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    <title><![CDATA[Hivos Online, Humanistisch Instituut voor Ontwikkelingssamenwerking]]>: <![CDATA[Civil Society in West Asia]]></title>
    <link>http://www.hivos.net</link>
    <description></description>
    <language>eng-GB</language>
    
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			<title><![CDATA[Launch Publication Beyond Orthodox Approaches]]></title>
			<link>http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Publications2/Launch-Publication-Beyond-Orthodox-Approaches</link>
			<description><![CDATA[
Within the framework of Knowledge Programme Civil Society in West Asia, Hivos in collaboration with NIMD ad University of Amsterdam, will launch on 26 March 2010 the policy paper ‘Beyond Orthodox Approaches, Assessing Opportunities for Democratic Support in the Middle East and North Africa. The launch will take place at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.


This publication aims to explore what role - if any - external organisations, such as Hivos and NIMD, can play to further democratisation in the region. The authors of this policy paper have examined and reflected upon the programmatic opportunities and potential obstacles for engaging in and with the region. By increasing their knowledge of the political landscapes of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and by focusing on potential windows of opportunities or the closings thereof - where increased authoritarianism prohibits possibilities for assistance – Hivos and NIMD hope to improve their understanding of the dynamics in the region and what could potentially constitute vital building blocks for a programme in the region. Hivos and NIMD are fully aware that the political systems in the region provide challenges for democracy support. Research on possible methodologies that focus on levelling the playing field in uncongenial authoritarian settings are therefore essential. NIMD works predominantly in young democracies and fragile states that require different programmatic approaches than when working in the political setting of the Middle East and North Africa. Hivos, in contrast, does work in authoritarian and semi-authoritarian settings and is searching for ways to circumvent programmatic constraints, in addition to deepening its knowledge of the political systems in the region.


Hivos and NIMD want to maximise their complementarities of expertise by pooling resources: experience and research into democracy support. Hivos and NIMD would subsequently like to assess the possibilities for joint programmatic approaches. Hivos and NIMD feel that it is imperative to learn from one another. They believe that civil and political society can be regarded as two sides of a tunnel, interlinked – and especially in the MENA region – frequently merged in one single organisation. Understanding both types of societies as well as the relationship between them is essential for fostering democratisation processes in the region.


If you are interested in attending this event, please send an email to Kawa Hassan at khassan@hivos.nl. 


Date: 26-03-2010


Time: 15.00-17.00


Venue: : VOC hal, Oost Indisch Huis E0.02, Kloveniersburgwal 48, University of Amsterdam 

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			<pubDate>Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:10:57 +0100</pubDate>                                                           
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								<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Launch Publication Beyond Orthodox Approaches]]></title>
			<link>http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-in-West-Asia/Events/Launch-Publication-Beyond-Orthodox-Approaches</link>
			<description><![CDATA[
 Within the framework of Knowledge Programme Civil Society in West Asia, Hivos in collaboration with NIMD ad University of Amsterdam, will launch on 26 March 2010 the policy paper ‘Beyond Orthodox Approaches, Assessing Opportunities for Democratic Support in the Middle East and North Africa. The launch will take place at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. 

]]></description>
			<pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:08:03 +0100</pubDate>                                                           
			</item>
								<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Launch Publication Beyond Orthodox Approaches]]></title>
			<link>http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-in-West-Asia/News/Launch-Publication-Beyond-Orthodox-Approaches</link>
			<description><![CDATA[
Within the framework of Knowledge Programme Civil Society in West Asia, Hivos in collaboration with NIMD ad University of Amsterdam, will launch on 26 March 2010 the policy paper ‘Beyond Orthodox Approaches, Assessing Opportunities for Democratic Support in the Middle East and North Africa. The launch will take place at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.


This publication aims to explore what role - if any - external organisations, such as Hivos and NIMD, can play to further democratisation in the region. The authors of this policy paper have examined and reflected upon the programmatic opportunities and potential obstacles for engaging in and with the region. By increasing their knowledge of the political landscapes of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and by focusing on potential windows of opportunities or the closings thereof - where increased authoritarianism prohibits possibilities for assistance – Hivos and NIMD hope to improve their understanding of the dynamics in the region and what could potentially constitute vital building blocks for a programme in the region. Hivos and NIMD are fully aware that the political systems in the region provide challenges for democracy support. Research on possible methodologies that focus on levelling the playing field in uncongenial authoritarian settings are therefore essential. NIMD works predominantly in young democracies and fragile states that require different programmatic approaches than when working in the political setting of the Middle East and North Africa. Hivos, in contrast, does work in authoritarian and semi-authoritarian settings and is searching for ways to circumvent programmatic constraints, in addition to deepening its knowledge of the political systems in the region.


