Democratization in the Global South

The book navigates the fledgling democratization process in Indonesia, putting emphasis on the role non state actors have played and continue to play in the process. The space for non actors in shaping the form, and direction of Indonesian democratization has widened and increased in degree, diversity, and scope as democratization has moved forward, which is not unexpected in a true democracy. Non state actors have played important role in facilitating and fostering democratization process in Indonesia. They have served as partners with the government in charting development, provide key basic services jointly and in arms- length from the state, contributed to increasing public awareness of legal, political and economic rights, and in strengthening community development capacity. However, with the diminishing role of the state that in part is attributable to adoption of economic austerity policies, non-state actors have also, either knowingly or unwittingly or both, become conduits and agents of foreign influence in the archipelago economy and politics, at the central and sub national level. Problems that still loom large range from heavy reliance of foreign funding, lack of domestically grounded mechanisms, best practices, and benchmarks they use in conducting of activities, fragmentation, shortage of organizational leadership and management skills. It is a challenge and opportunity which civil society had to take if it is to remain relevant as an important element in the Indonesia democracy equation now and in future