The role of global civil society in freedom of information (FOI) advocacy: A comparative study on the cases of Indonesia and the Philippines

• Main Author: Ang, Monica C.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2014
• Subjects: Civil society; Sovereignty; Freedom of information > Philippines; Freedom of information > Indonesia; Development Studies
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_doctoral/1230; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etd_doctoral/article/2231/viewcontent/CDTG005612_P.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

Global civil society is a fairly new but critical phenomenon. While some are optimistic about the era of post-sovereign governance that it supposedly ushers, some remain skeptical. Debates surrounding the promises and perils of global civil society boil down to the vagueness of the concept. But despite the lack of clarity with regard to the idea of international solidarity among NGOs, the success of transnational advocacy networks cannot be ignored. A lot of studies have highlighted the value of global civil society in the diffusion of new norms and policy practices. Freedom of information (FOI) is one such area. In recent years, the spread of FOI norms has been gathering speed, most especially in the enactment of FOI laws all over the world. Although various factors contribute to the passage of laws, networking has been found to be vital. In an era of globalization, transnational networking has also enabled local advocates to gain more leverage vis-â-vis state governments. This can be hypothesized in the cases of Indonesia which was able to pass their FOI law in 2008, and the Philippines whose advocacy was able to gain momentum in the 14th Congress although still unable to pass a law. The research primarily asks, what role have transnational advocacy networks played in supporting local NGO efforts in relation to the passage (or non-passage) of FOI legislation in Indonesia and the Philippines? Using the methodology of process-tracing, the study will compare both cases to see how transnational networking contributed to their respective advocacies and whether the idea of a global civil society can be given more shape.