In the last decades we have seen a shift of the boundaries between governmental control and individual or communal initiative. Recent political upheavals suggest how novel forces of communication operate beyond immediate state control. Stories, songs, and dramas articulate the experiences of independent Thai citizens. We see Buddhist reformations outside the authority of the Sangha. And last year a new constitution was accepted that respects individual rights far beyond actual circumstances.
Some observers see here the beginnings of a new society, which is often addressed as civil society.
Civil society as a conference theme invites critical reflection on these developments. Briefly, civil society concerns what lies beyond the state, or even against the state. Inevitably, this will refine our conception of the state as well. For some, civil society is the middle ground between government and market, for others it includes market forces. It is not our intention to prescribe a specific definition of civil society.