Civil Society Participation Research Articles

Political Opportunity, Threats, Strategies of LGBT+ Student Movement in China

ABSTRACTThe LGBT+ student movement in China started in 2006 when the first LGBT+ student group was formed. It flourished after 2012, growing from fewer than 10 groups in 2012 to over 50 by 2018. Meanwhile, Xi Jinping's presidency in 2012 marked a significant political turning point. Subsequently, the party‐state tightened its control on power by suppressing civil society and civic engagement. Therefore, this political context had a substantial impact on the strategic decisions made by the LGBT+ student movement in China, requiring activists to adopt a less confrontational form of activism. This article explores the strategies adopted by the LGBT+ student movement in China between 2012 and 2022 and examines how the sociopolitical context has influenced these strategies and shaped the movement. Based on eight interviews with student activists and NGO staff, this study focusses on the evolving strategies of student groups over the last decade, categorizing this decade into three distinct phases. The first phase (2012–2015) saw a variety of advocacy rights activities taking place. In the second phase (2015–2019), education emerged as the primary strategy. Finally, the third phase (2019–2022) centered around community support, driven by the group's need for survival in the post‐COVID era. I argue that although the state and universities employed soft strategies such as discipline and censorship to influence the political opportunity structure, forcing student activists to self‐censor and emphasize community support over mobilization, activists still possess agency. They propel the movement forward by integrating activism into community support and everyday resistance. Theoretically, this paper contributes to the field of research on youth social movements, authoritarianism, and LGBT+ social movements by adopting a political opportunity structure framework for analyzing the structure of political assemblies and exploring how student activists, as powerless underdogs, interact with universities and the state.

“Can the participation of civil society in policy networks mitigate against societal challenges in rural areas?”

Rural areas increasingly face a raft of societal economic, social and place-based challenges, which civil society potentially has a role to play in mitigating. However, there are gaps in extant knowledge as to whether policy networks are present in rural areas and if they are, what, if any, role civil society plays in these in seeking to mitigate societal challenges in rural areas. Initially, we show how the societal challenges of rural areas may be addressed through policy networks. Policy network theory guides our analysis in eight rural areas in Denmark. The analysis is based on semi-structured interviews with 38 local stakeholders from in- and outside civil society. Based on the literature reviewed, we establish four dimensions that are important for the success of policy networks in mitigating societal challenges. In our analysis, we focus on these four dimensions in assessing the presence and role of policy networks in rural areas. The four dimensions describe the extent to which 1) collaboration occurs amongst a wide selection of representatives from civil society, other local stakeholders and local government, 2) steering from local government is characterized by ‘strategic signposting’ and trust, 3) local stakeholders are invited early into decision-making processes and influence them and 4) a mutual resource dependency is observed. We conclude by discussing to what extent the type of policy network found is able to mitigate the pressing societal challenges of rural areas and, finally, we make recommendations for how to support civil society in contributing to the mitigation of these societal challenges at three levels (local government, associations and citizens).

Trust and mistrust in COVID-19 politics: the shattered hopes of civil society engagement in Burkina Faso

In a democratic setting, civil society is considered to be one of the forces capable of checking on the government especially when it comes to issues that concern the public at large. The political history of Burkina Faso is replete with situations of civil society groupings confronting the governments be they democratic or authoritarian. So, at the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 in Burkina Faso one expected civil society organizations to live up to the challenges of the day by checking on the actions of President Kabore government. However, this did not happen. Hence, the following research question: Why was the Burkina Faso civil society inactive during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis? Using elite interviewing techniques, I found out that low awareness of the COVID-19 threat within large swaths of the population and among members of civil society organizations accounted for the inaction of the most vocal civil society members during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis since the latter did not consider the COVID-19 pandemic issue as a political question deserving great attention. This has strong implications in terms of public trust. More precisely, it means that in Burkina Faso contrary to what the democracy promotion literature may have said on the virtues of civil society one cannot always trust civil society members to check on the government even in time of emergency such as that of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Further research may therefore help to better understand civil society-government relations in Burkina Faso.

