Civil Society 1
Civil Society 1 : Also referred to as the 'Voluntary Sector' or the 'Third Sector', this is the collective term for that aspect of society which is comprised of such institutions as Trade Unions, Cooperative Societies, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's), Advocacy Groups, Social Movement Agents, Human Rights Organizations, and other sectors explicitly involved in action for social change. Political parties or similar groupings for the purpose of obtaining political power are not included. Civil Society is perceived to have the features of self- help, voluntarism and mutuality; upholding self- organization, democratic participation and community control. It is regarded as: (a) The means to strengthen the underlying social cohesion and self- organization of people and communities outside of the state and the corporate world; (b) An alternative to all-embracing state provision; (c) The underlying democratic culture that lies around us, which we often take for granted and which is an essential precondition of a democratic society; (d) An essential element of sustainable development, the platform upon which democratic culture and good governance depends. Civil society organizations are viewed as promoters of democratic ideas, the voice of the oppressed, expressing discontent and revolt and the enemies of autocracies. In essence, civil society is seen as expressing "the people" and the "popular will"
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