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In the Times of struggle between neoliberal capitalism and global civil movement Questions regarding global governance and the possibility of global democracy are of specific concern. Currently, many social movements are organized around human rights under a variety of platforms (i.e., labor, indigenous rights). It is my contention that the need for transnational multi-issue movements is evident in the struggle for global democracy. The Internet is an important resource for the mobilization of mass global movements because it allows for quick and broad dissemination of information. Network society as a society in which a combination of social and media networks shapes its prime mode of organization and most important structures at all levels (individual, organizational and societal). It is necessary to understand nature of network society and its dynamics to further look at its influence on emerging social movements. Power is the condition and limit of politics, culture and authority. Power seeps through and around all forms of subjectivity, at times bringing opposites into conflict in a way that reinforces the fundamental flow of power. Power concerns not immediately obvious forms of politics, culture and authority but the structures that condition and limit these three. Grassroots activism exists in constant flows of power. Democracy is invented and reinvented between the demands of those without power and the limitations those with power try to impose. How are these two almost obsessively analysed figures of politics "the grassroots and democracy" transformed by being digitised and sent into cyberspace. Here arises global civil movement against neoliberal globalisation. This movement is not opposed to globalisation per se but instead is developing a new internationalism in the course of challenging the neoliberal nature of contemporary globalisation. This challenge is producing a universalising dynamic which is moving the movement beyond being a series of isolated militant particularist struggles. It consists of many different internet social movements united by using information and communication technologies and one goal counter the neoliberal power dominance

In the Times of struggle between neoliberal capitalism and global civil movement Questions regarding global governance and the possibility of global democracy are of specific concern. Currently, many social movements are organized around human rights under a variety of platforms (i.e., labor, indigenous rights). It is my contention that the need for transnational multi-issue movements is evident in the struggle for global democracy. The Internet is an important resource for the mobilization of mass global movements because it allows for quick and broad dissemination of information. Network society as a society in which a combination of social and media networks shapes its prime mode of organization and most important structures at all levels (individual, organizational and societal). It is necessary to understand nature of network society and its dynamics to further look at its influence on emerging social movements. Power is the condition and limit of politics, culture and authority. Power seeps through and around all forms of subjectivity, at times bringing opposites into conflict in a way that reinforces the fundamental flow of power. Power concerns not immediately obvious forms of politics, culture and authority but the structures that condition and limit these three. Grassroots activism exists in constant flows of power. Democracy is invented and reinvented between the demands of those without power and the limitations those with power try to impose. How are these two almost obsessively analysed figures of politics "the grassroots and democracy" transformed by being digitised and sent into cyberspace. Here arises global civil movement against neoliberal globalisation. This movement is not opposed to globalisation per se but instead is developing a new internationalism in the course of challenging the neoliberal nature of contemporary globalisation. This challenge is producing a universalising dynamic which is moving the movement beyond being a series of isolated militant particularist struggles. It consists of many different internet social movements united by using information and communication technologies and one goal counter the neoliberal power dominance

Civic engagement and active involvement in the po­litical life of the various forms of participation is an integral part of sustainable government and sustain­able development. Nowadays, the state should en­courage ensuring the principles of sustainable devel­opment. One means to do it is promoting Citizen's participation and its forms. A growing attention given to the Internet and new media through which the citizens can cooperate, their views on impor­tant issues and initiatives can take the online space for discussions and movements. Social networking websites, new media getting more and more popular every day hold a prominent place in the lives of a large number of people. That is why citizen in the world began to increase overall civic initiatives, which sometimes degenerate into civil movements or even revolutions. This paper examines the con­cept of civic participation and the impact of new media and the Internet on environmental initiatives and movements. The article is dedicated showing how the new media and the Internet influence civil participation in environmental issues. It discusses few important components of civil participations: the level of civil society, social capital, social net­works, public space, and defines changes of each level which are determined by the new media and the Internet. Also, the article explores changes of issues of environmental initiatives and movements and defines the fundamental changes that influence the growth of environmental movements nowadays. The research and conclusions on the impact of the new media and the Internet on environmental initia­tives are strengthen by academic observations and examples of environmental movements.

