"The worth of a State, in the long run, is the worth of the individuals composing it …a State which dwarfs its men, in order that they may be more docile instruments in its hands even for beneficial purposes – will find that with small men no great thing can really be accomplished."

-John Stuart Mill, On Liberty and Other Writings

"Civil society refers to the set of institutions, organisations and behaviour situated between the state, the business world, and the family. Specifically, this includes voluntary and non-profit organisations of many different kinds, philanthropic institutions, social and political movements, other forms of social participation and engagement, and the values and cultural patterns associated with them."

- London School of Economics, Centre for Civil Society

Mistrust on Both Sides: Harness or Harvest?
Medium: ST Newspaper article/Book Review
Author: Chua Mui Hoong
Summary: An ST review of Gillian Koh and Ooi Giok Ling’s State Society Relations in Singapore, highlighting how the culture of mistrust between Government and civil society is a perennial theme in many of the book’s essays.
Interesting-ness: *****
Readable: ****
Relevant: *****

Contest for Space: Civil and political society in east and Southeast Asia
Medium: Essay
Author: James Gomez
Summary: Describes the tension in Asian countries between Governments and political elements in civil society groups. Challenges the attempts by Asian Governments to depoliticise civil society on the grounds that Asian conceptions of civil society vary from the West. A long read, at times tedious.
Interesting-ness: ***
Readability: **
Relevance: ****

AWARE and Civil Society – ‘Your Space or Mine’?
Medium: Essay
Author: Goh Yu-Ming Stanley
Summary: A student’s perspective of civil society in Singapore, following his attachment with AWARE. Long, but fascinating. Particularly like his humble conclusion "The concept of civil society and where it stands exactly here in Singapore still escapes me, but the work of AWARE and our opportunity to witness what they do first hand has enabled me to understand the particular role it plays in Singapore."
Interesting-ness: ****
Readability: **
Relevance: ***

The Mouse that Roared
Medium: Newspaper article, Common Dreams News Center
Author: Michael Edwards
Summary: An article criticising the bad press international NGOs/civil society groups have raised post-911, and highlighting the importance of creating a workable partnership between governments and civil society.
Interesting-ness: ****
Readability: ****
Relevance: ***

The Self-Appointed Altruists
Medium: Newspaper article, United Press International
Author: Sam Vaknin
Summary: Strong criticisms of NGOs as self-appointed, unelected "busybodies".
Interesting-ness: *****
Readability: ****
Relevance: ***

Remaking Singapore
Medium: Website
Author: Nil
Summary: Check out the online forum!
Interesting-ness: ****
Readability: ****
Relevance: ****

Civil Society International
Medium: Website
Author: Nil
Summary: Website that "bring(s) together in one place information about projects worldwide committed to the keystones of civil society…"
Interesting-ness: ****
Readability: ***
Relevance: ***

We're happy to have Mr Roger Winder join us at this session as a guest speaker.

Roger has been a volunteer with Action for AIDS since 1994.