The Status, Success, and Failures of Civil Society in Africa

This report provides a comprehensive overview of the status and impact of civil society groups in Africa. It explores the role of these organizations in advocating for public rights, promoting development, and addressing issues such as corruption. The report examines the successes of civil society, highlighting their contributions to improved governance and social inclusion, as well as the challenges they face, including financial constraints and hostile legal environments. It analyzes the diverse paths taken by civil society groups across different African countries, noting their engagement in anti-corruption efforts, and their role as watchdogs. The report concludes that while civil society faces various obstacles, they are crucial for the welfare of society and play a vital role in promoting political and economic stability. It emphasizes the importance of collaboration between civil society, the government, and the private sector to overcome challenges and achieve common development goals. The analysis draws on secondary research, including journal articles and online resources, to provide a balanced perspective on the complexities and multifaceted contributions of civil society in Africa.

Status and Success
and/ or failure oc civil
society in Africa

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Status and success/ failure of Civil society group in Africa.......................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Civil society group is the unit of people who operates within a community by involving
from government as well as business. Their main work is to keep engage in advocating public's
right and also fulfill the important duties in democracy. In the same way, current study is also
assist to generate the understanding of civil society and their role for society. For that, report will
describe status, success of Civil society group in Africa.
success of Civil society group in Africa
Status of Civil society in Africa
There are certain group exist in Africa which is actively seeking to raise the living
standard of citizen as well as to promote the rights and interest of people and that is Civil
society. But people also face lack of such crucial resource i.e. finance and an environment in
Africa's civil society. Therefore, in order to overcome this issue, Africa need external donor who
support different forms and cope with the issue. Different secondary research also shows that
civil society group in Africa is changes from 1994 to 2014 and as a result, it leads towards
success as well. In the same way, the World bank Africa region's strategy for Civil Society focus
on four different pillars such that strengthen engagement with civil society for effective local
development solutions, partnering on action in order to promote the social inclusion with regard
to development process, also promoting social accountability by involving civil society groups
so that they may monitor the bank operations for development effectiveness (The changing
status of Civil Society Organization in South Africa, 1994 to 2014, 2015). Lastly, promoting
greater voice and space for an African society in development debate as well.
Hence, it is analyzed that Civil Society group's (CSG) head of the development work in
countries and also by working closely with communities, these CSG also assist to ensure that
the voice and needs of local population are taken into account fro designing the development
programs. Therefore, with a strong relationship with bank and civil society group, both assist to
meet the defined aim and objectives of the country. From 2014 onward, the civil society has also
grown stronger and there is an increase in participation of CSG as a third party for attaining
common development goals. Schmitter and Sika (2017) stated that civil society and their
members are consider true partners in order to attain the development up to highest level. Thus,
working closely with CSG will assist to ensure the better opportunities for Africa's people and
this is also evidence by some successful engagement within the African countries. Thus, the
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unique political context of each country also drives these stakeholders involvement and this
results in different activities as well as good practice which can be adapted anywhere.
Diverse path
In Africa 1990, civil society mobilization has been take a part in against the corruption
by involving in government and other institution. Therefore, after two years, the Civil society
also launches the National Anti- Corruption Forum that helps to bring civil society, business and
government for fight against the corruption. Thus, it will lead to remove corruption from the
country and leads towards success (Garrard, 2017). After that, in 2006 report on South Africa's
effort on good governance, it is noted by the African government that development of key
partnership between the government, civil society and private sector are fighting the corruption
which is consider one of the central aspect of the country's effort and that is why, government
also involve civil society.
As corruption is frequently take place in the societies where there is a considerable
discretion for the public officials with limited accountability and little transparency in the
government operations. Further, in the era of political openness in Africa, some external civil
society group also contributed to the fight in order to remove corruption within a continent.
Hence, the support given from the civil society also brought global visibility to some national
activist who require good resources as well. In the mean time, the civil society group also faces
different challenges which in turn affect their success such that did not get support from the
police, harassment and threat to their lives etc (Godsäter and Söderbaum, 2017). Thus, this
shows that civil society plays a crucial role in the success of the country but sometimes, it also
faces many issue which may hamper their success.
Challenges face by the civil society during their success
It is clear that the motive of the civil society is to work for the welfare of the country, but
in the same time, it also faces different challenges that may cause its success. Such that in the