Civic engagement and active involvement in the po­litical life of the various forms of participation is an integral part of sustainable government and sustain­able development. Nowadays, the state should en­courage ensuring the principles of sustainable devel­opment. One means to do it is promoting Citizen's participation and its forms. A growing attention given to the Internet and new media through which the citizens can cooperate, their views on impor­tant issues and initiatives can take the online space for discussions and movements. Social networking websites, new media getting more and more popular every day hold a prominent place in the lives of a large number of people. That is why citizen in the world began to increase overall civic initiatives, which sometimes degenerate into civil movements or even revolutions. This paper examines the con­cept of civic participation and the impact of new media and the Internet on environmental initiatives and movements. The article is dedicated showing how the new media and the Internet influence civil participation in environmental issues. It discusses few important components of civil participations: the level of civil society, social capital, social net­works, public space, and defines changes of each level which are determined by the new media and the Internet. Also, the article explores changes of issues of environmental initiatives and movements and defines the fundamental changes that influence the growth of environmental movements nowadays. The research and conclusions on the impact of the new media and the Internet on environmental initia­tives are strengthen by academic observations and examples of environmental movements.

Civic engagement and active involvement in the po­litical life of the various forms of participation is an integral part of sustainable government and sustain­able development. Nowadays, the state should en­courage ensuring the principles of sustainable devel­opment. One means to do it is promoting Citizen's participation and its forms. A growing attention given to the Internet and new media through which the citizens can cooperate, their views on impor­tant issues and initiatives can take the online space for discussions and movements. Social networking websites, new media getting more and more popular every day hold a prominent place in the lives of a large number of people. That is why citizen in the world began to increase overall civic initiatives, which sometimes degenerate into civil movements or even revolutions. This paper examines the con­cept of civic participation and the impact of new media and the Internet on environmental initiatives and movements. The article is dedicated showing how the new media and the Internet influence civil participation in environmental issues. It discusses few important components of civil participations: the level of civil society, social capital, social net­works, public space, and defines changes of each level which are determined by the new media and the Internet. Also, the article explores changes of issues of environmental initiatives and movements and defines the fundamental changes that influence the growth of environmental movements nowadays. The research and conclusions on the impact of the new media and the Internet on environmental initia­tives are strengthen by academic observations and examples of environmental movements.

Civic engagement and active involvement in the po­litical life of the various forms of participation is an integral part of sustainable government and sustain­able development. Nowadays, the state should en­courage ensuring the principles of sustainable devel­opment. One means to do it is promoting Citizen's participation and its forms. A growing attention given to the Internet and new media through which the citizens can cooperate, their views on impor­tant issues and initiatives can take the online space for discussions and movements. Social networking websites, new media getting more and more popular every day hold a prominent place in the lives of a large number of people. That is why citizen in the world began to increase overall civic initiatives, which sometimes degenerate into civil movements or even revolutions. This paper examines the con­cept of civic participation and the impact of new media and the Internet on environmental initiatives and movements. The article is dedicated showing how the new media and the Internet influence civil participation in environmental issues. It discusses few important components of civil participations: the level of civil society, social capital, social net­works, public space, and defines changes of each level which are determined by the new media and the Internet. Also, the article explores changes of issues of environmental initiatives and movements and defines the fundamental changes that influence the growth of environmental movements nowadays. The research and conclusions on the impact of the new media and the Internet on environmental initia­tives are strengthen by academic observations and examples of environmental movements.

