Civil society and its organisations (CSO) play a vital role in the implementation of sustainable development (SD). Civil society actors exhibit special features, they are to a large degree driven by visions or ideals, place a focus on common action (thus balancing individual and collective goals), participate in and initiate discourses about SD in society, enhance social capital, and share a non-economical (non-efficiency driven) world view.

Given these characteristics, CSOs show some specific shortcomings: a non-economical worldview leads to less efficient pursuit of SD goals and to a weak representation in political and economical decision-processes; initiating discourses often excludes evidence-based thinking, giving away chances for increased self-reflexivity and learning (and thus both more efficiency as well as efficacy); and a lack of institutionalisation within existing institutional frameworks of governance provide not sufficient leverage to influence policy making (politics, administrative/legislative processes).

Apart from these more general shortcomings, there are numerous specific and context-related issues that would need to be researched/reflected in order to increase efficiency and benefits of CSOs. In the light of this perspective, the CSS Conference 2011 is interested in submissions from the fields of science and society that are adding to the following core topics and questions, which we would like to discuss:

a) Theoretical Perspectives on Civil Society and Sustainability
- Theoretical Concepts of Civil Society
- Management of Civil Society Organizations
- Contribution of Civil Society to Sustainable Development

b) Case Studies on Civil Society and Sustainability
- Insights from Implementation Practice
- Tools and Methods for Civil Society Organizations
- New Issues in Sustainable Development for Civil Society Organizations

c) Collaboration between Science and Civil Society
- Critical Success Factors
- Reflexivity in Collaboration Processes
- Project Design for Collaboration

We are welcoming both practice- as well as science-oriented contributions that suit the scope of these topics and questions and aim at contributing to an interdisciplinary conference based on evidence from practice and science.