Civil Society and Political Change in Asia

This multiyear project (2001–2004) investigates the nature and development of civil society in thirteen Asian countries and the role of actors operating in this space in fostering and consolidating political change, which includes but is not limited to democratic change. Countries investigated in this study include: China, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, South Korea and Taiwan.

Funded by the Center for Global Partnership of The Japan Foundation, participants of this comparative study are drawn from Asia, the United States, Australia, and Europe.

The first project workshop was held in East-West Center Honolulu from March 16–19, 2002. The second workshop was held from October 25–28, 2002, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The book resulting from this project, “Civil Society and Political Change in Asia,” was published in November 2004. The table of contents is available here.