Anti-globalist riots in Seattle in 1999 & the global anti-war demonstrations in 2003 not only made their way to the news headlines, but also received renewed academic attention. This article seeks to outline the differences between the traditional social movements & the new social movements. The first part of the article addresses the definition & classification issues of social movements. It also presents a comparison of three theoretical approaches (rational choice, Marxism & social constructivism) towards the phenomenon of social movement. The author concludes, that advocates of all three approaches present certain valuable insights on the causes & effects of this phenomenon. The second chapter of the article outlines presents trends & problems in the research of the social movements. It is argued that researchers of this subject face basically the same problems as all social scientists, first of the problems of comparability & the limits of qualitative methods. On the other it is assessed that new tools of quantitative analysis, information technologies significantly enhance the possibilities of research. By combining different theoretical approaches the author then seeks to outline the criteria of what could be the constitutive elements of the new social movements as opposed to the traditional ones. It is concluded that the new social movements can only exist in the postmodern or post-materialist societies where the questions of physical survival or national liberation are replaced by the questions of quality of life & self-expression. The new movements are also transnational in nature & their goals are usually universal (ecology, peace, rights of animals) rather than national (independence) or individual (employment, salary etc.). The new movements mobilize around collective identity & common values while the traditional movements mobilize around common goals of social or economic changes. The organization mode of the new movements is usually horizontal & the role of the leaders is rather limited while in the case of traditional movements the organization structure is strictly hierarchical & the role of the leader is essential. Finally the new movements are less prone to violence & rely more on the new technologies of communication & information. Building on the criteria outlined in the second part of the article, the final chapter discusses the case of Lithuania. It is concluded that the number & activities of the new social movements in Lithuania are very scarce. The most significant among such movements is the feminist movement, which is indeed rather active, & even have established ties with international feminist network. Traditional movements (in particular farmers, nationalists & neo-nazists, are still abundant in Lithuania. The authors argues that such imbalance between traditional & new movements could be a cause for concern as the number & activity of the new social movements is a good indicator of the maturity of the civil society in a country. The conclusion of the article reiterates the importance to continue the research of the phenomenon of the social movements. The warning of Ortega Y Gaset voiced in 1932 about the danger of the masses that have the supreme power in their hands is still relevant. Adapted from the source document.

The Zapatista movement is one of the most influential social movements in Latin America, which among other things raised the issue of the indigenous rights. The aim of the research is to analyse the impact of the Zapatista movement in the area of securing the rights of indigenous people within the Mexican political process. The dissertation takes the case study approach. Also comparative method, scientific literature analysis, document analysis, quantitative and qualitative media content analysis, and secondary data analysis is used in the research. The research shows that the process of recognizing the rights of indigenous peoples in Mexico was largely influenced by the demands of the Zapatista movement. Indigenous peoples appeared in the discourse of political elite, they were included into Mexico's national development plans and political party manifestos. It can be argued that since early 1990s the process of recognizing the rights of indigenous peoples in Mexico has had five dimensions: political recognition, policy agenda, policy response, implementation and institutionalization. Nevertheless, not every demand put forward by the Zapatista movement has been realized. The right to self-determination as well as the right to land and its resources still remain unresolved. It can be therefore stated that the Zapatista movement was very influential with regard to raising the issue of the rights of indigenous peoples, however not all of movement's demands were met.

The Zapatista movement is one of the most influential social movements in Latin America, which among other things raised the issue of the indigenous rights. The aim of the research is to analyse the impact of the Zapatista movement in the area of securing the rights of indigenous people within the Mexican political process. The dissertation takes the case study approach. Also comparative method, scientific literature analysis, document analysis, quantitative and qualitative media content analysis, and secondary data analysis is used in the research. The research shows that the process of recognizing the rights of indigenous peoples in Mexico was largely influenced by the demands of the Zapatista movement. Indigenous peoples appeared in the discourse of political elite, they were included into Mexico's national development plans and political party manifestos. It can be argued that since early 1990s the process of recognizing the rights of indigenous peoples in Mexico has had five dimensions: political recognition, policy agenda, policy response, implementation and institutionalization. Nevertheless, not every demand put forward by the Zapatista movement has been realized. The right to self-determination as well as the right to land and its resources still remain unresolved. It can be therefore stated that the Zapatista movement was very influential with regard to raising the issue of the rights of indigenous peoples, however not all of movement's demands were met.

The Zapatista movement is one of the most influential social movements in Latin America, which among other things raised the issue of the indigenous rights. The aim of the research is to analyse the impact of the Zapatista movement in the area of securing the rights of indigenous people within the Mexican political process. The dissertation takes the case study approach. Also comparative method, scientific literature analysis, document analysis, quantitative and qualitative media content analysis, and secondary data analysis is used in the research. The research shows that the process of recognizing the rights of indigenous peoples in Mexico was largely influenced by the demands of the Zapatista movement. Indigenous peoples appeared in the discourse of political elite, they were included into Mexico's national development plans and political party manifestos. It can be argued that since early 1990s the process of recognizing the rights of indigenous peoples in Mexico has had five dimensions: political recognition, policy agenda, policy response, implementation and institutionalization. Nevertheless, not every demand put forward by the Zapatista movement has been realized. The right to self-determination as well as the right to land and its resources still remain unresolved. It can be therefore stated that the Zapatista movement was very influential with regard to raising the issue of the rights of indigenous peoples, however not all of movement's demands were met.

