Civic society and civil education: conceptual foundations and analysis of international practice

Abstract

The issue of civil society occurs in antiquity in connection with matters of human and civil status, the role of
ownership in maintaining the stability of public and state institutions, the relations of civil duties and exercise the
law in the Stoics, Sophists, Aristotle, Plato. In the Renaissance, New Age notion that is undergoing major changes.
Issues of institutionalization of civil and political liberties are considered Montesquieu. In particular, civil society
groups can be ranked and trade unions. In a mature democracy, civil society exists as a latent. Active civil society
found more when growing crisis tendencies. One of the goals of civil society is to build a legal state created by
the separation of powers (legislative, executive and judicial), and with fair multiparty national elections. It is this
political system has natural defense mechanisms, as one branch of government controls the other.
At the heart of civic education are values and principles of transparency, participation, active response,
accountability, empowerment and justice. Integral components of civic education are the means of communication
and information access. These values and principles are defi ned and developed in the Practice Note UNDP’s
access to information. Development of civil society pays much attention in policy documents – «Kazakhstan
– 2030. Prosperity, security and the welfare of all Kazakhstan» and «The Concept of Civil Society RK» much
attention is paid to this issue and on an international scale.
Key words: state, civil society, natural law, democracy, the political system, civil and political
liberties, personality.