< Previous | Contents | Next >
Based on the law under which the CSOs operate and the kind of activities they take up, civil society groups in our country can be classified into following broad categories (as given in 2nd ARC):
♤ Registered Societies formed for specific purposes
♤ Charitable organisations and Trusts
♤ Local Stakeholders Groups, Microcredit and Thrift Enterprises, SHGs
♤ Professional Self-Regulatory Bodies
♤ Cooperatives
♤ Bodies without having any formal organisational structure
♤ Government promoted Third Sector organisations
However, a broader classification including all non-government and not-for-profit organizations can be:
♤ Civil rights advocacy organizations: to promote human rights of specific social groups e.g. women, migrants, disabled, HIV, sex workers, Dalit people, tribal people, and the likes.
♤ Civil liberties advocacy organizations: to promote individual civil liberties and human rights of all citizens, rather than focusing on particular social group.
♤ Community based organizations, citizen’s groups, farmers’ cooperatives: to increase citizen’s participation on public policy issues so as to improve the quality of life in a particular community.
♤ Business and industry chambers of commerce: to promotion policies and practices on business.
♤ Labour unions: to promote the rights of employees and workers.
♤ International peace and human rights organizations: to promote peace and human rights.
♤ Media, communication organization: to produce, disseminate, or provide production facilities in one or more media forms; it includes television, printing and radio.
♤ National resources conservation and protection organizations: to promote conservation of natural resources, including land, water, energy, wildlife and plant resources, for public use.
♤ Private and public foundations: to promote development through grant- making and partnership.
♤ Also the Civil society includes: Political Parties; Religious Organizations; Housing cooperatives, slum dwellers and resident welfare associations.