Role Of Civil Society Organizations Research Articles

The role of civil society organizations in social interaction

إن لبرامج منظمات المجتمع المدني دور متميز في تنمية قدرات الافراد وتحسين مستواهم من خلال زيادة المعرفة والمهارة في الاعمال الموكلة اليهم والتي بدورها تؤدي الى زيادة انتاجيتهم في العمل وتفاعلاتهم الاجتماعية, وحيث تعمل منظمات المجتمع المدني على تنظيم برامج مختلفة تساهم بحل مشكلات الناتجة عن تشغيل العاملين وبالتالي مما يؤدي الى ارتفاع الروح المعنوية لدى العاملين في المنظمات بالإضافة الى ان هنالك برامج اخرى هدفها الرئيسي هو التطوير العلمي والمعرفي وتوسيع الادراك لديهم الذي يمكنهم من الوصول الى اكتساب اسس ومعارف ومهارات جديدة , وهناك تصنيفات مختلفة لعمليات التفاعل الاجتماعي منها ما يكون ايجابي الذي يؤدي الى زيادة الروابط الاجتماعية وتقوية العلاقات بين الافراد ومنها ما يكون سلبي الذي يؤدي الى التنافر واضعاف العلاقات ما بين الافراد, وكذلك يهدف التفاعل الاجتماعي الى تعزيز التعاون وتحقيق اهداف مشتركة ما بين الافراد وخلق روح التنافس والصراع من اجل الوصول الى تحقيق الاهداف المرسومة للأفراد.

Kontinuitas tradisi breast ironing dalam komunitas imigran Kamerun di Inggris

The practice of breast ironing is one of many traditions in the world whose practice is based on the mindset that women's sexuality is something that must be controlled. This paper is intended to answer the question that is central to the author's research, namely: "Why do African immigrant communities in the UK continue the tradition of breast ironing when it is so risky?" To understand the context underlying the beliefs and practices of African immigrant women in the UK, the author adopts the ideas of Black African Feminism (BAF) by A La Awa Thiam. BAF argues that the history of colonialism has influenced the reinforcement of patriarchal ideologies and gender dynamics in Africa. BAF seeks to raise issues related to family life such as domestic violence, FGM, early marriage, polygamy, women's reproductive rights, women's inheritance rights, and HIV/AIDS. The continuity of the breast ironing tradition in the Cameroonian immigrant community in the UK is influenced by the socio-cultural context embedded in the community and the unsuccessful cultural adaptation that occurs between the minority community (Cameroonian immigrants) and the dominant community (local community). The efforts that can be made to stop this tradition are to build awareness within the community itself, in this case, the role of civil society organizations and NGOs is crucial.

State-Civil Society Relations

Abstract This paper explores the international comparative potential of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (crc) monitoring process. Interest in such comparisons has increased in recent years; however, several factors limit the efficacy of using crc reporting documents for cross-national comparisons. Focussing on the role of civil society organisations (cso s) in the crc reporting process, we examine how state reliance on cso s to perform vital functions of the crc might influence developments in children’s rights and how these developments get monitored and recorded. Drawing on Social Origins theory, we illustrate how different state-civil society relationships can lead to heterogeneous and uneven provision of, and reporting on, children’s rights issues, interventions and developments. Our evaluation leads us to problematise the use of the crc Concluding Observations to compare the performance of States Parties on their duty to protect the rights of the child.

The Role of Civil Society Organizations in The Formulation of Presidential Regulation Number 7 of 2021 on Violent Extremism in Indonesia during the Period of 2020-2024

In January 2021, President Joko Widodo signed the National Action Plan for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism that Leads to Terrorism (Presidential Regulation Number 7/2021). The increasing threats of violent extremism and terrorism make ratification of this policy urgent. The policy seeks to coordinate government and stakeholders against terrorism in Indonesia. The policy formulation demonstrates the resolve to engage the entire government and society. One of them is the roles of civil society organizations (CSOs). This study aims to describe the roles of the Wahid Foundation, C-SAVE, and Inklusif Foundation in formulating Presidential Regulation Number 7/2021. This qualitative study uses Arnstein's ladder participation as its conceptual framework. This study showed that the Wahid Foundation and the government are partners. In comparison, the C-SAVE and the Inklusif Foundation contribute to the level of tokenism. The Inklusif Foundation is only in the consultation or deliberation phase. However, despite the three CSOs having distinct work foci and levels of involvement, they have all contributed to the impetus behind the promulgation of this policy.