From policy to practice: How NATO joined forces with NGOs for the protection of civilians

North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO’s) active cooperation with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) on the protection of civilians (PoC) challenges the academic assumption that NATO’s decision-making structures are generally closed to civil society participation. What explains the decision of NATO officials to work with NGOs when developing a Policy for the PoC, and how did this cooperation take place? Combining insights from resource dependency and organisational learning theories, we explore whether and how concerns about public legitimacy and operational effectiveness can explain that NATO engaged with NGOs during its learning process on PoC. Methodologically, we combine data from 26 interviews with NATO officials and NGO representatives with a document analysis of 648 NATO publications. Our analysis shows that NATO’s collaboration with NGOs in the adoption of a PoC policy was very much a bottom-up process. Military commanders began engaging with NGOs on the ground during NATO’s International Security Assistance Force operation in Afghanistan (2001–2014). NGOs then gradually gained access to the formulation and institutionalisation of the PoC policy. While legitimacy concerns triggered NATO’s initial cooperation with NGOs, effectiveness concerns related to policy implementation facilitated stronger cooperation once the process was underway.

The Brazilian State Water Resources Councils: diagnosis of civil society participation through criteria of access to information, parity, and decision-making procedures

The aim of the article was to investigate whether the Brazilian State Water Resources Councils, including the Federal District, ensure civil society participation through access to information, parity, and decision-making procedures. In this context, verification criteria were selected, with maximum score of 1 point assigned based on their suitability for the Councils, which were classified in terms of participation adequacy. The states that were deemed suitable, in descending order, were: Paraíba (1st position), Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, and São Paulo (2nd position), Amazonas, Pará, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondônia, and Santa Catarina (3rd position), Bahia, Ceará, Federal District, Espírito Santo, and Mato Grosso (4th position), Rio Grande do Norte and Tocantins (5th position), and Alagoas (6th position). The states deemed unsuitable were: Acre and Pernambuco (7th position), Piauí and Roraima (8th position), Goiás and Sergipe (9th position), and Amapá and Maranhão (10th position). As for the criteria, the ones that scored the highest were: the presence of the website and Internal Regulations of the Councils, decision-making by the Council in plenary sessions, the presence of Meeting Minutes on the website, identification of the Technical Chambers of the Councils on these channels, adherence to the regular meeting schedule, identification of the members who make up the Councils, and parity among the three sectors that constitute them. It was concluded that the State Water Resources Councils need to ensure equal participation for civil society members in their discussions and deliberations as well as provide public access to the information generated.

A GARANTIA DA SAÚDE MENTAL NO SISTEMA PRISIONAL : DESAFIOS E RESPONSABILIDADES DOS ENTES FEDERATIVOS A PARTIR DA PNAISP

The present study aims to analyze the challenges and responsibilities of federal entities in the implementation of the National Policy for Comprehensive Health Care for Persons Deprived of Liberty (PNAISP), focusing on ensuring mental health care for inmates. It is a bibliographic research that seeks to understand the impacts of this policy in the context of the Brazilian prison system. The methodology involves the selection of scientific articles, legislation, and manuals from the Ministry of Health, available in databases. The results indicate that PNAISP has been implemented slowly and gradually, facing obstacles such as low municipal adherence and insufficient coverage by Family Health Teams, with a predominantly curative focus. It is concluded that, despite significant advances over previous administrations, the full implementation of PNAISP depends on greater coordination among federal entities and active participation of civil society through health councils, in addition to the implementation of concrete actions that ensure access to mental health care in the prison system.

Sociotechnical imaginaries of gene editing in food and agriculture: A comparative content analysis of mass media in the United States, New Zealand, Japan, the Netherlands, and Canada.

Sociotechnical imaginaries of gene editing in food and agriculture reflect and shape culturally particular understandings of what role technology should play in an ideal agrifood future. This study employs a comparative media content analysis to identify sociotechnical imaginaries of agricultural gene editing and the actors who perform them in five countries with contrasting regulatory and cultural contexts: Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and the United States. We find that news media in these countries reinforce a predominantly positive portrayal of the technology's future, although variations in which imaginaries are most mobilized exist based on the regulatory status of gene editing and unique histories of civil society engagement around biotechnology in each country. We argue that by granting legitimacy to some narratives over others, the media supports gene editing as a desirable and necessary component of future agrifood systems, thereby limiting consideration of broader issues related to the technology's development and application.

Disaster governance and the role of civil society: A study of the mining disaster in Brumadinho, Brazil

On January 25, 2019, the tailings dam of the Córrego do Feijão mine in the city of Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, Brazil, broke, causing a disaster of great proportions. The dam, classified as "low risk" but of "high potential for damage," had been inactive since 2015 and contained about 12 million cubic meters of iron mining tailings. The rupture resulted in the death of more than 270 people, environmental devastation, and contamination of the Paraopeba River. Thousands of people, including many traditional communities, were affected, resulting in economic, social, environmental, and public health impacts. Disasters like this are socially constructed processes resulting from vulnerability processes. This study investigates disaster governance in the context of civil society organizations in Brumadinho, analyzing the response and recovery actions after the dam collapse. The research used a qualitative approach, with case studies, documents, interviews, and participant observation. The results showed the formation of networks of civil society organizations to respond to the disaster but also revealed instability and a lack of confidence in the governance system. The inadequate response of the Vale company and the local government highlighted the importance of civil society participation and the need for improvement in risk and disaster management.

