ABSTRACT

This chapter explores the revival of interest in civil society and identifies three broad trends that have emerged in the context of post-crisis Asia. It discusses the theoretical status of the concept of transnational or global civil society as an agent of resistance to processes of globalisation and regionalism. The chapter summarizes some key developments in Asia-Europe relations. It focuses on the more general arguments in the case study of international nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) seeking to address the development and social policy aspects of the post-crisis agenda. The chapter examines the different responses by civil society actors meeting outside the formal Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) process, signaling a greater willingness to frame forms of resistance at the level of regional and national political economies. It offers critical appraisal of the claims that civil society actors, both transnational and nationally-embedded, are helping to shape the conduct of post-crisis politics especially in relation to democratic deepening and opposition to policies of neoliberal adjustment.