Characteristics of Civil Society
There are several characteristics of civil society, including:
The integration of exclusive individuals and groups into society through social contracts and social alliances.
The spread of power so that the interests that dominate in society can be reduced by alternative forces.
Equipped with development programs that are dominated by the state with community-based development programs.
Bridging the interests of individuals and the state because the membership of voluntary organizations is able to provide input on government decisions.
The growth of creativity which was initially hampered by totalitarian regimes.
Widespread loyalty (trust) and trust (trust) so that individuals recognize their relationship with others and are not selfish.
The liberation of society through the activities of social institutions with a variety of perspectives.
God, which means that the community is a religious society, which recognizes the existence of God and puts God's law as the foundation that governs social life.
Peace, which means that each element of society, both individually and in groups respects the other party fairly.
Please help without interfering in the internal affairs of other individuals which can reduce their freedom.
Tolerant, means not interfering in the personal affairs of others that have been given by God as human freedom and not feel disturbed by the activities of other different parties.
Balance between rights and social obligations.
High civilization, meaning that the society has a love of science and utilizes the advancement of science for humanity.
Having good morals.
From these characteristics, it can be said that civil society is a democratic society in which its members are aware of their rights and obligations in voicing opinions and realizing their interests; where the government provides broad opportunities for the creativity of citizens to realize development programs in their regions.
The Characteristics of Civil Society
Referring to Bahmuller (1997), there are several characteristics of civil society, including:
Integration of exclusive individuals and groups into society through social contracts and social alliances.
The spread of power so that the interests that dominate in society can be reduced by alternative forces.
Bridging individual and state interests as membership organizations - voluntary organizations can provide input to government decisions.
Wide fidelity (loyalty) and trust (trust) so that individuals recognize their relationship with others and are not selfish (individualists).
The existence of community liberation through the activities of social institutions with different perspectives.
History of Civil Society
Various efforts were made in realizing civil society, both short-term and long-term. For the short-term, carried out by selecting and placing leaders who can be trusted (credible), acceptable (acceptable), and can lead (capable).
If you look for the roots of history, it can be seen that in ancient Greek society this problem was already raised. Rahardjo (1997) states that the term civil society has existed since before BC. The first person who coined the term civil society was Cicero (106-43 BC), as an ancient Greek orator.
Civil society according to Cicero is a civilized political community as exemplified by the city community which has its own legal code. With the concept of civil society (citizenship) and urbanity (city culture), the city is understood not only as concentrated as population, but also as a center of civilization and culture.
The term civil society aside from referring to the concept of civil society, is also based on the concept of the Medina city-state which was built by the Prophet Muhammad in 622 AD. Civil society also refers to the concept of tamadhun (civilized society) introduced by Ibn Khaldun, and the concept of Al Madinah al fadhilah (Madinah as the Main Country) which was revealed by the philosopher Al Farabi in the middle ages (Rahardjosep as quoted by Nurhadi, 1999).
According to Dr. Ahmad Hatta, researcher at the Islamic Boarding School and Islamic Studies Development Institute, Al Haramain, Medina Charter is an important document that proves how very advanced the society was built at the time, in addition to also providing confirmation of the clarity of the law and constitution of a community.
In fact, by driving the opinion of Hamidullah (First Written Constitutions in the World, Lahore, 1958), the Medina Charter is the first written constitution in human history. This constitution has astonishingly governed what people now fuss about civil rights, or better known as human rights, long before the American Declaration of Independence (American Declaration of Independence, 1997), French Revolution (1789 ), and the United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights (1948) was echoed.