ASEAN and regional civil society

My article has now come out in The Pacific Review, Volume 25, Issue 2, 2012, pp 199-222.

It’s called Bridging the gap: an ‘English School’ perspective on ASEAN and regional civil society.

Below is the abstract:

The objective of a ‘people-oriented’ Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has not readily translated into easy relations between the Association and regional civil society. Discourse inspired by global civil society has found plenty to focus on in the gap between aspiration and practice. This article argues, however, that not enough attention has been directed to the bridges that are gradually forming across that gap, and suggests that an ‘English School’-derived account can give a fuller picture of what is under way in this area. From this perspective, a process of institutionalization is observable among the different actors. By tackling – consciously or unconsciously – core problems such as recognition, location of common ground, confidence-building, and burden-sharing, this process is potentially transforming the relations of a state-imposed hierarchy into something more societal. The usefulness of such an approach lies in its ability to describe a process of slow change on its own terms, to normatively validate the fragile bridges under construction, and to stake out possibilities for progress on the basis of negotiation and accommodation.

And the whole thing is available online here.

Comments welcome!