The Role of Civil Society and Religious Organizations in Shaping Environmental Policy in Bangladesh

Research Problem: The intersection of religion, civil society, and public policy is an increasingly relevant area of study, particularly in the context of environmental degradation. In Bangladesh, the impacts of climate change, industrialization, and globalization have created significant environmental challenges. These challenges necessitate a critical examination of the role of civil society, including religious organizations, in addressing environmental issues. The key question is: How effectively is civil society, in conjunction with religious institutions, contributing to the environmental movement and influencing policy reform in Bangladesh? Research purposes: This paper aims to explore the role of civil society, including the influence of religious organizations, in the environmental movement in Bangladesh. It seeks to understand how civil society organizations engage in advocacy, lobbying, stakeholder pressure, environmental impact assessments, and grassroots mobilization. The goal is to evaluate how these efforts shape public policy on environmental governance in a religious and sociopolitical context. Research methods: : This study uses a qualitative, review-based approach, relying on secondary data from existing literature, media reports, and policy documents. It critically examines the involvement of civil society organizations in the environmental movement, with a focus on how religious values and institutions intersect with public policy efforts in Bangladesh’s environmental governance. Results and Discussion: The findings suggest that civil society organizations, including those with religious affiliations, play an important role in influencing environmental policy in Bangladesh. Through advocacy, lobbying, and public mobilization, these organizations have brought attention to critical environmental issues, facilitating public participation in environmental governance. However, challenges remain, including political biases and limited resources, which affect their ability to fully shape policy. Religious organizations have also been shown to contribute moral and ethical dimensions to environmental activism, aligning their values with sustainable development goals. Research Implications and Contributions: The research underscores the importance of integrating religious organizations into the broader framework of civil society engagement in environmental governance. It highlights how religious values can complement public policy efforts, contributing to a more holistic approach to sustainable development. The paper provides recommendations for policymakers to strengthen collaboration between civil society, religious institutions, and government bodies to make environmental policy more effective and inclusive, aligning with the journal’s scope of exploring the intersection of religion and public policy.

Practical Reforms in the Field of Copyright Protection in the Republic Of Uzbekistan and Their Promising Results

This article examines the ongoing efforts to enhance legal literacy, awareness, and the protection of intellectual property rights in Uzbekistan, focusing on the “Strategy for the Development of Intellectual Property in the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2022-2026.” It highlights the significant legal reforms undertaken since the 2017-2021 development strategy, including the adoption of over a thousand laws aimed at fostering transparency, civil society engagement, and human rights protection. However, several challenges persist in the legal protection of intellectual property, such as inadequate public knowledge, weak integration of intellectual property in production processes, and insufficient coordination among relevant state bodies. The research explores how collective management of intellectual property rights, inspired by international models, can address these challenges. It also delves into the institutional reforms needed to ensure efficient legal protection, prevent counterfeit products, and promote the use of intellectual activity results in the economic and social sectors. The article concludes with recommendations for improving Uzbekistan’s intellectual property framework, increasing public engagement, and positioning intellectual property as a key driver of the country's socio-economic development.

Problems of Good Governance in Managing Indonesia’s Borderland: The Case of Entikong Subdistrict

The present study explores the good governance processes of border management in Entikong Subdistrict. The Entikong Subdistrict in West Kalimantan is a priority district that receives special attention from Indonesian central and local governments. The Entikong border post started operating in 1989, making it the first land border in Indonesia. Nevertheless, despite its aged history and many development efforts within the area, the economic growth and welfare of the border community remained stagnant. The data for this article were collected through a field work in Entikong for four months in 2022 in which we conducted observation, interviews, and focus group discussion with local residents and government officers. This study reveals that good governance became the focal issue explaining Entikong’s lack of development by providing two problems in the border development at Entikong: 1) the government’s inconsistency on the road widening project and 2) the complexity of governance and bureaucracy. This paper further elaborates on the essence of locality in good governance practices while simultaneously addressing the authority division problems and communication towards the demands of the local community. This study argues that better public communication patterns should be implemented to avoid misunderstandings within the community and increase the participation of local citizens, government, and civil society in the development process of the border area.

