The Conscience of People: Civil Society’s Action on Public Interest in South Asia

NGOs and civil society play significant roles in shaping the social, economic, and political landscapes of South Asian countries. Civil society encompasses a broader spectrum of non-state actors, including NGOs, community-based organizations, social movements, and citizen groups, all working towards collective goals and influencing public policy that express the interests and values of their members or others based on ethical, cultural, political, scientific, religious, or philanthropic considerations (Rut, 2023; Cohen & Arato, 1992; Prakash & Gugerty, 2010; Willetts, 2010; Risse & Sikkink, 1999; Falk, 1997; Dryzek, 2012). Civil society is a complex and contested concept widely used and debated in various academic disciplines and policy domains. In general, civil society can play multiple roles and functions in society, such as providing social services, advocating for social change, monitoring public institutions, facilitating public participation, and enhancing social capital (Willetts, 2010; Risse & Sikkink, 1999; Ruggie, 2017; Keohane & Nye, 2003; Boli & Thomas, 1999). However, civil society is not a monolithic or homogeneous entity that operates in a vacuum (Boli & Thomas, 1999; Cohen & Arato, 1992; Lewis, 2016; Rut, 2023). Interactivity with various internal and external factors and actors that shape its development, evolution, diversity, and challenges, civil society is also subject to multiple opportunities and constraints that affect its credibility as an agent of change, which is embedded in the diversity and plurality of societies (Bernstein, 2004; Garreton, 2014; Risse & Sikkink, 1999).