Carmen Malena works as an independent consultant and part-time director of the CIVICUS Participatory Governance Programme from her base in Quebec City, Canada. She is a political sociologist, with special interest in the areas of civil society, participatory governance, social accountability, and gender. She holds an MPhil in International Development from Sussex University, UK and a BA in Political Studies. Carmen has more than twenty years experience as a development practitioner, researcher, writer, and trainer. She has published a wide range of academic articles and operational papers and