Evaluating the role of civil society organizations and official initiatives in the societal and economic empowerment of people with special needs

Evaluating the role of civil society organizations and official initiatives in the societal and economic empowerment of people with special needs

Potential role of civil society organizations (CSOs) in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) mitigation efforts in low- and middle-income countries: A report from India

Antibiotic resistance (ABR) is a global health threat with the potential to cause mortality and morbidity on an unprecedented scale. In the past, civil society organizations (CSOs) have been successful in complementing the efforts of government health systems, thereby shaping the course of various public health programs, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This article reports the outcomes of a CSO sensitization workshop held by one of the regional nodes of ReAct and highlights the perspectives of CSOs on their role in supporting the implementation of national and sub-national action plans for AMR mitigation. CSOs can contribute to (i) redefining the AMR narrative, (ii) generating the data for action and policy change, (iii) advocating for policy change, (iv) promoting research and influencing decisions pertaining to research in AMR, and (v) undertaking behavioral change communication for different target groups, among others. Governments in LMICs could leverage the expertise of CSOs by playing the role of facilitator while ensuring that the interventions align with national priorities and are sustainable. Efforts to ensure diverse funding and capacity building among CSOs should happen in parallel to ensure maximum impact on communities.

CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS ROLE ON CONFLICT RESOLUTIONS AND PEACEKEEPING MISSION ON SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE WEST POKOT AND TURKANA IN KENYA

There are conflicts in many pastoral communities around the globe, while the Sahel region and East Africa demonstrate sustained levels of inter-pastoral violent conflicts with associated potential impacts on their livelihoods. Turkana-Pokot Violence across borders, conflict is now the norm. A number of efforts have been made by various bodies to bring peace to the region. Despite the Kenya Police Reservists disarmament and arming of communities, peace initiative meetings, prosecuting perpetrators, declaringof illicit firearms surrender, amnesties, and setting up of peace committees continue to prevail in the region, insecurity and violent conflicts. It is in this regard that the researcher examines the role of civil society organizations in peacebuilding and reconstruction, which has gained significant attention over the last fifty years. Today, the main question is whether civil society organizations have an impact on peacebuilding efforts in the world, especially in third world countries or not. This study has primarily utilized the Protracted Social Conflicts (PSC) theory of Edward Azar. The study adopted descriptive research design. The study was conducted in Turkana and West Pokot Counties of Kenya. A total of 434 respondents were targeted in Pokot North and Turkana South. The sample size of 130 respondents was selected from each of the two Sub Counties. Data was collected using questionnaires, interview schedules, and document analysis and focus group discussions. Pilot study was conducted in Wajir County to establish reliability and validity of research instruments using content analysis and Cronbach alpha respectively. Quantitative data was analyzed using the SPSS to obtain descriptive statistics and chi-square. Qualitative data was analyzed by use of themes and presented in narrative form. Quantitative data was presented in form of tables, charts and graphs. Qualitative data was presented in form of narratives and verbatim quotations. The findings of the study revealed that, the proximity of Turkana County to three international borders, namely Uganda, South Sudan and Ethiopia had contributed to the proliferation of small arms through the porous borders that are not governed by the respective governments. This contributed to the availability and cheapness of small arms in Turkana County as a whole, hence the sustenance of the conflict between the two communities. Therefore, this theoretical framework was useful in anchoring the study. The study findings therefore suggested that Politics, governance, peace-building strategies, commercialization of raided animals and proliferation of small arms are the sustainers of conflict among the pastoral communities of Turkana and West Pokot Counties of Kenya. The study established that CSOs play a crucial role in conflict resolution in West Pokot. The study found out that CSOs provides food, clothing, water and tents in case of calamity. This was attributed to the fact that basic needs and health services are basic for the survival of every community. It was also established that NGOs settling conflict affected persons leads to conflict resolution. When natural resources are,well-managed conflicts are minimized. The CSOs provided for meetings during which residents were given awareness concerning peace and conflict resolution. The study revealed that CSOs organized social functions once per year.

