On political evolution

Author(s): Juliana Geran Pilon
Publication date: Wednesday 20 October 2004

Political evolution may be prompted by elite actors, and sometimes by external action (such as the bombing in Afghanistan, or Serbia), but sustainable reform can only succeed if it involves a significant portion of the civil society. The locus of non-governmental activity takes place within the society at large: negotiating differences, creating a culture of tolerance, and the establishment of genuine dialogue among citizens. Some lessons learned.

1. The involvement of civil society must take place long before credible elections establish the rudiments of democratic institutions.
2. Civil society assistance should be undertaken whenever possible based on solid, well-designed survey research.
3. NGOs need to be trained to engage in constructive dialogue with both the political parties and the government sector.
4. NGO assistance is often inexorably intertwined with assistance to the enabling environment: media, parliamentary assistance, and governance.
5. Election-related programming should be undertaken with an eye toward shifting to civil society-building when election reform stops or even backslides.
6. Civic education is an essential component of civil society assistance.
7. Sustainability is an important aspect of NGO assistance, and has to be part of the strategic plan of donor assistance.
8. Impact is sometimes measured in people’s hearts and minds, and are often difficult to demonstrate in a short time-span.
9. Civil society assistance must be coupled with strong media exposure.

Source:

THE ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN PROMOTING POLITICAL REFORM: Lessons Learned and Best Practices, By Juliana Geran Pilon, Ph.D. Senior Advisor for Civil Society International Foundation for Election Systems Abstract: Elections are a necessary component of democracy, usually just the first step; it can and must serve as the foundation for a genuinely accountable, effective environment that promotes the rule of law and public participation in policy. The involvement of civil society is necessary to promote political reform. This paper takes a look at some lessons learned by IFES over the course of the past several years in integrating civil society into a democratic political process.

Related links:

http://www.wmd.org/documents/pilon.doc