The emergence of Non Government Organizations (NGOs) in various fields of life is proof that civil society is essential in building a democratic society. NGOs can educate citizens and communities on their fundamental rights to create a democratic state and world order life. NGOs in Indonesia and Egypt have played a significant role in strengthening democratic movements by empowering civil society. This study examines NGOs’ role in democratization in Indonesia during the reign of President Suharto and Egypt under the leadership of President Hosni Mubarak. In carrying out their functions, NGOs take a stand as a balancing force for the state and agents of community empowerment. The NGOs’ elements struggle in producing an ideal democratic society order in these two countries facing their respective challenges. Some NGOs challenge building democratic society such as military domination, party hegemony systems, and robust state control over society. To encourage democratization in Indonesia and Egypt, NGOs have contributed to building democratic practices, improving democratic performance, strengthening civil rights, monitoring elections, and promoting corruption eradication. The strengthening of democracy by NGOs in Indonesia and Egypt has impacted building political openness, awareness of citizens' political rights, and pro-society public policies.

The Alevis in Turkey, the largest religious minority and one of the most ardent supporters of the establishment of the secular Turkish Republic, have always refused to be labelled as a minority. They have been repeatedly challenged by both governments and non-Alevi communities, and their stance towards government authorities and Syrian Alawites has led to various difficulties. In their study of this minority, the researchers addressed the fundamental question: "What are the co-operation efforts and obstacles for Turkish Alevis in dealing with the governments and non-Alevi communities of this nation?" In their initial research, they came across the currents of secularism and gradual Democratisation, political parties, the dominant Hanafi Sunni group, Alevi Kurds, Turkish authorities, Arab Alevis, and Syrian Alawites, sparking curiosity about the role and impact of these currents on Alevis and the Alevis’ reciprocal influence on them. Through the analysis of these scenarios utilizing a typological, thematic, and analytical-descriptive approach, several outcomes have emerged: The government's favouring of Sunnis has led to discontent among Alevis, made closer relations between them more difficult, and encouraged greater solidarity among Alevis in Turkey and Syria. The Alevis have spoken out against the ruling party and are leaning towards the Republican People's Party. The absence of Alevi leaders in political parties and government positions has led to anti-government protests. The processes of democratization and cultural pluralism have triggered a slight tendency to revive the religious aspect, but the pursuit of secularism, the marginal role of religious beliefs in daily life, and the endorsement of Atatürk's secular reforms remain at the forefront.

Background  In many sectors of the economy, for-profit business corporations hold excessive power relative to some governments and civil society. These power imbalances have been recognised as important contributors to many pressing and complex societal challenges, including unhealthy diets, climate change, and widening socio-economic inequalities, and thus pose a major barrier to efforts to improve public health and health equity. In this paper, we reviewed potential actions for addressing excessive corporate power.Methods  We conducted a scoping review of diverse literature (using Scopus, Web of Science, HeinOnline, and EBSCO databases), along with expanded searches, to identify state and collective actions with the potential to address excessive corporate power. Actions were thematically classified into overarching strategic objectives, guided by Meagher’s ‘3Ds’ heuristic, which classifies actions to curb corporate power into three groups: dispersion, Democratisation, and dissolution. Based on the actions identified, we proposed two additional strategic objectives: reform and democratise the global governance of corporations, and strengthen countervailing power structures.Results  We identified 178 documents that collectively cover a broad range of actions to address excessive corporate power. In total, 18 interrelated strategies were identified, along with several examples in which aspects of these strategies have been implemented.Conclusion  The proposed framework sheds light on how a diverse set of strategies and actions that seek to address excessive corporate power can work synergistically to change the regulatory context in which corporations operate, so that broader societal goals, including health and equity, are given much greater prominence and consideration vis-à-vis powerful corporate interests.