Empowering Citizens to Enhance Quality of Life: The “Public Sphere” Initiative in Suphan Buri Province
Keywords:
public sphere, deliberative democracy, participatory democracy, empowered communitiesAbstract
The public sphere stands as the cornerstone of deliberative democracy, aiming to address the deficiencies of representative democracy. Positioned between the state and society, it serves to strike a balance between stability and social evolution. This platform fosters discussions, debates on public issues, and scrutiny of the state’s activities. The action research project “Empowering Community Resilience on the basis of the Thai Democratic Regime by Social Innovation” employs a participatory action research approach. It emphasizes collaborative learning, involving the research team, pilot provincial community organizations, development support organizations, and stakeholders across sectors. The objective is to fortify communities and advocate for a central community forum. The selection of pilot communities across five provinces considered their readiness. This article presents the outcomes of activities undertaken during the initial year in Suphan Buri province. The research team engaged in a central forum, facilitating the exchange of views and consultations among the community organization network and leaders of the Council of Community Organizations and the Civil Society Sector. Together, they established development objectives under the “One Goal” concept, addressing pressing needs related to the quality of life across five domains: economics, health, education, welfare, and residential aspects in Suphan Buri Province
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