The role of civil society organizations (CSOs) in the COVID-19 response across the Global South: A multinational, qualitative study.

Despite receiving less attention than high-income countries, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) experienced more than 85% of global excess deaths during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the unprecedented speed and scale of the COVID-19 pandemic, which placed large demands on government capacity, many LMICs relied on civil society organizations (CSOs) to assist in implementing COVID-19 response programs. Yet few studies have examined the critical role CSOs played in mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in low resource settings. This study explored the CSO response to COVID-19 in five of the most heavily impacted LMICs in the Global South. Interviews were conducted from May to August 2021 with a purposive sample of CSO key informants within each of the five countries. A total of 52 CSOs were selected from which 53 key informants were interviewed either via Zoom or by phone. Interviews were coded and analyzed using NVivo or MAXQDA2020. Out of the 52 CSOs selected, 24 were national organizations, 8 were regional, and 20 were local. CSOs fell into six categories: community-based organizations, non-governmental organizations, unions/professional organizations, campaigns/social movements, research organizations/think tanks, and networks/coalitions. CSOs across all five countries adapted their missions, stretched their resources, and performed a wide range of activities that fit into five programmatic areas: food security and livelihood support, public health and medical care, cash transfer programs, risk communication and community education, and needs assessment. This qualitative analysis demonstrates the critical role CSOs played in supplementing government emergency aid response by delivering necessary resources and supporting highly vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the primary challenges they faced in doing so. Given the generally weak state of public capacity in the LMICs studied, this role was vital to responding to the pandemic.

Civil society in local sustainable transformation – can bottom-up activities meet top-down expectations?

ABSTRACT The aim of the article is to explore whether and how local civil society – grounded in bottom-up activities – responds to a top-down initiative with expectations of sustainable transformation. The focus of our research is the possible role of civil society organizations as agents in collaborations aiming for a forest-based bioeconomy. The research was conducted in a local area within the sparsely populated Swedish region of Värmland, characterized by a strong tradition of forestry. The study is explorative and uses qualitative methods: interviews with representatives of local civil society actors, participant observations of local meetings and workshops, and document analyses. Our results suggest that general policy expectations concerning the inclusion of civil society become vague when operationalized in documents at the regional level, and lack clarity concerning the roles expected from civil society. Civil society organizations (CSOs) contribute in a multitude of ways to local social, economic, and environmental sustainability. However, the inclusion of CSOs as full actors in collaborations requires a greater knowledge of the traditions and structure of Swedish civil society, as well as its conditions and challenges in different local contexts.

The role of civil society organizations in deconstructing ethnopolitical conflict narratives through peace education: lessons from the Northern Region of Ghana

ABSTRACT The collective adherence to contradictory conflict narratives has underpinned the intractable ethnopolitical conflicts that have occurred in the Northern Region of Ghana. Changing the conflict narratives that perpetuate ethnopolitical conflicts in the region through peace education is a prerequisite for any meaningful peacebuilding. Consequently, the study examined how civil society actors use peace education to deconstruct negative conflict narratives in the region. The study is qualitative and relied on both primary and secondary data sources. Primary data was obtained through in-depth interviews with 20 participants. The data was analyzed using an inductive-deductive thematic analysis approach with the aid of NVivo 12 software. The study found that civil society organizations’ (CSOs) peace education programs create awareness, facilitate mutual understanding, and engender values of human rights, non-violence moves to conflict resolution, reconciliation, and trust-building. Peace educational activities by CSOs, whether direct or indirect, and whether in educational settings or the community, are essential in changing the socio-psychological infrastructure that perpetuates a culture of violence. It is proposed for broader engagement with CSOs for the initiation and implementation of context-specific peace education programs to help deconstruct the conflict narratives that perpetuate identity conflicts in some parts of Ghana.

