In the reading for this week, the various definitions of
civil society (CS) and ways in which it is effective were explored. According
to Browers, CS actors must be non-political to obtain legitimacy. This
distinction can often become muddled in whether or not an institution is a
political actor. As mentioned in the additional reading, “CS can’t stay “clean”
from taint of the political sphere”. Regardless of how a non-state organization
attempts to further their ideologies, they will inevitably be pursuing and
enacting some type of political action. In this respect, CS is not truly a part
of the ’organic’ shares of broader society, but instead an aspect which plays a
role in development. CS has a long and rich history within the MENA region-
people are used to the concept and have seen it evoke change. In a way, this
allows the civil society to work more easily in an area where it has worked
before, a concept that opposes CS in the West.
The matter of legitimacy can deter civil society from
playing a part in democratization because it changes the way the political
sphere works. As CSOs work for their ideas of change, they leave out the
citizens of the area-which is a main aspect of democracy. Though CS can be a
counterweight to the influence of the state, different organizations may be
working for alternate ideas, thereby hindering any effective form of modification.
However, even with these setbacks, civil
society is an incredibly important aspect of the political realm in the MENA
region and is one of the ways non-state actors are able to oppose authoritarian
rule.
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