Description
How does civil society engagement with service delivery influence processes of post-war transition and democratic change? What strategies and tactics do CSOs deploy in such contexts? This paper addresses these questions by examining civil society activism in four conflict-affected countries across two global regions – South Asia and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) – and four countries – Tunisia, Lebanon, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
CSO engagement with service delivery is often viewed as depoliticising since it can alleviate pressures on unpopular regimes and may also draw CSOs more closely into line with the technocratic agendas of international donors. On the other hand, protests led by CSOs often focus on issues of service delivery and CSOs’ capacity to mobilise around issues such as education, health or waste management may act as flashpoints or ‘teachable moments’ around which wider struggles against governments or constitutions can be built.
The paper provides a novel comparative analysis of how CSO roles are shaped by service delivery and social protection in conflict-affected environments. By comparing the experience, strategies, and tactics of civil society organisations in four conflict-affected countries across two world regions, the paper outlines the varied roles and trajectories of civil society organisations in conflict-affected regions, examining how protest or resistance movements are shaping government decisions in contexts of military rule, the extent to which volatile politics may create ‘open moments’ where social movements can advance progressive agendas, and how service delivery through the recent COVID pandemic may enhance or undermine CSO legitimacy.