Time and space for social-ecological transformation: care-full commoning in and beyond the ecofeminist city

ABSTRACT The relevance of civil society participation is well established in literature on environmental politics. However, the ability to join initiatives or movements actively fighting for a socially just future within biophysical limits is not equally distributed within societies. The configuration of spatial and temporal infrastructures in cities shapes how individuals interact with each other and the environment, thereby reproducing or alleviating intersectional inequalities. We connect literature on care, the commons, feminist time politics, and insurgent planning to discuss spatio-temporal infrastructures that promote space and time for care and participation. Building on feminist critiques of disembedded and disembodied cities, we draw upon examples from European cities to formulate an ‘educated dream’ about what an ecofeminist city could look like. In discussing different forms of scaling (up, out, deep) and bottom-linked transformation, we propose tangible steps towards the realisation of such a concrete utopia.

Political stability in authoritarian regimes: the case of Central Asia

ABSTRACT Existing research indicates that political stability is a prerequisite for good governance and economic development in Central Asia. All five countries in the region are authoritarian regimes but it is unclear which factors impact on political stability. Using data for the period 2002–2022, this paper examines the variables which make a significant contribution to political stability and finds that the rule of law, personalist rule, a free media, freedom of assembly, political polarization and gross domestic product (GDP) growth, respectively have a positive effect on political stability while government accountability, exclusions by social group and civil society participation have a negative effect. Some of the findings are at odds with other studies on autocratic regimes, illustrating the importance of geo-political context.

Transitional Justice in Colombia: A Systematic Literature Review

Transitional justice in Colombia has evolved, reflecting the political, social, and academic changes in the country. This study is a systematic review of the literature through articles indexed in Web of Science, applying the PRISMA protocol. Out of 3819 articles published in the last five years (2019-2024), 109 articles were selected following strict exclusion criteria. The methodology includes a quantitative analysis complemented with the visual analysis tool Posit PBC™ for bibliometric analysis in Biblioshyni. The study addresses the research question on the evolution of the main research interests in the field of Transitional Justice in Colombia. The results show that initially, analyses on transitional justice focused on documenting the atrocities of the armed conflict, with a focus on truth and reparation, grounding legal mechanisms such as the Justice and Peace Law of 2005; with the 2016 Peace Agreement, research expanded into more complex issues, including the interaction between transitional justice and development, and the importance of civil society and victim engagement. The inclusion of the gender perspective, particularly after the 2016 Peace Agreement, led to studies on how women and LGBTI+ communities were differentially affected by the conflict. In addition, recent research has focused on the comparison between the peace processes with the AUC and the FARC-EP, analyzing the differences in their transitional justice frameworks and the challenges of implementing these agreements in a context of persistent violence.

Investigating the Effects of the Quadruple Helix on Civic Society Engagement in Smart City Innovation

This paper is focused on the Quadruple Helix (QH) impacts on civic engagement in urban innovations. The main research question addressed is whether there is evidence available in the public domain that use of quadruple helix has increased the involvement of members of civil society in decision-making in smart cities initiatives (SCIs). Due to its rising popularity as a practical innovation model, QH – where government, industry, academia and civil society collaborate to collectively address public problems - has received growing attention in smart cities research and policy making. But despite this, the actual effects of involving the fourth helix – members of civil society – remains an under-researched area. It has yet to be demonstrated what, in practice, SCIs operating under the banner of QH have accomplished, especially for improving the engagement of civil society (CS) members in decision-making about smart city (SC) innovations. A broadly based systematic review of the literature on QH in SCIs has been conducted to discover whether those featuring QH report that successful engagement of members of civil society has affected innovation outcomes. Results suggests that despite its heavy promotion, neither the practical significance of involving the fourth helix in decision-making in SCIs, nor the ‘benefits’ delivered from doing so, are currently unpacked in the literature. This is only partly due to the dearth of published evidence about these issues. The lack of reported effects of the quadruple helix on civic engagement in smart city initiatives is compounded by the inadequate research design adopted for such initiatives, especially by the insufficient attention given to reporting on their implementation or to evaluations of what they have achieved in practice.

