Promoting engagement of Southern civil society with BRICS governance
The rise of the BRICS represents a grouping of nation states with a combined population of close to three billion. BRICS members include some of the fastest growing economies in the world. The increasing formalisation of this alliance clearly indicates a realisation by all members that through more systematic collaboration they can have a greater influence on global governance.
Under this project PRIA worked with FIM – Forum for Democratic Global Governance ion the Civil Society-BRICS Engagement Initiative. Although the project was housed within FIM, it was essential that the leadership of the project come from civil society within the BRICS countries. Towards that end, FIM and PRIA, India agreed to coordinate the initiative in collaboration with Polis Institute in Brazil, Isandla Institute in South Africa and Participation Centre in China. The primary objective of this initiative was to develop a strategy whereby civil society actors from within the BRICS countries can began to influence this key multilateral initiative. Following the first four official BRICS meetings there has been no evidence of a civil society component to the BRICS outreach. Thus the timing was right for civil society to take a proactive position.
