Struggles, resistance and contestation often take a more dynamic and controversial form in oppositional politics. A classic working example in the late twentieth century points to the experiences of two oppositional peasant organizations in the Philippines and Thailand in resisting the development projects imposed by government and big business. The on-going struggles of the KMP and the AOP show how grassroots or peasant organizations challenge the state and dominant social forces. The oppositional politics of the two organizations, while manifesting two critical strands, demonstrates how their political practices could strengthen civil society. In the process of their political dea ngs, the centrality of local opposition and its amplification at the national and transnational levels are underscored. In turn, this scaling process demonstrates how national and transnational oppositions work to extend local struggles. Finally, a comparison of their engagements in contesting dominant powers in society highlights important factors critical to the analysis of the role of civil society in the twenty-first century.
