Can all the efforts devoted to capacity building in the sphere of civil society in new democracies be justified?

Résumé du document

Civil society appears as a main actor of the implementation and the resilience of democracy. Indeed, it enables citizens to participate more actively in public current debate and symbolizes a well mean of integration. Civil society fosters the circulation of information in the society, standing for a role of relay and of collective pedagogy. This is the illustration of social and democratic progress from people in contrast with the elitist social shift. Citizens, more educated and acquainted about current phenomena and issues, do not consider the state as the exclusive decider. Civil society plays a part in the anticipation and alarming role in order to prevent the abuse of governmental persons in charge. It can also ensure the function of counter power against state excesses. Tocqueville, in ?Democracy in America', emphasized the importance of these counter powers to promote the well being of new democracies. Civil society has been developed against the state, involving itself in domains in which state has been absent or not enough efficient. The relationship between these two actors has been punctuated by different stages : reciprocal ignorance, total integration, influence or negotiation. The political power is the actor which decides the law and establishes the common rule. The civil society is the one which influences and orientates the political decider. However, the civil society has not always fulfilled this function of control and alarming actor vis-à-vis the state. Actually, the relationship between both actors has also been a scene of help and cooperation. The state can evaluate the diverse forces in the society through this new shape of representation and call upon expertise services of associations and organizations on particular concerns. Thus, one may assert that "there cannot be an efficient state alongside a weak civil society?.

Extraits

[...] For these points, the efforts devoted to capacity building in the sphere of civil society seem really efficient to improve the democratization process (implementation and resilience). However, the spreading of influence of civil society in political and economic spheres has dangerous emergent effects. It has extolled particular interests in spite of the electoral result and the common voice. Moreover, the international assistance has trended to use local civil societies just in order to legitimate their interference action. The International Aid has called upon civil societies as a relay to implement liberal rules in developing world. [...]

[...] And, does this international assistance has the right to interfere in the internal sphere, financing some part of the ‘civil society' of weak countries as young and new democracies? In addition, it is interesting to highlight the fact that civil society has appeared since the beginning of economic liberalization process and seems to follow more and more the entrepreneurship and concentration way (J. Heam and M. Robinson p257). Civil society is a main actor to promote the resilience of democracy because it enhances democratic principles and symbolizes a well monitoring system of young regimes In this first part, we will consider civil society as a mean to improve the representation of the popular sovereignty and to foster transparency and informative democratic characteristics. [...]

[...] In addition, civil society is an alternative in certain domains in which the state is absent or non efficient. In new democracies, governments often cannot manage all sectors and are obligated to relieve some of them prerogatives to associations and organizations. Thus, in the Arab World, the Halawa system has overcome failures and weaknesses of some governments which are not able to reply to social and economic demands (M. Ottaway p126). Civil society appears more adapted and commands a network more suitable for some welfare and heath measures than weak states. [...]

[...] Civil society has also an expertise function which can be useful for a democratic government Thus, civil society is able to cooperate with the state. The informative strategies of interest groups and associations enhance the efficiency of Politics. Indeed, civil society comprised Human rights specialists, layers, economists and jurists which are experts on their serious subjects and concerns. For instance, the international assistance, as the World Bank and wealth developed countries, are used to calling upon local NGOs members in order to evaluate needs and demands in specific regions in the developing world. [...]

[...] Actually, the relationship between the both actors has been also the scene of help and cooperation. The state can evaluate the diverse forces in the society through this new shape of representation and call upon expertise services of associations and organizations on particular concerns. Thus, one may assert that ‘there cannot be an efficient state alongside a weak civil society' (J. Pearce p141). Nevertheless, civil society enables just a part of people to express themselves and defends particular interests. Its influence on political sphere can also endanger the well being of democracy because the law is not anymore the illustration of the universal suffrage. [...]