Home Civil Society in West Asia
In July 2008, Hivos and the University of Amsterdam initiated the Knowledge Programme Civil Society in West Asia (Syria and Iran).The core component of the collaboration centres around creating interaction between researchers and practitioners through theoretical and practical research aims at developing, disseminating, integrating and applying knowledge on civic engagement in West Asia (Syria and Iran).
West Asia News
Launch Publication Beyond Orthodox Approaches
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 demo...
Imitation of the West'? Civil society in the Arab world
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 "is a bourgeois culture and an imitation of the West that has no place here [in Libya]" . 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 Lib...
Social Capital and Authoritarianism
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.
NEWSLETTER Civil Society in West Asia, Issue 2: 'Democratization Industry' and Challenges faced by Civil Society Concept
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 th...Complex Dynamics Civil-Political Societies and Democratization Processes
07/01/2010 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 Societ...NEWSLETTER Civil Society in West Asia, Issue 1: Blogosphere in Authoritarian States
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. Civil Society Activism under Authoritarian Rule
18/11/2009 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 c...
Working Paper: Moth or Flame, The Sunni Sphere and Regime Durability in Syria
28/10/2009 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 -...
Where is post 12 June Iran heading?
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.
Iranian Civil Society Speaks - Elections turning into a Quiet Revolution
"Where is my vote?"; "I want my vote back" 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.