Civil society networks are currently understood by academics and practitioners to be an important pillar of development in the Third World. They have been assigned many different roles: as a prerequisite or catalyst for accountability, good governance, and economic development; as an agent of democratization; as a protector of vulnerable citizens; as a mobilizer of social capital among the poor; as a supplier of services when the state withdraws; as a voice for the downtrodden; and as a partner in co-governance with the state. However, not all networks function properly.