• 2024-08-22

The Role of Civil Society Organisations in Defending Democratic Values

Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe project

Democratic values form the foundation of modern society, encompassing the rule of law, respect for human and minority rights, media freedom, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, a conducive environment for civil society, free, fair, and democratic elections, university autonomy, and similar principles. Today, we are witnessing a growing trend of state autocratisation worldwide, and regrettably, we must acknowledge that in the third decade of the 21^st century, democracy and democratic institutions and processes are in serious crisis, with democratic values under threat even in democratic nations. According to the 2023 Freedom House report, 65 countries are classified as ‘not free’ and 59 as ‘partly free’. Since 2019, Serbia has been ranked among the ‘partly free’ countries, and according to the latest 2023 report, it ranks 114^th out of 195 states. In the previous year, Serbia experienced the largest decline in democracy among transition countries. The rise of right-wing ideologies and parties, as well as the popularity of authoritarian leaders in Europe and globally, threatens various freedoms and rights, such as media freedoms, the rights of minority groups (racial, ethnic, sexual), freedom of speech, and more.

One of the strongest bulwarks against state and government arbitrariness is civil society itself. Civil society organisations play a mediating role between citizens and government representatives and are progressive forces advocating for reforms and modernisation within society. Their role is particularly pronounced in societies with underdeveloped democratic and political cultures, where populism, nationalism, and political and institutional violence dominate. However, given the focus of civil society on values, progress, and modernisation, its activities are particularly challenging in Balkan societies, where traditional patriarchal values continue to prevail. Civil society plays a significant educational role in shaping liberal and social-democratic values, as engagement in civil society nurtures tolerance, diversity, equality, gender equality, and multiculturalism.

The relationship between civil society and democracy is bidirectional and mutually conditional. Without a strong civil sector, there is no developed democratic society, just as the development of democracy is a precondition for building civil society. Since the introduction of multi-party politics in Serbia in the early 1990s, alongside opposition parties and broad democratic coalitions, civil society has developed as a serious counterbalance to the authoritarian regime of Slobodan Milošević. Thus, the civil sector in Serbia played a key role in defending the democratic will of the people and contributed significantly to the democratisation of the country before and after the 5 October 2000 changes.

As Professor Vukašin Pavlović notes in his book Civil Society and Democracy: “Civil society and democracy are natural allies. Through its existence and actions, civil society represents the most serious critic of the state. In this capacity, civil society is the most important counterbalance to the state and political sphere. One of the significant consequences of civil society’s actions is its effort to curtail the expansionist ambitions of the state, or at least to defend civil society from the intrusion and complete control of the state and politics over society.”^[1].

Larry Diamond argues that the democratic functions of civil society are numerous, but the most significant is its role in building and raising the level of democratic political culture and developing the necessary democratic values, thus creating the prerequisites for the democratic functioning of state institutions. Furthermore, civil society provides a form of broad social monitoring and constraint on how power is exercised by the state.^[2]

Civil society organisations make a substantial contribution to the preservation and defence of democratic processes and values by promoting civic participation and political engagement, advocating for the protection of human rights, and pushing for the rule of law, the fight against corruption, and the transparency and accountability of public authorities.

Civic participation: Active citizens are the cornerstone of any democratic society. Due to the very low level of trust among citizens in the region, particularly among young people, in state institutions and political organisations, civil society plays a strong mobilising role in encouraging the people to engage in public life. Civil society organisations (CSOs) promote their participation in political and social processes by launching various public campaigns to raise awareness, as well as organising civic and volunteer actions and protests. By organising debates, conferences, roundtables, public discussions, and other events, CSOs provide a platform for the people to engage in public dialogue on issues that directly affect their lives. Referring to Tocqueville’s concept of democratic education, Professor Pavlović believes that civil society serves as a preparatory school for democracy. Through various educational programmes and training intended for citizens, CSOs strengthen citizens' capacities and knowledge concerning the modalities of participation in decision-making processes, legislative procedures, voting rights, election monitoring, and more. By implementing advocacy initiatives aimed at the adoption or amendment of public policy documents – such as strategies, action plans, laws, regulations, and the like – CSOs directly participate in the decision-making process on issues that are important to the citizenry.

Protection of human rights: In partially free countries such as Serbia, the daily violation of civil rights and freedoms is a prevalent issue. Due to the lack of trust in the effectiveness of state institutions, civil society plays a crucial role in protecting the economic, social, labour, cultural, minority, and other rights of citizens. Civil society organisations (CSOs) provide support to victims of human rights violations by offering free legal assistance, conducting educational programmes, and running awareness-raising campaigns concerning mechanisms for protecting citizens' rights. They also monitor human rights conditions, advocate for legislative changes to strengthen the protection of rights and freedoms, and collaborate with the media to inform and mobilise the public on cases of severe human rights violations. Thanks to the efforts of civil society in the fight against all forms of discrimination, the voices of marginalised social groups often reach the public.

Fighting corruption and institutional transparency: Abuse of power, corruption, and nepotism represent serious challenges for democratic countries, particularly for emerging democracies, leading to distrust in institutions and political processes in general. In this context, civil society plays a vital role in preventing and combating corruption by monitoring the work of public institutions, strengthening institutional capacities to ensure effective law enforcement, analysing budgets, and overseeing public financial spending. CSOs also inform about identified irregularities in the functioning of public institutions, conduct research, and run transparency and accountability campaigns. According to the latest 2023 Balkan Barometer Public Opinion survey, regularly conducted by the Regional Cooperation Council, 44% of citizens in the Western Balkans believe that the population and CSOs have the capacity to monitor the government and hold it accountable to the public.

In societies where democratic values are under threat, the civil sector serves as a critical voice, a community mobiliser, and a guardian of the rule of law. Only through joint efforts to strengthen civil society and democracy can we ensure that the fundamental values of freedom, justice, and equality are preserved and further developed. To conclude with a previously mentioned quote: without a strong civil sector, there can be no developed democratic society, just as there can be no civil society without democracy.

Author: Branislav Cvetković, Youth Activist and Member of the Green-Left Front

* This publication was funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the Center for Democracy Foundation and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.