Publication: Enabling Environments for Civic Engagement in PRSP Countries
Date
2003-03
ISSN
Published
2003-03
Author(s)
World Bank
Abstract
It is now increasingly recognized that,
alongside the state and the market, civil society is a
critical factor in determining the level, pace and equity of
a country's economic, social and political development.
Civic engagement is the participation of private actors in
the public sphere, conducted through direct and indirect
interactions of civil society organizations and
citizens-at-large with government, multilateral institutions
and business establishments to influence decision making or
pursue common goals. It is a process that organizes citizens
or their entrusted representatives to "influence, shape
and control public affairs and development initiatives,
implementation and resources. Under the right conditions
civic engagement can promote development and improve the
economic and social conditions of the poor. How civil
society can maximize its potential in alleviating poverty
and promoting social accountability, and what types of laws,
regulations, governance and cultural norms are needed to
create the most conducive environment in which civil society
operates, is less well understood.
Citation
“World Bank. 2003. Enabling Environments for Civic Engagement in PRSP Countries. Social Development Notes; No. 82. © Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/e495d1cb-991c-50ca-a57a-af41c0c47ec5 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”