What does it say about the state of our society that such a meeting can conclude without even attempting to address the confluence of crises that face humanity and the planet at this time? That confronted with challenges of such a scale and severity - on food, energy, climate change, aid, debt, trade and injustice - the leaders of the most powerful nations on earth can produce only a few pious and insubstantial platitudes?  

Does it connote mere apathy, cavalierness and an utter lack of leadership on the part of these 7 men and 1 woman? Or is it reflective of a deeper malaise - the growing failure of democratic governance within individual states and even globally? What will it take to achieve a modicum of accountability to the pressing needs of the vast majority of people everywhere and to our planet?  

The prognoses for Accra and Copenhagen offer little room for optimism. And the very structures of the Bretton Woods institutions and the United Nations militate against the possibility of any breakthroughs. Even as the crises, and their consequences, in terms of conflict, hunger, repression, inequity and environmental disaster, proliferate.  

Perhaps this utter bleakness is, in fact, our greatest source of hope. Perhaps now that it is impossible for humans - regardless of geography, ideology, race, gender, age, religion, class, caste or differential ability - to insulate ourselves from the engulfing storms, we will find the motivation, conviction and resources necessary to demand real change. Perhaps we will find enough shared interest or, at least, shared threat, to transcend our narrow silos.  

The challenges to civil society have never been greater. From Armenia to Zimbabwe and from aid to xenophobia, we are being summoned to amplify the voices of the voiceless. At the time of greatest need for our various constituencies, we are also confronted by the gravest threats to our existence. Not merely the sobering questions of accountability, resources, capacity and cohesion but even more fundamentally, of relevance.  

At CIVICUS we will spend the next few weeks rethinking our role and responsibilities while continuing to fight fires on many fronts as best we can. The input and feedback we’ve received from some of you will help clarify our priorities. We’d welcome even more. Do write to me with your experiences and expectations at ingrid.srinath@civicus.org with a copy to editor@civicus.org.

Call to actionOn Saturday, 12 July, CIVICUS, Amnesty International and the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) will launch a campaign of grassroots action across Africa, “Pan-African Campaign of Solidarity for Zimbabwe”. We call on citizens of African nations and African civil society organisations to send their leadership an undiluted message of solidarity with the Zimbabwean people and a demand that they go beyond the mouthing of statements to decisive action.