Democratic Society in the Local Wisdom: Citizen Participatory Activity in the Environmental Movement

Public participation is the spirit on democratic society. In a democracy assessment, public participation was an important theme in finding mechanisms in strengthening communities. This research focused on participatory activity in Surabaya environmental cadre in developing the social forces of society in environmental management independently. The study was conducted in the city of Surabaya using qualitative methods through participant observation techniques and in-depth interviews to environmental cadres. The findings of research data shows that in the public political arena, environmental cadres placed himself not only as a substitute but also as a complementary public service. This means that a cadre of environmental groups to replace the role of the state in waste management at the local level, when the city government can not solve the garbage problem in Surabaya. In the management of environmental hygiene, cadre groups together local government, are complementary partners in an effort to create a clean environment. Cadre group environment as oppressive power, their activities are not directed at the state, but is aimed at efforts to control the performance of local-level officials as the state apparatus. That is why the role of the environment cadres in the public sphere is as articulator relations between society and the state at the local level.