Palestinian Civil Society examines the development of civil society in the Arab Middle East and the impact of western donors, with particular reference to the Palestinian case. Looking at the evolution of Palestinian civil society organizations from sociological, historical, legal, and institutional perspectives, the book sheds light on the involvement of donors in Palestine, and the effect that aid has had on Palestinian civil society at a social, political and ideological level.

Drawing on Arabic texts, political theory and a detailed survey of donors and local organizations, this book challenges culturalist views that there cannot be a 'vibrant civil society' in the Arab world and examines the issues of depoliticization of civil society, the rise of the Islamist sector, and the gradual defeat of the left in the Occupied Territories. The author looks at how the interaction between donors and NGOs is not only centred on a western model of civil society, but also evolves around institutional mechanisms and disciplinary discourses, affecting the ability of local NGOs to adapt to the institutional requirements set by international donors.

Accessible to non-specialists, this book will be of interest to students and scholars of sociology, Middle Eastern studies and development studies.

About the Author

Benoit Challand is a research fellow at the European University Institute in Florence (Italy) and has taught at the universities of Bologna, Bethlehem, Pavia and Fribourg.

Reviews

"This book is a masterpiece for understanding the civil society sphere in the Palestinian territory... Benoit Challand presents one of the most important studies in the growing corpus about civil society and NGOs in the Arab World. .... Challand rightly wages a war against culturalist and essentialist discourses, exposing the dominant emphasis on culture and division to explain the supposed civil society deficit in Arab-Islamic areas."

- Sari Hanafi, American University of Beirut, Lebanon; International Sociology 2011 26

"Challand's research is fascinating, and the basic argument is sound. The focus on participation-rather than the devalued and contested concept of "democratization"- is innovative and useful beyond the bounds of Palestine... [T]he intelligent and critical Challand has conducted extensive and thoughtful primary research in the Arabic language... the book advances an important and novel argument about foreign donors exacerbating Palestinian heteronomy. He points the way toward a more critical examination of NGOs and civil society, and his fidelity to on-the-ground fieldwork is well worth emulating." - Laleh Khalili, School of Oriental and African Studies; Perspectives on Politics, September 2009 | Vol. 7/No. 3

"Benoit Challand's book on Palestinian civil society is an important work for two reasons: first, for the admirable understanding he has of the philosophical literature on civil society, and, second, for his attempt to expand the scope of research on civil society in the Arab Middle East to include international actors." Kevin Gray, Journal of Palestine Studies 40(3), 125f.

Book Information
ISBN 9780415592413
Author Benoit Challand
Format Paperback
Page Count 280
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 30g