Civil Society Activism under Authoritarian Rule

Tags: West Asia, Worldwide, Civil Society in West Asia

On the 13th of November, 2009, Knowledge Programme Civil Society in West Asia organised a seminar on the Moroccan civil society for the political scientist and researcher Dr. Francesco Cavatorta. Dr. Cavatorta is attached to School of Law and Government, Dublin State University and Knowledge Programme Civil Society in West Asia. The presentation and conclusions provided a platform for researchers and civil society actors to involve in a lively and critical debate about the role of Moroccan civil society in contributing to democratic reforms and ‘limits’of democratisation by civil society actors in the Middle East and North Africa in general.

The seminar was attended by participants from Hivos, University of Amsterdam, Press Now, ISS and IKV Pax Christi.

The presentation was based on the forthcoming paper by Dr.Cavatorta: ‘Civil society activism in Morocco: ‘much ado about nothing?’, to be produced within the framework of Knowledge Programme Civil Society in West Asia.