Book on Political Space for Advocacy Now Available!
Posted:  May 24, 2007   10:42:38am

In early 2006, it became apparent that a survey of political space in the region was not only necessary; it was urgent. In Thailand, the anti-Thaksin groups were frequently rallying and calling for his resignation. In the Philippines, political killings were on the rise and this added pressure to an already embattled Arroyo presidency, which has been suffering from a crisis of legitimacy since the 2004 presidential elections. In September 2006, Singapore banned civil society representatives who were recognized and registered participants to the annual meetings of the World Bank/International Monetary Fund. Also in September, the Thai military launched a coup d’etat and successfully seized power from Thaksin. About the same time, pockets of violence erupted once again in what remains of the unstable democracy in Timor Leste.

Consequently, Southeast Asia is often described as a region with many disparities in terms of political and economic systems and levels of development, which have direct bearings on civil society’s capacity to engage with governments for advocacy. In some countries, this space for advocacy – or the opportunity to negotiate between citizens and state – is fast shrinking. In others, modest gains have been secured to open up this space, although the process proves painfully slow.

Initially, SEACA set forth to survey the environment where civil society advocates work and assess whether or not spaces available for these initiatives have shrunk or expanded. However, in the process of doing the research, we found ourselves probing not only the environments where advocacy work is done but also the very people engaged in these initiatives as well as the different ways by which they pursue their hoped-for goals.

And so in the light of recent developments in Southeast Asia, civil society advocates find themselves not just pushing for spaces for advocacy; they also require space for self-assessment.

Who are we as members of civil society? What are we fighting for? What methods do we use? What else can we do given the realities in the region that we face?

It is likewise imperative to ask: Is there an urgent need to re-imagine and redefine ‘democracy’ that is more meaningful and more responsive to an Asian-style of modernity that is emerging from both the throes of our colonial and dictatorial past as well as the realities of our repressive and constricting present?

"Breaking Through: Political Space for Advocacy in Southeast Asia" is edited by Joel Paredes, Marissa de Guzman, and Eltheodon Rillorta, with contributions from Randy David, Amara Pongsapich, George Aditjondro, Edna Co, Chin Huat Wong, Chea Vannath, and Zaw Oo. The book is available at the SEACA Secretariat Office. Get a copy now.

SEACA Secretariat
#29-D Mayaman Street
UP Village, Quezon City
1101 PHILIPPINES
Tel: 632-9206228
Fax: 632-9206202
Email: info@seaca.net

Unit price: P300.00