"Civil society and the public can be powerful allies in a reform process, generating demand for reform and helping to maintain pressure on politicians...By contrast, an uninformed and uneducated civil society can be a dangerous obstacle to reform"
- Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
(Source : Reforming the Unreformable)
The Nigerian Finance Minister is spot in that quote from her new book. She is absolute right to point out that civil society can sometimes exert negative energy. Not every voice is productive. Indeed, often African politicians thrive in getting uninformed NGOs a seat at the table because it legitimises their actions.
[view whole blog post ]