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Book Review
Review of the book
"The Emergence of a Palestinian Globalized Elite. Donors, International and
Local NGOs" in Jordan Times Monday, NOV. 21:
www.jordantimes.com
Book Review: Does Aid
Promote Decolonization?
The Emergence of a
Palestinian Globalized Elite: Donors, International Organizations and Local NGOs
By Sari Hanafi and Linda Tabar
Jerusalem: Institute
of Jerusalem Studies and Muwatin, the Palestinian Institute for the Study of
Democracy, 2005, 405 pages
With much
analytical and empirical evidence, Hanafi and Taber persuasively argue for their
thesis that the international aid pumped into the occupied Palestinian
territories during the 90s created a new elite among local NGOs. In the process,
their book gives much theoretical and practical insight into how the development
aid industry functions globally and how it impacts on local societies. T
The value of this
book lies not only in shedding light on Palestinian NGOs; it also raises
fundamental questions about the current state of interaction between North and
South, between international organizations and local staff, politics and aid,
and development and decolonization, Not least, it examines and, in many cases,
challenges trendy preconceptions related to terms such as civil society,
accountability, advocacy, micro-credit, training and modernity.
It was the
outbreak of the second intifada that exposed the disconnection between
Palestinian NGOs and the popular movement. Though most Palestinian NGOs grew out
of the anti-occupation struggle and the activism of the first intifada, the
post-Oslo situation brought new conditions and new types of funding into the
Palestinian arena. At the same time, Arab funding dwindled, and the global scene
was increasingly steered by the neo-liberal economic model and US dominance in
the field.
Whereas
Palestinian NGOs had previously received funding from solidarity groups and
other donors to defend their national rights, they now had to scramble for funds
that were dispensed in the framework of a hypothesized post-conflict situation
that called for reconstruction, but left aside the issues of occupation and
decolonization. International NGOs funding Palestinian NGOs were now often
conduits for aid from Western governments who had their own agendas tied to the
peace process.
Under the impact
of donors’ criteria and priorities, Palestinian NGOs evolved into professional
organizations and redesigned their projects to harmonize with the new
international agenda. In many cases, they shifted from grassroots support
programs towards advocacy--speaking on behalf of the people and their needs, but
not actually mobilizing them or empowering them to speak up and act for
themselves.
Via their
contacts with Western diplomats, international NGOs and other donors,
Palestinian NGO staff gained access to new knowledge, experience and
opportunities, which were not necessarily recycled back into their local
constituency. Thus, Hanafi and Tabar postulate that the leaderships of large,
successful Palestinian NGOs have evolved into “a globalized elite due to their
connectivity to international NGOs, actors and agendas.” (p. 24) Their actions
are “fore-grounded by debates, development paradigms and international
standards, which are not bound to their local context.” (p.
26) “All this suggests
that the effect of the entry of NGOs into aid channels ironically challenges
their ability to act as real agents of social change.” (p. 224)
Criticizing
Palestinian NGOs is not, however, the real purpose of this book. Rather, it
seems designed to generate debate and to challenge NGOs to reassess their work
and reestablish their connection to the popular movement and anti-occupation
struggle. It seeks to bridge the gap between development aid projects and the
decolonization process.
To this end, The
Emergence of a Palestinian Globalized Elite sums up the experience of the 90s,
giving detailed information on donor policies, aid distribution, defining
agendas, and negotiations with donors, based on case studies in three fields:
women, human rights and the health sector. A number of negative examples of
donor priorities are cited, such as the over-funding of family planning
programs, and the under-funding of agriculture, the largest Palestinian economic
sector. While some negative donor priorities stem from a lack of understanding
of local realities, others are influenced by the parameters set by Israeli
occupation policy. On the other hand, the book cites examples of how some
Palestinian NGOs have been able to successfully influence donor agendas in a
more productive direction.
The book
concludes with an extensive section on transnational networking of different
types, from the protest movement against the WTO in Seattle, to networking
organized around UN conferences and the Barcelona process, as well as examples
of regional networking, like the Arab Women’s Network (AISHA).
By Sally Bland
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