[16 July 2007]
Development is considered as one of the most important issues in every country in the world. Achieving it, directly or indirectly, is a vital goal in order to build a civil society consists of institutions
that organize and run the actual developing wheel in the country.

To change the bad situation that our country was in comparing to the most of countries in the region and the world, the Revolutions of 26th of September, 1962 and 14th of October, 1963 were inevitable.

Beside the main goals of the Yemeni Revolution that included bringing about an inclusive development and pursue freedom path and democracy as a fundamental choice of the people, the government has replaced the archae-system of the autocratic Imamate period with
modern methods that appropriate the new trends of the new era.

So, it was necessary to begin establishing modern institutions to transmit Yemen from the darkness of the tyrannical imamate to the lightness of the Revolution and to live among the neoteric countries.

Building up the state-of-institutions in Yemen passed through different stages: The beginning of building the civil society was started in the pre-revolution and independency stage by establishing religious associations, charities, cultural and social clubs.

Then syndicates, political parties and multi-media have appeared, especially in Aden colony.

At that time, Yemen was still divided into two parts: North and South. In the North, there was a totalitarian Imamate based on centralization. Imam was the absolute ruler of the country and the highest representative of the political, executive and judicial authorities that allowed him to oversight all the administrative affairs whatever their importance and statuses.

The autocratic Imamate rule lacked for the modern bases of building up a modern state. There was no lawful and constitutional bases that identify the state's authority. Hence, creating any association or organization, even though it was loyal to Imam, was prohibited.

Meanwhile, the South was under a colonialistic ruler that ,acked for the social, economic and political aspects except Aden city, which witnessed some opening that materialized in civil laws allowed forming syndicates, associations, parties and press.

Since most Yemenis in Aden city were from rural areas, lived in a modern economic environment made them create modern institutions.

Institutions helped them find channels to talk about their problems and job's requirements. That was allowed for the communities in Aden except Yemenis.

Those institutions have been formed according to the different tribal affiliations of the individuals in which every group established its own association and named it by its area or tribe.

The associations considered as initial-traditional forms of the civil society institutions. Their creation reflected the prevailing economic and social conditions then. Also it reflected the high level of people's
awareness of their new situation in Aden. They had to form a new mechanism to achieve joint liability and solidarity as well as defending their labor rights under the occupation.

During 1960, particularly after the victories of September and October Revolutions, the state committed, from the first day, to overcome all aspects of Imamate backward and autocratic colonization.

That led to opening up the country to the world and activate relations with other countries as one of the revolution's goals to benefit from the global developing movement.

The society tended to organize its public participation through setting up institutions that worked together with the state in order to fulfill development plans and programs.

In 1970s, collaborative work, which was one of the most successful civil works, was launched in Yemen. It was the first brick in uniting efforts of the state and the civil society to achieve comprehensive development.

As their activity related to the public needs especially setting up service projects and building up the framework of the Yemeni rural flourishing, the cooperative civil bodies, which dominated throughout Yemen, activated self-efforts and directed people toward public participation in the developing process.

During the period of 1975 to 1985, the National Cooperative Associations for Development which were very active in the North succeeded in service projects, especially building schools and healthcare centers as well as connecting villages with the cities through paving roads, in addition to implement projects of pure water in rural areas.

They also played a vital role in encouraging women education.

The civil community institutions have been manifested since the unification of the country on May 22, 1990. The government rhetoric has asserted the political pluralism and multi-party and adopted democracy as the main approach of the state.

The Yemeni constitution insists on the individuals right to create parties, organizations, syndicates, and civil, social, cultural organizations.

It also guarantees all liberties, according to its Article No.(75). Those changes created an environment that helped to enlarge the political activity.

Therefore this has led to the emergence of many political parties, associations, syndicates and searched and info. centers. The civil social institutions estimated 2713.


SABA