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NGO/CSO Experience in the Philippines Capacity Building Conference for Iraqui NGOs organized by the UNDP and LEADING POINT Management Advisory Services, 18-20 November 2012, Erbil, Iraq. Isagani R Serrano President, Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM). Outline.
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NGO/CSO Experience in the PhilippinesCapacity Building Conference for Iraqui NGOs organized by the UNDP and LEADING POINT Management Advisory Services, 18-20 November 2012, Erbil, Iraq Isagani R Serrano President, Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM)
Outline • CSOs in Philippines---now and then • Policies & legislations on civil society • NGO/CSO-government relations • CSO challenges---past, present, future • Roles in society, in change processes • Lessons learned • The future CSOs want to build
CSOs now • How many? –Moving target • Presence in all non-state sectors: NGO/development community, workers, farmers, fishers, women, youth, children, IPs, Bangsamoro, LGBTs, PWDs, Chinese community, science & academic community, mass media, faith-based groups, ex-military, corporate/business… • Primaries, networks, network of networks
CSOs through the years • Pre 1896 revolution: indigenous associations • 1896 revolution against Spanish colonialism: liberal democracy, freedom of association • US colonial rule (1898-1941), US-guided elite democracy • Post-World War II democracy: continuing elite rule and US influence • From democracy to dictatorship and back
Policies and legislations • UN influence: UN Charter, UDHR, etc. • Constitutional basis: 1935, 1973, 1987 • Changing policies across 9 post-war presidential regimes • People’s anti-dictatorship struggles and 1986 revolution • 1987 Constitution: people’s participation; Local Government Code of 1991
CSO/NGO-GO Relations • Cooperation • Adversarial: Anti-government, anti-NGO/CSO • Critical collaboration • Parallelism • Gap-filling • State substitution • Regime-changing, revolutionary
Challenges past and present • Legitimacy & recognition • Political repression, loss of open space, • Funding sustainability, ODA-dependence • Politicization & depoliticization • Competition, hegemonism, representation • Impact & accountability • Capacity for self-governance • Capacity to engage government
Roles in society & change process • Building social capital • Sounding board for policymaking • Critic of government policy & practice • Self governance • People’s development
Lessons from Philippine experience • People’s participation---a value in and for itself • CSOs: civic initiative for common good • CSOs as antidote to bad governance • CSOs subject to same governance standards • ‘Impossible’ issue: ‘representation’ • Focus on initiative & inclusive participation • How inclusive is inclusive? • Good governance helpsno guarantee of sustainable development
The future(s) CSOs want to build: post Rio20, post-2015 • Rights and freedoms: continuing deficits • Egalitarian society: baseline of high inequality • End to poverty, more equality • Good governance: democracy & participation • Sustainability of development: social, political, economic, ecological • Limits to growth • Social harmony, resiliency, happiness