Bretton Woods organizations and Civil Society movements
Bretton Woods organizations like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the world bank have had an expanding relationship with many global social formations like Civil Society movements. The expanding relationship alludes to an increasing number of international Civil Society formations that work with the International Monetary Fund to institute institutional reforms of operating procedures and policy direction.
Recent history of social formations
The recent history of social formations, specifically civil society formations mirrors the recent changes that have been experienced in the global economy. That is, many Civil Society Organizations are now systematized on a worldwide basis or hold cross-border associations. Recent history has seen the relationship of Civil Society Organizations and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) expands because of the increased leverage that these (Civil Society Establishments) organizations have as a result of their size and influence. In developed countries, Civil Society Organizations have grown into significant political forces, often endowed with substantial technical and financial resources (Scholte 2012). In the global sphere, these organizations have forged alliances which makes it hard for governments to dismiss the Civil Society Organizations as holding no political influence. For global financial organizations, they are present at meetings, protests, and seminars. Many Civil Society Organizations have come to concentrate on matters international finance. Some organizations seek to influence decision making at international and national planes through the mass media (Dawson and Bhatt 2001). Others aim to inform the public concerning what they regard as inequities of the current system. Civil Society Organizations in these categories include advocacy Non-governmental organizations like the Bretton-Woods Project in Europe, Friends of Earth, a faith founded sets such as Association of World Council of Churches etc. Additionally, several social research institutions critically track and survey the projects of the International Monetary Fund (Fowler 2013). The expanded relationship of the Bretton Woods institutions and social formations is facilitated by the increasing oversight influence that such social formations have had in the recent past.
Civil Society Organizations and their reform objectives
A significant number of Civil Society Organizations (social formations) appreciates the essence for International Monetary Fund but seek major reforms of the organization- both in operating guidelines and policy directions. A key number of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) that have broadened the relationship between social organizations and the International Monetary Fund express the will to interact constructively with the international Institution. These CSOs can be classified into two groups depending on their perception of how the International Monetary Fund should be reformed. The first group which includes religious groups, environmental groups, and labor groups would prefer the International Monetary Fund to expand their policy recommendations to cover gender issues, social protection, military expenditure issues, and environmental policy. These group advocates for positive conditionality (Scholte 2012). The second group which contributes to the expansion of the relationship constitutes CSOs which prefer the International Monetary Fund to be more streamlined, a work in close collaboration with other global institutions (Dawson and Bhatt 2001). The continued collaboration of such Civil Society Organizations with the IMF through constructive reform suggestions has resulted in the expansion of the relationship between the IMF (as a BrettonWoods institution) and civil society organizations.
Expansion of the relationship between the IMF and civil society organizations
The International Monetary Fund (IMF), as a Bretton Woods institution, has seen a rapid expansion on how it relates to the dynamic social formations that characterize its operating environment. This expansion in collaboration, that embodies the relationship, is alluded to international Civil Society formations that work with the International Monetary Fund to institute institutional reforms that cover both operating procedures and policy direction of the International Monetary Fund.
References
Dawson, M.T.C. and Bhatt, M.G., 2001. The IMF and civil society: Striking a balance
(No. 1-2).International Monetary Fund.
Fowler, A., 2013. Striking a balance: A guide to enhancing the effectiveness of non-governmental organisations in international development. Routledge.
Scholte, J.A., 2012. A more inclusive global governance? The IMF and civil society in Africa. Global Governance: A Review of Multilateralism and International Organizations, 18(2), pp.185-206.