economic arena, from the global financial crisis which hurt budget but it also increasing entrance
of business and the market into areas in order to preserve civil society. Therefore, a healthy civil
society group needs both strong bonds as well as strong bridges that assist to meet the need of
citizen. But in Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria, ethnicity already provided a focus for many popular
mobilization where existing power arrangement closed down in the democratic governance
(Greer and Falkenbach, 2017). On the other side, donor dependency is also consider another
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challenges which affect the success of the civil society group. Therefore, struggling with a
dependency on donor also hinder sustainability that also distract from their mission and thus,
encourages a short term strategy to chase funds.
On the other side, hostile legal environment is consider another important challenge that
got affect the entire success of the Civil Society group. Grahn and Lührmann (2020) stated that
civil society organization need to have a systematic relationship with the government to have a
success when working with government on laws. Therefore, this shows that there is a
relationship between civil society, public sector and private sector because they all are working
together and dependent to each other.
Civil society is neither good nor bad
As per the secondary research, most of the author stated that civil society in Africa is
neither good, nor peaceful, nor violent and bad. Its main concept is to include every variety of
association with a motive to provide welfare of society. Though it is an old idea but help to
create peace within a country and this concept Is become famous after the globalization has fully
discredited the planning state i.e. Soviet Union States (Jonjić-Beitter, Stadler and Tietgen, 2020).
Thus, in this modern era, globalization affect the business and also change the world politics as
well as economics in favor of rich, market, cooperation, private firm. Among all, only civil
society did not change but rest of the other changed such that role of NGO is also creates in
order to reduce its unacceptable side. This reflect that Civil Society are successful because it is
introduce for the welfare of a society.
Moreover, Leonard (2020) analyzed that the health of a republic is quite dependent on
the vitality of civil society as well as voluntary action of people. Hence, the balance between
these will assist Africa to cope up with many issue and maintain the political as well as
economic stability. Many articles are published which state that civil society in Africa is
consider as a watchdog because they provided opening for youth attempt to employment
opportunities as well as democratic reforms. In addition to this, it is also realized that Civil
society group or organization are also function as a watchdog of an accountability. It is so
because in 2013, Kenyan citizens were quite angered by the efforts which are made by the
parliaments' member in order to increase their own salaries as well as allowances which in turn,
bring dozen of piglets in front of parliament building (Burkina Faso's Le Balai Citoyen). At that
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time, civil society provide support in order to let people understand about their wrong deed and
assist to not raise the issue.
On the other side, different Civil Society organization in Africa also work with
government which includes 60 participants, some from African government who mainly focus
on good governance and fight against corruption. Not only this, there are some civil society
group who also work in order to expose ills in society and are unwilling to work as well. Further,
Civil Society group faces issue with regard to fund but they also arrange some financial
independence who support them to raise their business (Essien, 2020). This clearly reflected that
Civil Society group are actually work for the welfare of citizen and through their strong vision
they also assist government to take better decision for people.
CONCLUSION
By summing up above report it has been concluded that civil society are successful. It is
so because as per the secondary research, study concluded that civil society assist government to
reduce the problem face by citizen and latest example is corruption. Study also concluded that
there are some hindrance in civil society organization i.e. funding that may also hamper the
overall situation, but by coordinating with other sector, it tries to solve the issue face by the
citizens.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Essien, E. D., 2020. Ethical Appraisal of the Role of Civil Society in Nigeria: Pathway for
Social Inclusion and Sustainable Development. In Wealth Creation and Poverty
Reduction: Breakthroughs in Research and Practice (pp. 938-954). IGI Global.
Garrard, J., 2017. Democratisation in Britain: Elites, civil society and reform since 1800.
Macmillan International Higher Education.
Godsäter, A. and Söderbaum, F., 2017. Civil society participation in regional social policy: the
case of HIV/AIDS in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Global
Social Policy.17(2),.pp.119-136.
Grahn, S. and Lührmann, A., 2020. Civil Society and Post-Independence Democracy Levels. V-
Dem Working Paper.94.
Greer, S. L. and Falkenbach, M., 2017. Social partnership, civil society, and health care. Civil
Society and Health, p.139.
Jonjić-Beitter, A., Stadler, H. and Tietgen, F., 2020. Civil Society and Its Role Within UNSCR
1325 National Action Plans. In Gender Roles in Peace and Security (pp. 177-199).
Springer, Cham.
Leonard, L., 2020. How mining is threatening the sustainability of the South African nature
tourism sector and civil society response. In New Directions in South African Tourism
Geographies (pp. 317-335). Springer, Cham.
Schmitter, P. C. and Sika, N., 2017. Democratization in the Middle East and North Africa: a
more ambidextrous process?. Mediterranean politics.22(4). pp.443-463.
Online
The changing status of Civil Society Organization in South Africa, 1994 to 2014. 2015. [Online].
Available through:
<https://www.nelsonmandela.org/uploads/files/The_changing_status_of_Civil_Society_O
rganisations_in_SA_M_Weideman.pdf>.
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