 | The Power of Civil Society in the Middle East and North Africa: Peace-building, Change, and Development Subjects: Area Studies; Global Development; Politics & International Relations; Development Studies Environment Social Work Urban Studies; Social Sciences; Development Policy; Politics & Development; Population & Development; African Studies; Middle East Studies; Regional Development; Military & Strategic Studies; Security Studies - Pol & Intl Relns; Regulatory Policy; Political Behavior and Participation; Sociology; Sociology & Social Policy; African Culture and Society; African Politics; African Development; Middle East Politics; Middle East Society; Africa - Regional Development; Middle East - Regional Development; Conflict Resolution; Peacekeeping; Peace Studies; Public Management; Social Movements; Political Sociology; Social Policy; Security Studies - Military & Strategic; Social Inequality; Social & Political Theory; This book investigates the power of civil society in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), in the context of the post-Arab Spring era, as well as more long-standing challenges and constraints in the region. In recent years, local civil society actors have faced significant challenges from social conservatism, conflict, violence, and the absence of democracy and exclusive political systems. Over the course of the book, the authors investigate how the sector has succeeded in achieving its own objectives despite these shifting conditions, the restrictive political environment and the complexity of the socio-cultural and economic context. Structured around the three themes of peace-building, development, and change, the book also addresses challenges faced by civil society organizations linked to ethnic, linguistic, and cultural diversities as well as religious salient differences that are crucial markers of social and political identity. Case studies are drawn from the Palestinian Occupied Territories, Jordan, Iran, Nigeria, Niger, Egypt, and Morocco, and particular effort has been made to showcase original research from contributors who are from the region . This book will be of particular interest to researchers working on development, peace-building, conflict resolution, civil society, and politics within the MENA region. Ibrahim Natil is a Lecturer in Politics and Business at the Centre for Talented Youth Ireland (CTYI) and a Research Fellow at the Institute of International Conflict Resolution and Reconstruction (IICRR), Dublin City University, Ireland. Chiara Pierobon is a Postdoctoral Fellow and Lecturer at Bielefeld University, Germany and Associate Researcher at the St. Petersburg/Bielefeld Center for German and European Studies (CGES/ZDES). Lilian Tauber is a PhD candidate and Teaching Assistant at Durham University, UK |
