Information You Can Use: A Bi-monthly Service for the UN and Civil Society
Volume 2, Issue 1, January - February 2005

Arab NGOs; Role and Challenges
Source: Arab NGO Network for Development
By: Ziad Abdel Samad - ANND Executive Director

The Arab Region is witnessing an increase in the number of national and regional civil society groups, including networks, organizations, and platforms. This is
due to the rise of political, economic, social, and cultural challenges, both at the national and regional levels. Consequently, new dynamics for facing the negative
impacts of globalization and for enhancing the adequate integration in the global system are emerging in the Arab countries.

Yet the circumstances, contexts, and legal frameworks under which Arab civil society organizations (CSOs) operate vary between each country. In some Arab
countries, CSOs have played a significant role during times of conflict where the governmental services were partially or completely absent; such as during the civil
war in Lebanon and during the absence of a Palestinian State that the Palestinians could rely on. Under such conditions, CSOs were an essential factor in sustaining the daily lives and needs of the citizens and had an essential role in providing humanitarian aid and medical services. CSOs showed specialization in several areas, such as health, education, rural development, social and human development and human rights. Both Palestinian and Lebanese non-governmental organizations (NGOs) provided service delivery, networking, mobilization, and the creation of “support systems” of various kinds, ranging from day-care centers to incomegenerating projects.

Moreover, some Arab NGOs are playing a very important role in programs such as poverty alleviation and community development, particularly in the rural
areas of Egypt and Morocco. In many Arab countries, human rights organizations have been actively defending political, economic, social, and cultural rights. They are active in protecting the rights of the vulnerable groups such as women, children, elderly, and people with disability. Accordingly, Arab NGOs have been taking an effective part in the annual meetings of the High Commission on the Human Rights in the United Nations headquarters in Geneva. They even present the Commission with alternative reports on issues of democracy, human rights, and development, but mainly on foreign occupation and the right for self-determination.

Challenges of Arab CSOs

Most of the Arab CSOs are more service providers than advocates. Moreover their role in capacity building and in awareness raising is very limited. Thus they are not organized in a social movement capable of influencing the political and social decision making in the Arab countries. For, in many countries, CSOs do not enjoy the simple right to exist, where the freedom of association is a lacking concept. They are not yet recognized as legitimate partners for social change and progress towards sustainable development and they often face pressures and obstacles from the government.

The increasing burdens of debts and economic stagnation in the Arab countries are creating threats to sovereignty and independence and are weakening
the role of Arab governments in the global system. Thus, these weak governments are increasing pressures and restrictions on civil society activities in the Region,
where CSOs are often viewed as groups implementing the agenda of international organizations, advocating policies adverse to the policies of local governments.
Accordingly, the lack of democracy and limited participation of civil society organizations is leading to the adoption of irrelevant public policies and is creating
major loss of opportunities for progress in different fields of development in the Region. It is also weakening the local governing structures and decision making
processes. Moreover, in the absence of a clear vision for an Arab Social Movement and of transparency of the relationship between the Arab civil societies and the rest of the sectors, Arab NGOs remain short of the enabling factors that could allow them an effective role in society.

Nonetheless, Arab countries, due to the growing challenges of development and globalization, are witnessing rising trends of democratization and openness to
various international bodies and processes that necessitate civil society participation. These include global trade agreements within the context of the WTO and the Euro-Mediterranean partnership, in addition to the implementation of international conventions and commitments, especially of the United Nations. This presents Arab CSOs with a significant opportunity for enhancing their role in policy-making and various development processes. It is worth noting that the international conference held in Sana’a, Yemen last January on Democracy issues was a clear sign about the trends of changes towards more democratic societies in the Arab Region, particularly in the Gulf.

On the other hand, the work of CSOs in the Arab Region lacks convergence of agendas and a strategy for a sustainable local and regional role. Consequently, the
Arab participation in global events have expanded but the context of this participation is still lacking, thus limiting the ability to transfer this participation into
bridges between the local and the international achievements. Arab participation is presented by organizations but not by social movements. There is also a lack of
exposure of the Arab groups, which participate in regional and international forums, to the rest of the social segments in the Arab countries that are working on similar concerns. This is why Arab CSOs ought to work on elaborating a clearer vision about the challenges and the opportunities, strengthening their role and positions, at the local and regional level in order to be able to achieve stronger more effective participation at the global level.