The subject of this master thesis is a structure of a social movement and influence of new media on it. Linking social movements with political activism in postindustrial societies this works aims to find out possible influence of new media on political activism. The aim of this work is to explain impact of new media on social movement evolution by using established theories of social movement research. By way of this work established social movement theories were brought to the Lithuanian social context this way checking their validity in explaining political activism in Lithuania. The main objectives were these: to analyze theories of social movements; to analyze existing knowledge on new media; using these theories in explaining influence of new media on social movements; to define main concepts of the research; to create methodology of the case study; to carry out a case study; to discuss possible generalization of the results. A case study was used as a method. One mobilization case of public space preservation movement in Vilnius was chosen. A method triangulation, usual to use in case studies, contained observation of the newsgroup, used by activists, quantitative analysis of newsgroup activity and deep qualitative interviews with participants of the movement. The hypothesis was that "social movement was an all-channel network connecting social networks which existed already before the act of mobilization. Communication using new media strengthens the existing links but do not create a new network." Hypothesis was not fully supported by the research. There were important limitations. Even though a movement was functioning as a network structure the study showed the type of this network being flexible and changing in time. There was a link of social movement network with past social networks. However research showed that social movement network, which was created by communication using new media, was a completely new, involving separate social networks, which were not linked before. Possible use of this pilot study in further analysis of the case as well as development of theory was discussed. This work might be used in further studies of social movements as well as in attempts to explain social occurrences, linked with topic of this work.

The subject of this master thesis is a structure of a social movement and influence of new media on it. Linking social movements with political activism in postindustrial societies this works aims to find out possible influence of new media on political activism. The aim of this work is to explain impact of new media on social movement evolution by using established theories of social movement research. By way of this work established social movement theories were brought to the Lithuanian social context this way checking their validity in explaining political activism in Lithuania. The main objectives were these: to analyze theories of social movements; to analyze existing knowledge on new media; using these theories in explaining influence of new media on social movements; to define main concepts of the research; to create methodology of the case study; to carry out a case study; to discuss possible generalization of the results. A case study was used as a method. One mobilization case of public space preservation movement in Vilnius was chosen. A method triangulation, usual to use in case studies, contained observation of the newsgroup, used by activists, quantitative analysis of newsgroup activity and deep qualitative interviews with participants of the movement. The hypothesis was that "social movement was an all-channel network connecting social networks which existed already before the act of mobilization. Communication using new media strengthens the existing links but do not create a new network." Hypothesis was not fully supported by the research. There were important limitations. Even though a movement was functioning as a network structure the study showed the type of this network being flexible and changing in time. There was a link of social movement network with past social networks. However research showed that social movement network, which was created by communication using new media, was a completely new, involving separate social networks, which were not linked before. Possible use of this pilot study in further analysis of the case as well as development of theory was discussed. This work might be used in further studies of social movements as well as in attempts to explain social occurrences, linked with topic of this work.

The subject of this master thesis is a structure of a social movement and influence of new media on it. Linking social movements with political activism in postindustrial societies this works aims to find out possible influence of new media on political activism. The aim of this work is to explain impact of new media on social movement evolution by using established theories of social movement research. By way of this work established social movement theories were brought to the Lithuanian social context this way checking their validity in explaining political activism in Lithuania. The main objectives were these: to analyze theories of social movements; to analyze existing knowledge on new media; using these theories in explaining influence of new media on social movements; to define main concepts of the research; to create methodology of the case study; to carry out a case study; to discuss possible generalization of the results. A case study was used as a method. One mobilization case of public space preservation movement in Vilnius was chosen. A method triangulation, usual to use in case studies, contained observation of the newsgroup, used by activists, quantitative analysis of newsgroup activity and deep qualitative interviews with participants of the movement. The hypothesis was that "social movement was an all-channel network connecting social networks which existed already before the act of mobilization. Communication using new media strengthens the existing links but do not create a new network." Hypothesis was not fully supported by the research. There were important limitations. Even though a movement was functioning as a network structure the study showed the type of this network being flexible and changing in time. There was a link of social movement network with past social networks. However research showed that social movement network, which was created by communication using new media, was a completely new, involving separate social networks, which were not linked before. Possible use of this pilot study in further analysis of the case as well as development of theory was discussed. This work might be used in further studies of social movements as well as in attempts to explain social occurrences, linked with topic of this work.

