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This panel revisits the role of civil society in the context of contemporary social, political and economic uncertainties affecting democracies. When rethinking governance in a changing global system, it is necessary to revisit the nearly three decades of experience of civil society actors’ involvement in governance. Civil society has been a political discourse since the 1990s, particularly in response to two major political processes, namely regime changes and new governance practices including neoliberal reforms and the emergence of networks as a new pattern of rule. In the last few decades, there has been a significant increase in the number of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and civil society organisations (CSOs) across the world. Both international organisations and states have called upon civil society actors, specifically NGOs and CSOs, to assume some of the traditional responsibilities of the state. This has resulted in the idea, proposal, and practice of involving NGOs/CSOs in public policies becoming a core theme in governance. As a result, civil society actors have gained access to resources and opportunities for participating in decision-making and policy implementation. Civil society actors are mobilised as intermediaries that transmit the voices and interests of the people to practitioners. Civil society is often described as a network of intermediary associations that establish trust and solidarity in society.
When thinking about new practices and innovations that can rejuvenate democracy amid uncertainty, learning from the already experimented civil society practices is thus necessary. Now, we have sufficient experience to reflect on the role of civil society actors in governance to see whether they have delivered the promise of reviving novel democratic practices. Has the proliferation of NGOs/CSOs around the world signified a political shift towards the emergence of a global civil society? Have CSOs played a crucial role in democratisation? Has their engagement enabled citizens to participate more effectively in the self-governance of their communities? Has civil society curbed the excesses of the state and corporate/business sectors? Can NGOs be used to promote neoliberal governance?