Civil Society
STRATEGIC FOCUS
Strengthen the mediums through which citizens can freely organize and communicate with their government and with each other: It is vital to support legal and regulatory frameworks that provide an enabling environment for civil society organizations, democratic labor organizations and independent media. In many countries, formal restrictions limit freedom of association and expression.
Strengthen a democratic political culture: Resilient democracies depend on a political culture that values citizen engagement, tolerance, and respect for human rights. Many societies lack such values and behaviors. For instance, some political cultures may encourage religious and ethnic fissures to dominate civic life, while a culture of citizen deference may reinforce authoritarian trends. The Civil Society Division plays a lead role in advancing knowledge about strengthening democratic political cultures. This includes supporting civic education programs in the formal education sector and for adults, and highlighting democratic principles in worker education programs.
Mobilize constituencies for reform: Because political reform generally occurs in response to civic action and engagement with government, the Civil Society Division emphasizes support for civil society organizations whose advocacy efforts give voice to citizens and increase their influence on the political process. These organizations may include human rights and pro-democracy groups, labor unions, professional associations, religious institutions, busines s associations, and informal groups such as student movements. Service delivery organizations may also become active in civic or political affairs on policy issues.
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