ABSTRACT
The concept of civil society gained ground during the 1990s in the Palestinian Territories among political activists, non-governmental organization (NGO) leaders, international donors and even, to some degree, within the Palestinian governing authorities. This chapter reports findings from empirical research on the organizational dimensions of local and international efforts to ‘strengthen’ Palestinian civil society between 1993 and 1998, based on detailed organizational case studies of four Palestinian NGOs working in the rural development and social sectors. The study explored the reasons for increasing interest in the civil society concept, and found explanations at both local and international levels (Shawa 2001). The aim of the research was to analyse the changes experienced by the sector during and after the transfer of authority and to explore the roles played by NGOs as actors engaged in a self-styled process of ‘building’ civil society.
