide the process of forest restoration, and improving quality of the resulting projects.

Cette thèse de doctorat en sciences de gestion interroge les impacts des collaborations entre les entreprises et la sphère non gouvernementale. Elle envisage en ce sens dans quelle mesure les ONG contribuent à la performance globale des firmes à travers leur responsabilité sociale.L’état de l’art qui porte sur les mots clés de notre sujet a permis de souligner un triple élargissement au sein des entreprises : premièrement, une ouverture de leur gouvernance qui se traduit par l’introduction de nouvelles parties prenantes dans le cœur névralgique des sociétés ; deuxièmement, un approfondissement de la performance qui n’est plus abordée uniquement sous un angle économique et financier mais également sous ses aspects sociaux, environnementaux et sociétaux ; et enfin, un développement des outils de mesure de la performance. En effet, le reporting économique est désormais complété par des rapports de développement durable. Cet élargissement des outils de mesure est parfois caractérisé par un reporting intégré qui systématise le lien entre le financier et l’extra-financier.Les enjeux de cette recherche qualitative à vocation exploratoire sont triples : il s’agit tout d’abord de comprendre l’implication des acteurs en caractérisant leur posture dans les partenariats mais aussi en faisant la lumière sur leurs motivations à collaborer. Puis, il s’agit de déterminer les modalités des partenariats qui existent entre les firmes et les ONG, en spécifiant la notion de « dialogue » et les caractéristiques des partenariats stratégiques. Enfin, il s’agit de mesurer la contribution des ONG à la performance globale en analysant ses impacts sous le prisme d’une performance quadri-axiale et plus spécifiquement en ayant recours au cadre méthodologique du Reporting Intégré.Nos travaux se sont concrétisés par l’étude documentaire et statistique de 301 entreprises ainsi que des ONG qui gravitaient autour de leur sphère socio-économique. Puis, nous avons à partir de cet échantillon réalisé 44 entretiens semi-directifs auprès d’entreprises et d’ONG et avons complété notre recherche par une étude de cas sur le partenariat stratégique entre Michelin et le WWF. Lors de cette étude de cas nous avons à la fois interrogé des parties prenantes internes à cette collaboration, comme les responsables en charge de la coopération, mais aussi des parties prenantes externes, comme le Directeur Général Délégué de l'International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) ou encore le Directeur Général du Syndicat des Professionnels du Pneu (SPP). / This doctoral thesis in management sciences questions the impacts of collaborations between companies and the non-governmental sphere. It takes into consideration the extent to which the NGOs contribute to the overall performance of firms through their social responsibility.The state-of-the-art of the key words with regards to our topic has highlighted a threefold expansion within companies: first, an openness of their governance which translates into the introduction of new stakeholders in the core of the society; secondly, a deepening of performance that is no longer observed solely from an economic and financial perspective but also from its social and environmental aspects; and finally, the development of performance measurement tools. As a matter of fact, economic reporting is now complemented by sustainable development reports. This expansion of measurement tools is sometimes characterized as an integrated reporting that systematizes the link between the financial and the extra-financial.The challenges of this qualitative research with an exploratory aim are threefold: firstly, it addresses understanding the involvement of the actors by characterizing their posture within partnerships but also by shedding light on their motivations to collaborate. Secondly, it is necessary to determine the modalities of the partnerships that exist between the firms and the NGOs, specifying the notion of "dialogue" and the characteristics of strategic partnerships. Finally, this research addresses measuring the contribution of NGOs to the overall performance by analyzing its impacts under the prism of a four-axial performance and more specifically using the methodology of Integrated Reporting.Our research has been materialized through a documentary and a statistical study of 301 companies and NGOs that revolved around their socio-economic sphere. Based on this sample, we further conducted 44 semi-structured interviews with companies and NGOs and completed our research with a case study on the strategic partnership between Michelin and WWF. In this case study we have on one hand interviewed internal stakeholders, such as those in charge of cooperation, and on the other hand, external stakeholders, such as the Deputy Managing Director of the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) ) and the General Manager of the Union of Professionals for Tires (Syndicat des Professionnels du Pneu - SPP).