Hivos and NIMD want to maximise their complementarities of expertise by pooling resources: experience and research into democracy support. Hivos and NIMD would subsequently like to assess the possibilities for joint programmatic approaches. Hivos and NIMD feel that it is imperative to learn from one another. They believe that civil and political society can be regarded as two sides of a tunnel, interlinked – and especially in the MENA region – frequently merged in one single organisation. Understanding both types of societies as well as the relationship between them is essential for fostering democratisation processes in the region.


If you are interested in attending this event, please send an email to Kawa Hassan at khassan@hivos.nl. 


Date: 26-03-2010


Time: 15.00-17.00


Venue: : VOC hal, Oost Indisch Huis E0.02, Kloveniersburgwal 48, University of Amsterdam 

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			<pubDate>Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:18:04 +0100</pubDate>                                                           
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			<title><![CDATA[Imitation of the West'? Civil society in the Arab world ]]></title>
			<link>http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-in-West-Asia/News/Imitation-of-the-West-Civil-society-in-the-Arab-world</link>
			<description><![CDATA[

On Thursday 28 January 2010, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi declared in a televised address to the General People's Congress that the idea of civil society &amp;quot;is a bourgeois culture and an imitation of the West that has no place here [in Libya]&amp;quot; . Gaddafi's statement last week drew particular media attention because it came on the eve of a proposal due to be announced by his son, Saif al-Islam, which would have permitted the creation of NGOs. 
 Gaddafi's comments were grounded in Libyan history, and specifically within the unique context of Jamahiriya (‘direct democracy' or ‘state of the masses'). In this proclaimed view of society, popular local councils and communes rely on mass citizen involvement to run the country, blurring and removing the supposedly Western distinction between the state and civil society. Nevertheless, the sentiments which underpinned Gaddafi's comments - and specifically the notion that the idea of civil society is rooted in a culturally alien agenda - are ones which civil society activists across the Arab world have long found themselves confronted by. Against this challenging background, what role exists for international organisations in promoting the growth of civil society in the Arab region?  

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			<pubDate>Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:17:12 +0100</pubDate>                                                           
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			<title><![CDATA[Social Capital and Authoritarianism ]]></title>
			<link>http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-in-West-Asia/News/Social-Capital-and-Authoritarianism</link>
			<description><![CDATA[
It is widely recognized that social capital is essential for the existence and working of civil society and democracy. This recognition though is largely related to democratic regimes. Less is known on how (the lack) of social capital could affect civic engagement in authoritarian contexts. Read the report of the seminar ‘What is the role of social capital in authoritarian settings?’ held on the 15th of January 2010 at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. 

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			<pubDate>Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:11:04 +0100</pubDate>                                                           
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			<title><![CDATA[Social Capital and Authoritarianism ]]></title>
			<link>http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/News/Social-Capital-and-Authoritarianism</link>
			<description><![CDATA[
It is widely recognized that social capital is essential for the existence and working of civil society and democracy. This recognition though is largely related to democratic regimes. Less is known on how (the lack) of social capital could affect civic engagement in authoritarian contexts. Read the report of the seminar ‘What is the role of social capital in authoritarian settings?’ held on the 15th of January 2010 at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. 

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			<pubDate>Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:07:16 +0100</pubDate>                                                           
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			<title><![CDATA[NEWSLETTER Civil Society in West Asia, Issue 2: 'Democratization Industry' and Challenges faced by Civil Society Concept]]></title>
			<link>http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/News/NEWSLETTER-Civil-Society-in-West-Asia-Issue-2-Democratization-Industry-and-Challenges-faced-by-Civil-Society-Concept</link>
			<description><![CDATA[
Crisis is a much-overworked word in social sciences generally and in politics in particular. Phrases such as ‘democracy promotion is in crisis’ or ‘civil society can never be a force for democratization’ are simplistic overstatements. However, one cannot deny that there are serious challenges on the road to democratization, both of a conceptual and of a practical nature. The second issue of the newsletter of Knowledge Programme Civil Society in West Asia deals with the challenges faced by the concept of civil society and the much-debated concepts in the ‘democratization industry’. 

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			<pubDate>Mon, 15 Feb 2010 16:50:16 +0100</pubDate>                                                           
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			<title><![CDATA[Complex Dynamics Civil-Political Societies and Democratization Processes  ]]></title>
			<link>http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-in-West-Asia/News/Complex-Dynamics-Civil-Political-Societies-and-Democratization-Processes</link>
			<description><![CDATA[
Is there a relationship between civil society and political society in democratisation processes? How do these societies influence each other? What are the potential interrelated (explanatory) variables of both societies which could improve or impede democratization? To find out more about these topics, read the interesting research paper of Stephan de Vries titled: The Downfall of Simplicity and the ‘Complex’ Notion (s) of Democratization: A Revision of the Relation between Political Society, Civil Society and Democratization. 