Pemberdayaan Politik Perempuan Desa dan Peran Organisasi Masyarakat Sipil

This article reviews the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) in collective empowerment, in order to encourage women to transform their gender roles, especially in the political field. Various studies on women’s political empowerment have been carried out, but most of them still focus on the issue of participation and not much has discussed women’s collective action. Therefore, political empowerment in this study is seen in a more comprehensive manner by referring to the conception of Sundström et al. (2017), namely from the dimensions of choice, agency, and participation. This article is more based on a literature review which is supported by the results of a case study at Yayasan PEKKA, known as a CSO which focuses its activism on women, especially in rural areas. The findings of the study show that the empowerment process in principle begins with strengthening individual capacity, but women’s critical power and ability to articulate the interests of women and other marginal groups is still questionable (choice dimension). This is a modality for strengthening group and institutional capacity (agency dimension), so as to be able to encourage the active role of women in various stakeholder forums both at the village and district levels (participation dimension). An integrative and sustainable model of empowerment is needed to strengthen women’s political position, including encouraging women’s power-within-based leadership, namely leadership that promotes collective action, or what is known as social power.

The role of civil society organizations in alcohol control during the COVID-19 pandemic across six countries in Africa

BackgroundThe differing global trends in alcohol consumption and policy measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic warrant a closer look at the actions taken by civil society organisations (CSOs) and community-led efforts to describe how they may influence and accelerate action for change in alcohol control measures. This paper analyses actions undertaken by CSOs at the national and local levels to safeguard communities and improve alcohol control policies during the COVID-19 pandemic in six African countries.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was distributed via email to CSOs involved in alcohol prevention, outreach and policy development in Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Individuals (n = 19) working at CSOs responded to the questionnaire from February to March 2022. Questions related to the role of CSOs during the pandemic are analysed and synthesised in this paper. 19 CSOs respondents representing the six countries were included in the study.ResultsAction areas led by CSOs during the COVID-19 pandemic included: (i) direct lobbying advocacy, (ii) conducting public awareness media campaigns and (iii) legal and regulatory interventions linked to the pandemic.ConclusionsGiven the size of the challenges governments faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of CSOs, during the ongoing pandemic and beyond, has become even more relevant to strengthen advocacy and public health interventions for alcohol control in Southern Africa. For this, CSOs should have a “seat at the table” when public health policies are designed, discussed and enforced.

Inclusive elections? The case of persons with disabilities in the European Union

ABSTRACT The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) clarifies that persons with disabilities have the right to participate in political life and enshrines their right to vote and stand as candidates in elections. This article evaluates compliance and current practices in the European Union, finding a great variety of implementation to facilitate the electoral participation of persons with disabilities. Despite CRPD ratification by all EU member states, inaccessibility of elections, lack of suitable information, removal of legal capacity, and other disability-based discrimination remain barriers to political participation. Nevertheless, there are increasingly good practices of inclusion by which legislators and election administrators can learn from each other. Based on the example of the EU, the judicial activism of disabled persons organisations in particular highlights the key role of civil society organisations and their cooperation with public authorities to make electoral processes more inclusive, alleviating political inequality overall.

NGOs for Global Security (The Human Security and Health Security Role of the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta in the International Field)

Humanitarian NGOs work on social security and health security at local, regional and global levels. Natural and artificial disasters have increased worldwide in the past, and our future will not be immune. The role of civil society organizations (CSOs) is seen in mixed light, as local, regional and global CSOs exist and operate worldwide. The local group includes those active and valuable only in a single city or town; the regional group consists of those with a national or continental presence; and the global group includes those active locally, regionally and visibly on several continents. One such international organization is the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta. Understanding the NGOs activity management philosophy and the existence of humanitarian NGOs in the global security arena, and understanding the global activity management of the Order of Malta’s Organisation, The Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta, requires an analysis of international security, the structure of European security and the security issues in Hungary, and the interconnections between them.

