>For some, however, (including myself) "civil society" simply denotes
>voluntary, civic and self-help organizations collectively.
If you're talking about social mobilization of a very plural sort, I'm all for it. That isn't the way the term is used by its proponents though. If I get another propaganda sheet from some squishy foundation promoting civil society I may buy an assault rifle. The kind of mobilization you're talking about isn't very civil - if it's done right, it means sharpening social conflict. The civil society people are all about neat conversation and the "reasoned" mystification of social conflict.
Doug