Rural organizations and active citizenship in Bangladesh: evaluation of BRAC’s Polli Shomaj

Abstract

Can rural civil society organizations (CSOs) generate active citizenship in developing societies? This report studies Polli Shomaj (PS), a ward-based civil society initiative of BRAC’s Community Empowerment and Strengthening Local Institutions (CESLI) programme. It examines PS achievements as a group, active citizenship among its members, and geographical diffusion of the organization’s influence. The study drew on 671 semi-structured group interviews, 2,684 semi-structured one-to-one interviews and census of four wards. Findings suggested that civil society organizations may increase active citizenship among rural citizens in Bangladesh, but such activism may not necessarily increase the accountability of local institutions. Certain operational elements may, however, enhance programme effectiveness. For example, PS groups may organize meetings in the early morning or late evening for maximum participation.