Authors :
Egoh Modi Aziz
Volume/Issue :
Volume 4 - 2019, Issue 8 - August
Google Scholar :
https://goo.gl/DF9R4u
Scribd :
https://bit.ly/2Z9X6iQ
Abstract :
Contemporary notions of civil society are
diverse, and debates around its fundamental role in
enhancing the process of democratization in Eastern
Europe, Africa and other parts of the developing world
are the basis for its existence. Increasing political
instability, unaccountable economic and management
systems, corruption, asymmetric development, social
injustice, authoritarian regime forms amongst others,
have been the key areas of anxiety in many countries. This
paper begins by tracing the emergence of civil society in
Eastern Europe from the 1980s extending to Africa. It
subscribes to the fact that civil society existed in Africa
before colonialism, and that civil society formations were
mostly captured under the voluntary sector which to some
extent demonstrated some form of autonomy from the
state. Civil society agenda during this period was
apolitical. It was only when colonialism sets in and
politicized the very existence of civil society formations
that a growing political sensation started gaining grounds.
However, the repressive measures of colonial
administration silenced any form of civil society
awakening. From the colonial era to that of independence
under president Ahidjo, civil society was configured under
same trade associations, agricultural work parties and the
voluntary sector in general, with virtually no political
activism. As a point of departure and anchored within the
broad paradigm of civil society and Africa’s political
activism, this paper intends to critically analyze some
captivating elements surrounding the civil society of
Cameroon. It starts by positioning the concept within the
framework of Cameroon’s political transformation
process and the actual role civil society played in attaining
this objective. Acknowledging both the conformist and
activist roles played by Cameroon civil society, this paper
focuses more on the activist dimension of the concept. This
paper contends that Cameroon civil society during the
early 1990s was more vibrant and willing to exert pressure
on the Biya regime for a pluralistic political system.
During this period, political activism was crafted in what I
have captioned ‘civilian group militancy.’ Unlike then,
current trends of civil society shows a relatively weak
capacity and unwillingness to commit and unite as one
force to challenge the incumbent regime. The paper
asserts that the state, on its part has used all forms of
machinery to render the civil society disjointed and
divided in realizing its objective for change. The
researcher has employed a qualitative method in
analyzing data collected from primary and secondary
sources, semi-structured interview session and views from
direct and personal observation pertaining to the subject
in question.
Keywords :
Civil Society, Politics, Democratization, Transformation.
Contemporary notions of civil society are
diverse, and debates around its fundamental role in
enhancing the process of democratization in Eastern
Europe, Africa and other parts of the developing world
are the basis for its existence. Increasing political
instability, unaccountable economic and management
systems, corruption, asymmetric development, social
injustice, authoritarian regime forms amongst others,
have been the key areas of anxiety in many countries. This
paper begins by tracing the emergence of civil society in
Eastern Europe from the 1980s extending to Africa. It
subscribes to the fact that civil society existed in Africa
before colonialism, and that civil society formations were
mostly captured under the voluntary sector which to some
extent demonstrated some form of autonomy from the
state. Civil society agenda during this period was
apolitical. It was only when colonialism sets in and
politicized the very existence of civil society formations
that a growing political sensation started gaining grounds.
However, the repressive measures of colonial
administration silenced any form of civil society
awakening. From the colonial era to that of independence
under president Ahidjo, civil society was configured under
same trade associations, agricultural work parties and the
voluntary sector in general, with virtually no political
activism. As a point of departure and anchored within the
broad paradigm of civil society and Africa’s political
activism, this paper intends to critically analyze some
captivating elements surrounding the civil society of
Cameroon. It starts by positioning the concept within the
framework of Cameroon’s political transformation
process and the actual role civil society played in attaining
this objective. Acknowledging both the conformist and
activist roles played by Cameroon civil society, this paper
focuses more on the activist dimension of the concept. This
paper contends that Cameroon civil society during the
early 1990s was more vibrant and willing to exert pressure
on the Biya regime for a pluralistic political system.
During this period, political activism was crafted in what I
have captioned ‘civilian group militancy.’ Unlike then,
current trends of civil society shows a relatively weak
capacity and unwillingness to commit and unite as one
force to challenge the incumbent regime. The paper
asserts that the state, on its part has used all forms of
machinery to render the civil society disjointed and
divided in realizing its objective for change. The
researcher has employed a qualitative method in
analyzing data collected from primary and secondary
sources, semi-structured interview session and views from
direct and personal observation pertaining to the subject
in question.
Keywords :
Civil Society, Politics, Democratization, Transformation.
