Commentators have tended to view the Indonesian political system as a closed circle. By contrast, this book looks to the wider civil society for sources of change. It focuses on the contribution of Indonesian non-government organizations (NGOs) both in promoting participatory models of change in social and economic development and as part of a more general movement towards democratization. The capacity of NGOs to achieve such goals depends on maximizing their autonomy from the Indonesian state.

For this purpose, various strategies entailing co-operation, critical collaboration, or the minimizing of contact with the government have been devised. By contrast, students and other radicals have moved towards a more directly confrontational stance. These approaches are explored in a wide variety of contexts, such as primary health, water users' associations, co-operatives and credit unions, the urban informal sector, labour and human rights, the environment, and the mobilization of women.

Legal, funding, cultural, and religious aspects are also featured, together with some international dimensions, while the capacity of NGOs for networking and coalition-building is assessed. The work concludes with an exploration of likely scenarios and options confronting Indonesian NGOs in a rapidly changing environment.