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			<pubDate>Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:12:31 +0100</pubDate>                                                           
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			<title><![CDATA[Report on 'Civil society dynamics under authoritarian rule' ]]></title>
			<link>http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Publications2/Report-on-Civil-society-dynamics-under-authoritarian-rule</link>
			<description><![CDATA[
Are there links between civil society activism and democratisation? To what extent is the 'traditional’ notion of civil society still workable? And is the authoritarian state simply a 'security state' acting on repression and staying in power or is it 'interdependent' on and even 'needs' civil society for its own survival? The report on 'civil society dynamics under authoritarian rule’ sheds lights on and provides insights about these topics. 

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			<pubDate>Wed, 30 Dec 2009 14:22:35 +0100</pubDate>                                                           
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			<title><![CDATA[Working Paper: Moth or Flame, the Sunni Sphere and Regime Durability in Syria ]]></title>
			<link>http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Publications2/Working-Paper-Moth-or-Flame-the-Sunni-Sphere-and-Regime-Durability-in-Syria</link>
			<description><![CDATA[
This working paper is written by Teije Hidde Donker and based on the forthcoming academic article “Enduring Ambiguity. The Civil Dynamics of Authoritarian Upgrading in Sunni Syria”


Teije Hidde Donker is currently a PhD student at the European University Institute in Florence. During the first half of 2009 he conducted field research in Syria for the Knowledge Programme Civil Society in West Asia 

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			<pubDate>Wed, 30 Dec 2009 14:18:27 +0100</pubDate>                                                           
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			<title><![CDATA[NEWSLETTER Civil Society in West Asia, Issue 1: Blogosphere in Authoritarian States ]]></title>
			<link>http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-in-West-Asia/News/NEWSLETTER-Civil-Society-in-West-Asia-Issue-1-Blogosphere-in-Authoritarian-States</link>
			<description><![CDATA[
We are pleased to present to you the first quarterly newsletter from the Knowledge Programme Civil Society in West Asia, which celebrated its first anniversary. 


 ﻿

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			<pubDate>Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:53:41 +0100</pubDate>                                                           
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			<title><![CDATA[Civil Society Activism under Authoritarian Rule ]]></title>
			<link>http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-in-West-Asia/News/Civil-Society-Activism-under-Authoritarian-Rule</link>
			<description><![CDATA[
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.

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			<pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:11:20 +0100</pubDate>                                                           
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			<title><![CDATA[Civil society activism in Morocco: ‘much ado about Nothing’]]></title>
			<link>http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/News/Civil-society-activism-in-Morocco-much-ado-about-Nothing</link>
			<description><![CDATA[
 


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


 


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. 


 


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

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			<pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:06:17 +0100</pubDate>                                                           
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			<title><![CDATA[Newsletter Civil Society in West Asia-Issue 1  ]]></title>
			<link>http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/News/Newsletter-Civil-Society-in-West-Asia-Issue-1</link>
			<description><![CDATA[
We are pleased to present to you the first quarterly newsletter from the Knowledge Programme Civil Society in West Asia, which celebrated its first anniversary this month. 

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			<pubDate>Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:27:04 +0100</pubDate>                                                           
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			<title><![CDATA[Working Paper: Moth or Flame, The Sunni Sphere and Regime Durability in Syria]]></title>
			<link>http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-in-West-Asia/News/Working-Paper-Moth-or-Flame-The-Sunni-Sphere-and-Regime-Durability-in-Syria</link>
			<description><![CDATA[
This working paper is produced in the framework of the Knowledge Programme on Civil Society in West Asia. This is a joint initiative by Hivos and the University of Amsterdam with the purpose of generating and integrating knowledge on the roles and opportunities for civil society actors in democratization processes in politically challenging environments.


The paper investigates relations between the Syrian regime and the Sunni sphere by providing a brief policy oriented analysis of regime - sphere relations and their role in the resilience of the Syrian authoritarian regime. It adds to the emerging appreciation amongst scholars and practitioners in the field of civil society that civil activism does not necessarily have a positive impact on processes of democratization and/or socio-political liberalization. It does this by questioning the extent in which civil actors are independent in the Syrian authoritarian context and assessing what influence this has on stabilizing the Syrian authoritarian system. It argues that Sunni civil activists can (unintentionally) support authoritarianism by being drawn to the very regime that suppresses them – mimicking a moth drawn to a flame. Second, based on the outcomes of the research it provides recommendations aimed at international NGOs that hope to engage with civil actors in Syria. The paper focuses on the Sunni sphere as this has proven to be the largest and most resilient sphere of civil activism in Syria and in the Middle East in general. 


