IN. the wake of the dUiry' legration of the one par-, ty system in the Eastern European countries and the Soviet Union in the 80s. there has been an increasing upsurge of democratic movements worldwide. This has often led to a shift of power from autocratic to democratically elected regimes. In the euphoria that followed. indicators of democracy have been the subject of much discussion and debate globally. In this. Western protagonists of democracy have continued to see democracy as a system of governance coterminous with multi-party, free and fair" elections and free-market. To the rest, especially those who aspire for empowerment of civil society, this model merely represents what would be described as conventional democracy'.

Within this new world order it is not clear if democracy will continue to be deemed as the authority of the" North on the South. Nor is it clear whether it is a new democracy in which different sectors of civil society, effectively participate in both grassroots and national decision making processes.

Clearly, conventional democracy has failed to eradicate the problems of poverty. environmental

degradation, inequality and dependence, especially in the South. Instead the 90s have witnessed a world beset with Increased violence, drugs, hunger and violation of human rights with the North assuming a self-proclatmed humanitarian' and peacekeeping' role.

"The Asia-Pacific region . has ‘been characterized by a plurality of approaches to social transformation sepre-sentfng a wide range of political and-' economic systems • from the communist regime 4f Chipa to the market economy of Japgn. In many of the countries tit this, region some ol the essential^lements of democracy such as free and fair Elections, independent Judiciary and freedom of the Press, internal party democracy and accountability of Member#- qf Parliamept are vet io graduate from their rudimentary forms. Black laws prevent people from en-joyipg ttofiny of their fundamental .rights and military tn^rferpnee and police Si recity threaten any at-, lertipis made by ^citizens to

quesiion the siatus-quqc

The revival of civil-society

has been in response to Ute failure of tha state to merf the expectations of the people. The State, insiqad- of seeing the people as its natural, constituency and addreseir^ the agenda of the people/tiaai developed, over the years. Its < own constituency cona^ling' of its organs and clients. It> has granted them a degree of autonomy superseding ■ the sovereignty of the people The slow but defiant rise of a global civil society movement is to be seen in this back-drop.

What distinguishes the situation today are the dimen sions add diversity of new groups that -are emerging.. The 1993 UN Human Development Report describes an explosion of q»ar ticipatory movements or IKS' .governmental organizations which has Inade people’s par ticipafton^he central ftsue of our time.

in India, for example., public advocacy action, on a wide range of social issues, has led to a major breakthrough in the power of the. State and its clients.

Trade unions Have pro.-

vided^iuch of the impel us for the wave pf democratization of the 1980s. particularly in Poland. Bulgaria. South Korea and several Latin Amerteatfccountries.

For places suqh as the former Yugoslav republic* Afghanistan anti embattled parts of Azerbaijan. experts advocate encoutogement of broad-based ..associates reaching^ beyond paroc^l bond»;or tribal perceptions that fuel aggression

Thds. tn ntany parts o^he world. • especially in Wie South, independent political and sociar forces have ensued to challenge au thoritarian. patrimonial regime* of aiarfy varieties. s

^IGOs with their dual Ih-‘terface at the grassroots levfl arid at tW national arid global levels. with their’ flexibility iHanagement capacity, .resources and global imate. represent a significant and influential sectof of gviPso-dety. ‘ • • W

Th»s. however. istwqt (o say tljat the contributioQ* ol other sectors of civil society, such as Ihe cultural move-■peni. labour mqyeigen t and

media are any less significant, in- fact, most of the fundamental changes in favour of people's rights in the past 100 years have come long before the emergence of NC>O as an institutional body, through the collective movement of these sectorif-of civil society. *

NGOs are. in fact, only one sector of the broader civil society. The struggle for em-^owerment of jcfthl society as a whole will, beeome more meaningful’ w^rr*different sectors find HSuer grounds and space for AMlpboration towards addressing their separate, as well as common •genda

We should do well t» remember th^ throughout human history, wherever diM» (izatiaa has been at the crossroads, it is the civil society thgt has given in file desired bust and direction. It Is the Mrturirf of the civil society by ■the governznent that creates the enabling environment necessary for Its healthy growth and well being. But we know fVom history that when fhe httuation had called for/tt is neither the government nqp»onven-IIomJ polities bub-the civil soofety that h* sugeteded tn ishehlna. lift th®, fasting changes yias Benefit' th^hu-man kind. ■ T L

It. therefore, devolves on all of us to continue our efforts to strengthen the civil society and empower it.

The author Is the Executive Director. BMC