The ‘Economy of Communion’: a case study of business and civil society in partnership for change

Abstract

The role of Northern‐based civil society organisations has undergone dramatic changes in recent years. In particular, their principal role as ‘redistributive’ agencies working in the South has come under criticism, leading them to seek new ways of defining their part in eradicating poverty. One widely adopted strategy has been an increasing emphasis on advocacy for social justice, while another is the creation of partnerships with non‐state and state actors, including the private sector. Such partnerships raise some difficult questions relating to the underlying values and civic legitimacy of the action, in particular of Northernbased development NGOs. This paper examines the question of partnerships between civil society organisations and business through a case study of the ‘Economy of Communion’, a global project bringing together small businesses and church‐based organisations whose shared aim is that of eradicating poverty.

Acknowledgements

Most of the work for this paper was carried out during my time as an Economic and Social Research Council Research Fellow at the University of York, UK. The views expressed are my own.

Notes

Important contributions to this field include the work of Jane Nelson et al. (2001) and the NGLS (2002). See also in this present issue of Development in Practice Seb Beloe's review of Deborah Leipziger's (2003) The Corporate Responsibility Code Book. While acknowledging this literature, debates on CSR are not the principal focus of this paper.

An example of this is trust funds, such as the Global Fund for Aids, Malaria and TB, set up under the auspices of UN agencies but based on the private contribution of corporations. Other major players include the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Soros Foundation.

Also known as ‘Economy of Sharing’ in some translations.

The Focolare runs around 1000 social projects, mainly under the auspices of two NGOs: New Humanity and Azione per un Mondo Unito.

Chiara Lubich, inaugural speech on the EOC at Araceli, Brazil, 29 May 1991.

One such organisation that has developed management principles in line with the EOC is Unilab, in Italy, which has produced a manual outlining basic principles of a management style in line with the EOC. See Golin and Parolin (2003).