Civil society in Bosnia ten years after Dayton

Abstract

A core element of the international community's state-building efforts in Bosnia has been the development and strengthening of civil society. Since Dayton, the imperative to rebuild and refashion civil society has been identified as critical for the emergence of a democratic state. It has also been viewed as being instrumental in weakening the grip of nationalist political parties. In addition to the perceived political dividend, the development of civil society is seen as fundamental for stimulating the development of the economy and for entrenching the rule of law. Yet to place such enormous and onerous responsibilities on NGOs and civic organizations stretches the conceptual boundaries of an already contested and elastic concept. This essay assesses what has emerged under the banner of ‘civil society’, considers the roles and functions of the various local and international NGOs, and assesses their relationship and contribution to the overall project of state-building.