The State and Participation in Malawi and Ireland

Abstract

A key factor contributing to the different enabling and constraining factors to participation in both processes revealed in the previous chapter is that of agency, both of the state and of civil society participants engaged within both processes. The similarities and differences between both Malawian and Irish processes in this regard raise questions as to the similarities and differences in state and civil society agency, and the reasons for these. Both this and the following chapter focus on this issue, examining, over time, the motivations, actions and experiences of both Malawian and Irish states (this chapter), and specific elements of civil society (the following chapter) within both the PRSP/MGDS and Social Partnership.