Cette thèse étudie le rôle des tierces parties dans les problématiques informationnelles autour de la responsabilité sociale et environnementale des entreprises (RSE). Les entreprises revendiquent de plus en plus le fait qu'elles adoptent des pratiques responsables. Cela peut être lié au fait qu'il existe des parties prenantes (e.g. consommateurs, investisseurs) qui sont prêtes à récompenser les comportements responsables. Cependant, la véracité des revendications des entreprises est souvent impossible ou au moins difficile à certifier, ce qui peut inciter les entreprises à manipuler leur communication. Cette dissertation a pour objectif d'analyser la façon dont de tierces parties peuvent tempérer cette asymétrie d'information. Des organisations comme des agences de notations, des organisations non-gouvernementales (ONGs) ou des organismes certificateurs, peuvent examiner les actions réelles des entreprises et transmettre cette information aux parties prenantes. Ces tierces parties ont un comportement informationnel hétérogène: certaines fournissent des informations plus particulièrement sur les entreprises qui se comportent de manière irresponsable, alors que d'autres se spécialisent dans la mise en lumière des entreprises responsables. Nous développons un modèle théorique simple qui explore l'offre de qualité dans des environnements informationnels amicaux, où la qualité est révélée plus souvent lorsqu'elle est haute que lorsqu'elle est basse, et dans des environnements hostiles, où c'est l'inverse. Nous appliquons ensuite ce modèle à deux types de tierces parties: les ONGs et les labels. Nous étudions le choix de production de bonnes ou mauvaises nouvelles afin de comprendre quand et pourquoi les ONGs choisissent d'être hostiles ou amicales. Ensuite, nous cherchons à évaluer quel est le niveau de sévérité des labels qui entraîne le plus d'investissement et le bien être social le plus important. / This thesis studies the role of third parties in tempering informational issues at stake with regard to corporate social responsibility (CSR). Firms growingly claim to be adopting responsible practices, and it may be so because some socially conscious stakeholders (e.g. consumers, investors) are ready to reward such behaviors. Nevertheless, truthfulness of firms' virtue claims is often impossible or at least difficult to ascertain, which creates an incentive for firms to manipulate their communication. This dissertation intends to analyse how third parties can temper this asymmetry of information. Organisms such as rating agencies, non-governmental organisations, labeling institutions, can investigate firms' real actions and convey this information to stakeholders. These third parties have heterogeneous informational behaviors: some of them mostly disclose information on firms that do not behave responsibly while others are specialized in revealing firms that are socially or environmentally responsible. We develop a simple theoretical model that explores the provision of quality by a firm under friendly informational environments, in which quality is more often disclosed when it is high than when it is low, and hostile environments, in which the converse holds. We apply this base model to two types of third party: NGOs and labels. We endogenize the production of good and bad news in order to understand when and why NGOs choose between being hostile or friendly. Then, we seek to assess what is the more efficient level of label's strictness to spur social welfare and investment in high quality.

Magister Administrationis - MAdmin / A disaster always means a huge death toll, displacement and inconceivable destruction for a poor country such as Bangladesh. Recently, Bangladesh has taken a holistic approach to prioritising interrelated activities and the involvement of various organisations in disaster management. A number of disaster management committees (DMCs) have been formed to coordinate and implement risk reduction measures. But the levels of success of these organisations have varied in different regions. Improper consideration of local knowledge, corruption of actors, lack of coordination and capacity of actors, etc., are perceived as major causes of this. Primarily, this mini-thesis aims to measure the impact of self-organisation in disaster risk management. / South Africa

The United Nations (UN) has invested increasing levels of effort in recent decades to cultivate a more effective, diverse and democratic institutional culture via the inclusion of and interaction among international civil society organizations (CSOs) and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to supplement the traditional role of states as the primary transnational actors. The principle vehicle for the UN-civil society dynamic is the consultative status (CS) program within the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), wherein a diverse range of nearly 5,000 transnational organizations ostensibly participate. This research examined patterns of participation and the nature/level of CSO/NGO involvement within the UN, with particular focus upon ECOSOC. In examining participation patterns, the research identified patterns related to geographical/proportional representation among developed and developing regions and world regions in general and also as related to policy/issue areas represented. In terms of involvement, the research sought to assess the types and degree of contributions being made by CSOs/NGOs in association with the UN. To address both areas, the research employed a two-prong methodology including (1) a detailed analysis of the UN’s online integrated Civil Society Organizations (iCSO) database and (2) a comprehensive survey questionnaire mailed to a randomly-selected sample of 10% of all organizations holding consultative status with UN-ECOSOC. The findings challenge the assumption that UN association with international civil society has realized pluralist ideals in that substantial variations were found to exist in the representation of policy/issue areas, with some areas far better represented than others. Perhaps more importantly, the research revealed that only a minority of organizations in the ECOSOC-CS program appear to be actively/regularly engaged with the UN, with a large minority of CS-accredited organizations engaged only periodically or to a more limited extent, and a substantial minority not participating/interacting in any way. Rather than exemplifying pluralism within the constructivist tradition, findings imply support for liberal institutionalist theories in that decades-long expansion of IGO influence has facilitated a corollary expectation of expanding international civil society and an associated expectation of linkages between transnational governance and democratic institutions on the one hand and transnational civil society on the other as a standardized norm.