The rapid emergence of civil society in Botswana

Civil society was almost nonexistent in Botswana in the late 1980s, but it developed extraordinarily rapidly in size and influence in the decade that followed. By the turn of the century, Botswana had an active, vibrant and influential civil society. This article suggests two important modifications to the conventional conception of civil society that increase its utility in Botswana, and in many other developing countries. It then identifies factors that permitted the rapid emergence of civil society in that country, and it analyses the consequences of such a rapid growth. We conclude with a comment on the future prospects of civil society in Botswana, and a discussion of the extent to which its experience may be relevant to other developing countries.