The subject of this master thesis is a structure of a social movement and influence of new media on it. Linking social movements with political activism in postindustrial societies this works aims to find out possible influence of new media on political activism. The aim of this work is to explain impact of new media on social movement evolution by using established theories of social movement research. By way of this work established social movement theories were brought to the Lithuanian social context this way checking their validity in explaining political activism in Lithuania. The main objectives were these: to analyze theories of social movements; to analyze existing knowledge on new media; using these theories in explaining influence of new media on social movements; to define main concepts of the research; to create methodology of the case study; to carry out a case study; to discuss possible generalization of the results. A case study was used as a method. One mobilization case of public space preservation movement in Vilnius was chosen. A method triangulation, usual to use in case studies, contained observation of the newsgroup, used by activists, quantitative analysis of newsgroup activity and deep qualitative interviews with participants of the movement. The hypothesis was that "social movement was an all-channel network connecting social networks which existed already before the act of mobilization. Communication using new media strengthens the existing links but do not create a new network." Hypothesis was not fully supported by the research. There were important limitations. Even though a movement was functioning as a network structure the study showed the type of this network being flexible and changing in time. There was a link of social movement network with past social networks. However research showed that social movement network, which was created by communication using new media, was a completely new, involving separate social networks, which were not linked before. Possible use of this pilot study in further analysis of the case as well as development of theory was discussed. This work might be used in further studies of social movements as well as in attempts to explain social occurrences, linked with topic of this work.

The object of this master thesis is the rise of indigenous peoples in Latin America, particularly in the Andean region. The main question is which factors determine the rise of indigenous peoples and their becoming important social and political protagonists in this region. The goal of this thesis thus is to analyze the factors, which have determined both the rise of indigenous movements in Ecuador and Bolivia and the weakness of comparable movements in Peru. The dominant theoretical model in the analysis of indigenous movements in Latin America is the model of political opportunity structure. According to this model the rise of a social movement is determined by two types of variables, namely structural and organizational ones. The favorable international context and changes in the political regime (structural variables) determine a more open political space where social movements can appear. For this purpose the existence of an organizational network and practice are necessary. According to this model, the (re)democratization at the end of the 20th century created a more open political system and shifted it to a neoliberal economical model, which worsened the economical situation and lead to the dissatisfaction of the region's marginal groups. The previous existence of networks of the church, the political left and other organizations in the rural zones helped to form the strong movements of indigenous people to express the discontent with the unfinished neoliberal reforms. Though this model answers the question when indigenous movements appear, it cannot answer the question why they arise. The model lacks both the historical perspective and the state variable. The argument of this master thesis is that the state's formation process, which does not include the Indian communities and its cultural practices, increases the likelihood of the appearance of indigenous movements. In this work the state's formation process is understood as the complex variable of the state's geographical, institutional and cultural–ideological penetration. On the way of finding the solution to the main problem additional questions arise: what type of relation exists between the state and indigenous and what place do these communities take within the national community? In answering these questions the historical comparative analysis of Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru is conducted. The main findings of the analysis show that until the middle of the 20th century the weak geographical and institutional penetration of the Andean states not only created state clientelism but also favorable conditions for maintaining cultural traditions and communal practices of indigenous communities. Even though this feature is important in the analysis of the rise of indigenous movements it is not sufficient for explaining why we can see the politicization of ethnical identity in Ecuador and Bolivia while there is silence in Peru. The analysis of the position of indigenous people in the national community shows that the decisive variable is the cultural dimension and the relation between Indian and national mestizo cultures. In Ecuador and Bolivia the contraposition between white people and Indian ones is maintained, while in the case of Peru the national political elite used the symbols of Indian culture which have become a part of the national symbols. Thus the distance between indigenous communities and the state is smaller in Peru. Here the indigenous communities feel like a part of the nation. The variable of the state formation process is understood as a complex variable of geographical, institutional and cultural penetration. It has a bigger explanatory power in answering to the question why the indigenous people rise in some countries while in others they do not. It emphasizes not on the variable of the more open political system, but on the importance of the state variable and the historical perspective of Latin American development.