The Arab NGOs Network for Development (ANND)

ANND is an emerging civil society group that is committed to opening venues of communication and linkage between local, regional, and international civil
societies. It is a regional network that is based on responding to the challenges and changes on the regional and global levels. It aims at establishing a special presence and effective and active positions regarding decision-making processes. ANND was founded in 1997 with the membership of 35 national networks and nongovernmental organizations, whereby it constituted 263 organizations in 12 Arab countries. ANND aims at strengthening Arab civil societies and Arab NGOs and supporting them in mobilizing for human and social development, democratic social structures and governance, respect of human rights, the rights of minorities, the rights of women, and the environment.

ANND believes in the complementarities between civil society’s activities at the global, regional, and local levels, although each case has its own specificities and
unique contexts. But in general, trends of globalization have had negative impacts on development and socio-economic policies in all developing countries, and on various social groups. This is why ANND seeks to be part of the global social movement that struggles for social justice and sustainable development. It tries to build bridges between local campaigns of Arab civil societies and the global social movement, and vice versa.

Accordingly, ANND sees that Arab participation in the global social movement ought to be enhanced through participating in global events and forums, such as the World Social Forum (WSF). ANND is a member of the international council of the WSF, and of the international coordination committee of Social Watch; a global network of citizens’ local organizations aiming at monitoring national public policies at the local level and international institutions and bodies at the global level. ANND is also part of the Our World is not for Sale; a global network of NGOs and social movements, which played a major role in the organization of the protests of Seattle, Doha, and Cancun, in parallel to the Ministerial meetings of the World Trade Organization.

In 2001, ANND organized the World Forum on Globalization and Trade in parallel to the 4th WTO Ministerial meeting in Doha. The meeting took place in Beirut and it introduced the Arab NGOs to various global campaigns. It further helped in the establishment of the Moroccan and the Palestinian Social Forums. In addition, there is currently an ongoing process for the establishment of the Arab Social Forum (ArSF), which is expected to be the fruit of a constructive and inclusive debate between various Arab civil society groups, as well as regional and international involved networks.

The process towards the ArSF is as important for the future of the Arab Social Movement as the Forum itself. This is why, it is essential that the Forum remains
inclusive of all interested movements and groups. The ArSF stems from the process of the WSF, and it is part of the pursuit of a stronger, more inclusive and effective WSF, whereby it will address the specificities of the Arab region and elaborate the regional agenda. Consequently, the ArSF should be part of the global processes and dynamics launched by the WSF, thus it is beneficial to learn from various international experiences like the African, Asian, and European Social Forums.

The Situation in Iraq

Currently, the status of civil society in Iraq presents one of the major challenges for Arab CSOs. There is a tremendous need for investing in building a civil
and democratic society in Iraq, which would be a precondition for building a strong national government. The best way, and maybe the unique way, to end the foreign occupation in Iraq, and to conserve the Iraqi national unity, is to invest in building a strong and capable civil society and civic movement. Although human resources in Iraq are highly qualified, there is a need to contribute to the capacity building of civil society structures and institutions after decades of totalitarian regimes and deprivation from democracy and the respect of human rights.

This would include building strong civil institutions that could play a major role on various issues, including promotion of democracy, respect of human rights,
and sustainable development, but also in the civic struggle to end the occupation and to establish an independent and sovereign government. Despite the availability if highly professional human resources, Iraqi NGOs lack the experience on dealing with issues they are currently facing and on capacity building, strategic planning, and managerial issues. Arab CSOs ought to take on the responsibility of supporting raising awareness among Iraqi CSOs on various issues of civic engagement, on enhancing collaboration with international organizations, and on networking between themselves. This is especially significant since the Iraqi society is now open to the intervention of many international organizations; thus the Iraqis ought to exploit the opportunities provided for them, while avoiding being controlled by the expectations and proposals of international groups.

Iraqi CSOs could play a major role in healing social wounds through networking and learning from each other, especially that many NGOs in North Iraq,
before the occupation, have acquired significant experience in various fields like healthcare, education, gender, emergency and relief, post conflict reconstruction,
and human rights. Thus, Iraqi CSOs ought to assess their needs and to build their capacities, so they would lead the process of development in Iraq.

Conclusion

During the last two decades, the United Nations introduced new concepts of Development; by the end of the nineties, new indicators to evaluate development
were elaborated in addition to the traditional and technical ones related to economic growth and income, and life expectation and illiteracy rates. The new indicators highlight socio economic, cultural and environmental, and life conditions. This new approach of development led to a new understanding about the role of civil society organizations particularly NGOs. Thus, the role of NGOs became very important and effective as a main partner of the government and the public administration in designing, implementing and evaluating national policies in the socio economic, cultural, and environmental and Human rights strategies.

The challenge that Arab CSOs are facing is to develop and to support civil society capacities, by recognizing the role and the importance, but also by providing
the enabling environment in the Arab countries.

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