‘This is what it is like to be church’: the Church of Sweden’s conditions for work with newly arrived refugees

Many newly arrived refugees suffer from mental health problems due to trauma. Research has shown that social participation after migration, such as taking part in social activities, networks and community work, is important for mental health and well-being. In Sweden, many civil society organisations, such as the Church of Sweden, take great responsibility for the establishment and integration of new arrivals. At the same time, the role of civil society organisations in the welfare society is not obvious, and the place of religious communities is sometimes challenged. Due to today’s growing secular and globalised society, the role of the Church of Sweden has changed. Its power has decreased, and the indications are that this will continue. There are also circumstances that point to the church having to adapt to the norms of secular society to have an impact. As the Church of Sweden fulfils an important function as a provider of welfare services, not least in work with newly arrived refugees, this article studies how the employees of the Church of Sweden feel about their conditions for this work and what guides it. It is based on a qualitative study of 19 interviews with employees in 4 different parishes.

THE ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN PROMOTING GOOD GOVERNANCE: A QUALITATIVE INQUIRY INTO BANGLADESH'S EXPERIENCE

This research is driven by the aim to comprehensively examine the multifaceted role of civil society organizations (CSOs) in advancing the cause of good governance, particularly within the distinctive context of Bangladesh. Employing a qualitative methodology, the study relies on in-depth interviews conducted with an array of stakeholders, including representatives from CSOs, government officials, and members of the community. Qualitative content analysis is employed to extract key themes from the interview data, complemented by an extensive review of pertinent literature. The findings of this research illuminate the nuanced understanding of good governance among participants, emphasizing its broader significance beyond development as a fundamental cornerstone of social justice and the safeguarding of citizens’ rights. CSOs, as highlighted in the findings, serve as central actors in the promotion of good governance, engaging in advocacy, monitoring, capacity building, and citizen engagement. They play instrumental roles in driving policy reforms, ensuring transparency in governance, and bridging the divide between government institutions and local communities. While acknowledging challenges faced by CSOs, including legal constraints and resource limitations, the research identifies opportunities for enhancing their impact through collaborative efforts, technology utilization, and the promotion of internal transparency and accountability. Though assessing the impact of CSOs remains a complex task, participants underscore the feasibility of context-specific indicators and demonstrable outcomes. The research also recognizes limitations, such as potential participant bias and the qualitative nature of the study, and provides significant implications for policymakers, CSOs, and scholars. Recommendations encompass legal reforms to bolster CSOs, fostering increased collaboration, actively engaging with youth and marginalized communities, promoting international cooperation, and prioritizing capacity building to strengthen CSOs’ contributions to the advancement of good governance in Bangladesh.

Role of Civil Society Organisations in Sweden for the Immigrants

Role of Civil Society Organisations in Sweden for the Immigrants

Public Consultation in Kosovo

The primary aim of the paper is to explore whether the public consultation system in Kosovo enables respective stakeholders to contribute and protect their interests during the process of drafting government policies and legislation. Based on the analysis of Kosovo’s legal framework in place, and findings from the empirical research with CSOs, we can conclude that Kosovo has undertaken substantial legislative steps and introduced new tools and guidelines to improve the public consultation system at the central and municipal level of government. Therefore, from the legal point of view, minimum standards for the consultation process are established under Kosovo’s legal framework. Considering the role of civil society organisations and their influence on policymaking in Kosovo, particular attention has been paid to the CSOs’ perception of this issue. The analysis of a sample of documents and CSOs’ responses reveals concerns on whether stakeholders are enabled to contribute to the drafting of policies and legislation. A major issue of concern with regard to the effectiveness of the current consultation system in Kosovo is the low response rate from stakeholders as compared to the number of documents open to consultation. The study demonstrates a lack of clarity about how institutions select, invite and involve stakeholders, whether they select the appropriate stakeholders to participate in the drafting and consultation process, and whether sufficient information and feedback is provided to them about the individual consultations.

The role of civil society organizations in fostering equitable vaccine delivery through COVAX.

The role of civil society organizations in fostering equitable vaccine delivery through COVAX.

The role of civil society organizations in fostering equitable vaccine delivery through COVAX

The role of civil society organizations in fostering equitable vaccine delivery through COVAX