The formation of global citizenship: international non-governmental organisations in Britain

Globalisation has changed the formation of contemporary citizenship. At the same time as undermining the role of the nation state in the construction of political participation, new arenas of citizenship are suggestive of an emergent ‘global citizenship’. Analysis of participation in politics at the scale of the global has suggested that civil society associations are strongly implicated in this process. This paper explores the role played by such institutions in the configuration of global citizenship. Through a case study of international development NGOs in the UK, and the relationship they build with the public, the paper suggests that international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) offer a version of global citizenship, which is highly circumscribed by their professional and institutional imperatives. Concerns with the continuing ability of organisations to deliver a professionally determined development agenda means that the role envisioned for the public by INGOs does not necessarily accord with that presented by advocates of the role of global civil society in citizenship. The paper concludes by exploring the implications of these findings for further research on the formation of global citizenship.