ДЕКОНСТРУКЦИЯ И РЕКОНФИГУРАЦИЯ ГЕНДЕРНОГО ДИСКУСА В КАЗАХСТАНЕ: АНАЛИЗ СОВРЕМЕННЫХ ПОЛИТИЧЕСКИХ ВЕКТОРОВ

This article provides an in-depth analysis of the deconstruction and reconfiguration of gender discourse in Kazakhstan, based on an examination of current political vectors guiding transformations in the field of gender relations. The central task of the study is to identify key factors influencing the transformation of gender policy in Kazakhstan against the backdrop of global changes and modernization processes taking place in the country. The article examines the stages of the evolution of gender policy, starting from the post-Soviet period, when Kazakhstan began integrating into international organizations, paying special attention to promoting gender equality. Special attention is given to analyzing the interaction between national and international norms in the context of gender policy formation, as well as adapting global initiatives to local conditions. Structural issues, such as the insufficient institutionalization of gender strategies and the slow progress in achieving real gender equality, are highlighted. The article discusses both normative achievements, including the adoption of new legislative measures and programs, and the challenges of their implementation in the face of socio-economic and cultural barriers. The research is based on a comprehensive approach, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative methods of analysis. Data from international studies, statistical reports, and qualitative interviews with key stakeholders involved in the gender policy-making process are utilized. A comparative analysis of Kazakhstan’s gender initiatives with similar processes in other post-Soviet countries is also presented. In conclusion, the article offers prospects for the further development of gender policy in Kazakhstan, including potential strategic directions for deepening the integration of gender equality into the country's social, political, and economic spheres. The author hypothesizes that successful promotion of gender equality requires not only political will but also a profound transformation of societal attitudes and practices, which can be achieved through a strengthened interdisciplinary approach and active engagement of civil society.

O SISTEMA PRISIONAL NO BRASIL: UMA ANÁLISE DOS DESAFIOS E PERSPECTIVAS DE REFORMA

The Brazilian prison system is a complex and challenging issue that has raised heated debates over the years. With a growing prison population and precarious conditions in prisons, the reality of penitentiary institutions in the country presents a worrying picture. The purpose of prisons, which should be the rehabilitation of inmates, is often distorted by overcrowding, violence and lack of opportunities for social reintegration. In this context, this work aims to analyze the challenges faced by the Brazilian prison system and explore the reform perspectives that can be adopted to face such problems. It is crucial to understand the historical roots of this system, as well as the contemporary factors that have contributed to its current situation. Throughout this study, a comprehensive bibliographical review will be carried out, gathering data and analyzes from research, government reports and academic studies that focus on the subject. It is essential to emphasize that an effective reform of the prison system does not only imply improving the physical conditions of prisons, but also promoting actions that favor social reintegration and the reduction of criminal recidivism. In addition, civil society participation and dialogue between the various actors involved are crucial elements for building sustainable and humanized solutions.

Open Government Data Intention-Adoption Behavioural Model for Public Sector Organisations: A Technological Innovation Perspective

The objective of this research is to examine an open government data (OGD) intention-adoption behavioural model for the public sector organisations (PSOs), since examining the model is expected to lead to a better understanding of how to realise this technological innovation among PSOs on a large scale to excavate its innovative value. In this respect, we proposed a theoretical model to explore the factors that affect OGD adoption behaviour based on three dimensions of the TOE (technology, organisation, and environment) framework. The model was then analysed after collecting the survey data from 249 PSOs in Pakistan using a purposive sampling technique. The findings unfolded that the factors, except centralisation and civil society participation, framed in technology dimension (data resource, dataset quality, perceived benefits), organisation dimension (data-driven culture, digitisation capacity, need for transparency), and environment dimension (compliance pressure, political leadership commitment) affect the PSOs’ OGD adoption intention. Cumulatively, the intention to adopt OGD was found to have a significant positive impact on OGD adoption behaviour. Based on the TOE framework, the model, with the addition of adoption intention as a significant positive factor in adoption behaviour, bears a crucial theoretical and practical contribution in the context of OGD. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2024-08-05-04 Full Text: PDF

The diverse impacts of democracy on greenhouse gas emissions

A model to assess the relationship between attributes of democracy and greenhouse gas emissions is developed. Applying this framework to a comprehensive panel dataset covering more than 150 countries over the recent three decades, the following key findings emerge: (i) Direct Popular Voting is highly effective in reducing greenhouse gas emissions across all sources. (ii) Civil Society Participation also proves effective, though its impact is reduced for emissions from well-identified sources. (iii) Greater emphasis on individual and political liberties reduces the effectiveness of Liberal Democracy in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions compared to the previous two indicators. (iv) The impacts of Judicial Constraint on the Executive and Freedom of Expression, while not negligible, are weaker compared to those of the first three indicators. These findings are interpreted and explained, and their implications for the design and implementation of climate policies are examined.

Big ambitions, modest beginnings: Civil society participation in food system governance in Australia

Big ambitions, modest beginnings: Civil society participation in food system governance in Australia