Civil Society and Political Change: Globalization and Transforming Relations in South Asia

The interconnection among civil society and democracy, the role of civil society organizations in promoting open politics, the implications of the rise of civil society for the state and political society and civil society for interaction among actors and agencies are discussed in the South Asian realm. As the global governance structure is progressing with the fractured process of globalization and is more likely to end up in regionalism or even national protectionism and rivalry which corroborates the widely accepted notion “fractured or fragmented globalization”. It is well established that this has created a ground for the egression of civil society and identity conflict not only at the macro level but also at the micro level. The globalization assisted governance structures have gradually changed the role of civil society from a monitor and corrector of states’ actions to an active co-participant in the governance arena. It should be noted that political, economic, and security cruxes have immensely impacted regional cooperation and civil society engagements with strong reflections in trade, connectivity, travel, and bilateral partnerships. Despite these limitations, the civil society of South Asia has continued not only to advocate for peace and amity in the region, but also to recommend measures to strengthen non-political integration in the region. It can be concluded that, the structures and functions of civil society have evolved at the global, regional, national, and local levels which ameliorate the quality of good governance domain.