In contrast to the academic article drafted on the same topic, Enduring Ambiguity: The Civil Dynamics of authoritarian Upgrading in Sunni Syria (Donker, Forthcoming) the present paper is focused less on an in-depth analytical analysis of the interaction between the Sunni Sphere and the Syrian Regime and more on the general findings and implications for practitioners in the field. For a more theoretical analysis of regime–Sunni sphere interaction that positions the current research in current debates on (resilience of) authoritarianism the reader can turn to Enduring Ambiguity.


Teije Hidde Donker is Syria Fellow for the Knowledge Programme Civil Society in West Asia and currently a PhD student at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy. During the first half of 2009 he conducted field research in Syria for the Knowledge Programme Civil Society in West Asia. 

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			<pubDate>Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:58:50 +0100</pubDate>                                                           
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			<title><![CDATA[CALL FOR PROPOSALS:  Authoritarianisms, Regime Resilience and State-Society Relations: Comparing Political Change in Syria and Iran  ]]></title>
			<link>http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/News/CALL-FOR-PROPOSALS-Authoritarianisms-Regime-Resilience-and-State-Society-Relations-Comparing-Political-Change-in-Syria-and-Iran</link>
			<description><![CDATA[
Steven Heydemann (U.S. Institute for Peace and Georgetown University) and Reinoud Leenders (University of Amsterdam) are pleased to invite you to submit a proposal for writing a paper within the framework of a joint research effort on Authoritarianisms, Regime Resilience and State-Society Relations: Comparing Political Change in Syria and Iran. The paper is to be presented in a project workshop and will be considered for publication in an edited volume or a special edition of a major academic journal. The project is part of the Knowledge Programme Civil Society in West Asia based at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.* 

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			<pubDate>Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:36:42 +0200</pubDate>                                                           
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			<title><![CDATA[Where is post 12 June Iran heading?  ]]></title>
			<link>http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-in-West-Asia/News/Where-is-post-12-June-Iran-heading</link>
			<description><![CDATA[
The events of the past months in Iran, unpredicted as they were, have raised many questions about the direction the Islamic Republic will take. In an attempt to create an opportunity for experts on the subject of Iran to get together and try to make sense of the situation and the possible outcomes, a seminar was held on 2 July 2009 at the University of Amsterdam. The meeting was chaired by Paul Aarts and speakers included Touraj Atabaki, Shervin Nekuee, Maaike Warnaar and Erik van Zuylen. 

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			<pubDate>Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:07:08 +0200</pubDate>                                                           
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			<title><![CDATA[Iranian Civil Society Speaks - Elections turning into a Quiet Revolution ]]></title>
			<link>http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-in-West-Asia/News/Iranian-Civil-Society-Speaks-Elections-turning-into-a-Quiet-Revolution</link>
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&amp;quot;Where is my vote?&amp;quot;; &amp;quot;I want my vote back&amp;quot; are slogans from Tehran streets with which we have been familiarised over the past few days. What is the role of the Iranian civil society in the current protests against election results? Read the report prepared within the framework of the Knowledge Programme Civil Society in West Asia. 

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			<pubDate>Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:17:23 +0200</pubDate>                                                           
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			<title><![CDATA[Report on 'Civil society dynamics under authoritarian rule' ]]></title>
			<link>http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-in-West-Asia/News/Report-on-Civil-society-dynamics-under-authoritarian-rule</link>
			<description><![CDATA[
Are there links between civil society activism and democratisation? To what extent is the 'traditional’ notion of civil society still workable? And is the authoritarian state simply a 'security state' acting on repression and staying in power or is it 'interdependent' on and even 'needs' civil society for its own survival? The report on 'civil society dynamics under authoritarian rule’ sheds lights on and provides insights about these topics. 

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			<pubDate>Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:17:33 +0200</pubDate>                                                           
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			<title><![CDATA[Symposium 30 years Islamic Revolution of Iran-Presentation Peyman Jafari ]]></title>
			<link>http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-in-West-Asia/News/Symposium-30-years-Islamic-Revolution-of-Iran-Presentation-Peyman-Jafari</link>
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Read the presenation of Peyman Jafari on Iranian Civil Society, held within the framework of the sympoium on 30 years of Islamic Revolution of Iran, organized on 20 February 2009 by Hivos, University of Amsterdam, International Institute of Social History (IISH), the Foundation ZemZem and The Dutch Association for the study of Middle East and Islam (MOI).

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			<pubDate>Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:59:49 +0100</pubDate>                                                           
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