Civil Society and Democratization in Asia: Prospects and Challenges in the New Millenium (original) (raw)
2002, New challenges for development and modernization: …
Over the past two decades, civil society has captured the imagination of intellectuals, activists, donors and recipients of development assistance, and political leaders. Civil society entered mainstream political discourse and became a key factor in the democratization of socio-political life. In Asia, civil society continues to be a central force in the struggle for and consolidation of democratic space in various political regimes. Thus, this paper calls attention to the multiple models informing the articulation of civil society in various social formations. In particular, this paper focuses on the increasing and evolving role of civil society and its impacts on society and politics. It examines the conceptual foundations and interpretations of civil society within the context of state-society relationship. Without denying the origins of the notion of civil society in western rational tradition and political culture, this paper argues that the concept resonates in the values and ways of voluntary associations that are deeply rooted in Asian communities to address basic survival needs and mutual benefit concerns. Anchored on these traditions, contemporary civil society organizations (CSOs, particularly non-government organizations or NGOs) have elevated these survival and mutual-benefit concerns to the level of state politics to address more effectively the well-being of its clientele population, particularly the marginalized and disadvantaged groups in society. Furthermore, this paper argues that the growth and dynamics of civil society must be viewed within the context of state-marketsociety relationship as it unfolds in varying historical and political contexts. Finally, the paper concludes that civil society engagements in the new millennium are fraught with tensions and challenges generated by the globalization of capital and information technology, devolution of central state powers to local structures of governance, and the rise of identity/resource claims laced with fundamentalist and nationalist discourses.
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