Civil Society and World Regions

Supranational regionalism and regional integration have for a long time been top-down processes, led by the few and imposed on the many. The role of citizens, especially those active in civil society, has been neglected by scholars, students, and commentators of regionalism. In reaction to the prevalence of these top-down models, a "new regionalism" approach has proliferated in the past few years. This book aims to further develop such a research agenda by providing an up-to-date overview of the contribution of civil society to world regionalism, from Europe to Africa, Asia, and the Americas. This is not only relevant as a research topic; it is also of critical importance from a political standpoint. As regions across the world experience prolonged governance crises, it becomes paramount to understand the extent to which these new regional formations actually reflect the interests and needs of their people. While old regionalism was accepted as a de facto elite-driven byproduct of both the Cold War and neoliberal globalization, the twenty-first-century regionalism-if it is to survive-will need to refocus its objectives through new forms of participation and inclusion. Regions without citizens are unlikely to stand the test of time, especially in times of crises.

Civil Society and World Regions contributes to the agenda of "new regionalism" by providing an up-to-date overview of the contributions of civil society to regions across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

Chapter 1: The Role of Civil Society in (Re)Shaping World RegionsLorenzo FioramontiChapter 2: Civil Society and the Reinvention of RegionsJan Aart ScholteChapter 3: Chronicle of a European Crisis ForetoldAndy StoreyChapter 4: Civil Society, Labour Movements and the Challenge to Capitalist Regional Integration in Latin AmericaMercedes BottoChapter 5: Can Caribbean Civil Society Effectively Influence Regional Policy?Chukwudi David AnyanwuChapter 6: The Potential of Civil Society in Regional Governance in East AsiaSunhyuk Kim and Antonio FioriChapter 7: Building a People-oriented Community in Southeast AsiaAlan CollinsChapter 8: Civil Society and Land Conflicts in Southeast AsiaHelen E.S. NesaduraiChapter 9: Regionalization 'From Below' in Southern AfricaAndréas GodsäterChapter 10: Civil Society and Regional Integration in West AfricaOkechukwu C. IheduruChapter 11: Transnational Civil Society and Regionalism in the Arab worldMarco Pinfari