Consolidating Democracy in Indonesia: Contributions of Civil Society and State
Part One: Civil Society
Frank Feulner
Introduction
The purpose of this work is to analyse the consolidation of democracy in Indonesia through highlighting the contributions of civil society and state, and recommending some measures for reforming the future relationship between state and civil society. This relationship, crucial for the political evolution of a young democracy, can be approached from two ends: looking at civil society or looking at the state. Recognising the importance of both exercises in determining the optimal conjunction of the two sectors, the work, therefore, was divided into two framework papers, one on civil society and one on the role of the state.
The focus of this first paper is on a reform agenda for civil society in Indonesia. It is part of the joint work programme between the United Nations Support Facility for Indonesian Recovery (UNSFIR) and the Indonesian National State Planning Agency (Bappenas) in support of a sustained economic recovery and the establishment of an effective democracy. UNSFIR’s ongoing work on state – civil society relations concentrates on a reassessment of the respective roles of the state and civil society in the context of Indonesian national reforms. The support in the field of governance complements the support on social policy, economic policy, and regional policy as the other elements of the work programme, and continues some of the discussion of democratic consolidation already reflected in the 2001 National Human Development Report which was prepared by UNSFIR.
The
purpose of this paper is to identify the nature of these concerns and
to find mechanisms that the donor community could employ to respond
creatively to the challenges that are likely to emerge in this domain.
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