Overview

Are new forms of activism emerging in Algeria? Can civil society effect political reform in the country? The violence between radical Islamists and the military in the 1990s led to huge loss of life and mass exile. The public sphere was rendered a dangerous place for over a decade. Yet in defiance of these conditions, civil society grew, with thousands of associations forming throughout the conflict. Associations were set up to protect human rights and vulnerable populations, commemorate those assassinated and promote Algerian heritage. There are now over 93,000 associations registered across the country. Although social, economic and political turbulence continues, new networks still emerge and, since the Arab revolts of 2011, organised demonstrations increasingly take place. Civil Society in Algeria examines these recent developments and scrutinizes the role associations play in promoting political reform and democratization in Algeria. Based on extensive fieldwork undertaken both before and after the Arab Spring, the book shows how associations challenge government policy in the public sphere. Algeria is playing an increasingly important role in the stability and future peaceful relations of the Middle East and North Africa. This book reveals the new forms of activism that are challenging the ever-powerful state. It is a valuable resource for Algeria specialists and for scholars researching political reform and democratization across the Middle East and North Africa.

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Reviews

'A breath of fresh air has entered the polarised debates about associational life. After interviewing civil society actors in Algeria for more than ten years, Jessica Northey confidently takes us beyond facile generalisations about the value of associations. She shows - in detail and with subtlety - how citizens in this turbulent and authoritarian country have been staking claims to be legitimate political actors. She uses her trove of local insights to suggest sometimes surprising answers to weighty social scientific questions: can associations inculcate democratic behavior? Do external donors like the EU help or hinder the development of this democratic process, as fragile as it is precious?' -- Diana Wylie, Professor of History, African Studies Center, Boston University 'Based on months of in-depth fieldwork, this highly original book explores the internal dynamics of Algerian society, its attempts to take advantage of any vacuum inadvertently provided by the bureaucracy and its pragmatic use of European support, without adopting the conceptual framework of European institutions. It will be of great interest to those working on the evolution of civil society and national identity and on the future of political participation in Algeria and the region.' -- Professor Olivier Roy, Joint chair of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute, Florence 'This is an important and welcome publication for scholars seeking to understand the relationship between civil society and state not only in Algeria but across MENA. Jessica Northey offers engaging insights into a range of grass roots organisations in Algeria based on her extensive fieldwork and knowledge of the political, historical and social issues at play. Her focus is on the construction of civil society in Algeria over the past three decades, examining the effects of the post-1988 reforms, the role of European Union funding and the link between such forms of funding for associations and the EU's strategic aims and objectives in the Southern Mediterranean. But it is her astute use of empirical data gathered from an impressive range of interviews carried out during extensive field-work trips to Algeria that gives the reader such a real insight into the resilience and agency of ordinary Algerians - those who have worked for social and cultural change through associations that allow communities to shape change. This book is marked by methodological rigour, enriched by Northey's linguistic and listening skills and informed by human empathy. Civil Society in Algeria brings us into the heart of everyday Algeria in a way that few books do and is essential reading for those of us who seek to understand civil society in North Africa.' -- Patrick Crowley, Head of Department of French and Senior Lecturer, School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, University College Cork 'This fascinating book identifies some of the key dynamics of socio-political change in contemporary Algeria. Drawing on personal experience and wide-ranging research in the country, including impressive fieldwork, Northey's analysis of the emergence and behaviour of numerous voluntary associations, active particularly in the fields of heritage preservation and social welfare, charts an extremely interesting and positive evolution in the relationship between state and society and argues persuasively that earlier pessimistic assessments of the role of associations in Algeria are now seriously out-of-date. A crucial feature of these dynamics is the way the associations she describes have eschewed contestation of the state and instead have developed strategies of constructive engagement and persuasion that tend to prompt new, equally constructive, responses on the part of Algerian officialdom. The associations demonstrated how their independent initiatives and activities, while advancing particular concerns and projects, have also been contributing to the commonweal, thus inducing the state to adopt a new and positive attitude towards them. Now, association activists and government agencies and office holders have begun to move along vital learning curves into new and hopeful territory. Northey's lucid and judicious analysis authorises us at last to speak of the emergence of civil society in Algeria without debasing that venerable concept. This is an original and important book and a most welcome contribution to the study of contemporary Algeria.' -- Hugh Roberts, Edward Keller Professor of North African and Middle Eastern History, Department of History, Tufts University

A breath of fresh air has entered the polarised debates about associational life. After interviewing civil society actors in Algeria for more than ten years, Jessica Northey confidently takes us beyond facile generalisations about the value of associations. She shows - in detail and with subtlety - how citizens in this turbulent and authoritarian country have been staking claims to be legitimate political actors. She uses her trove of local insights to suggest sometimes surprising answers to weighty social scientific questions: can associations inculcate democratic behavior? Do external donors like the EU help or hinder the development of this democratic process, as fragile as it is precious? - Diana Wylie, Professor of History, African Studies Center, Boston University Based on months of in-depth fieldwork, this highly original book explores the internal dynamics of Algerian society, its attempts to take advantage of any vacuum inadvertently provided by the bureaucracy and its pragmatic use of European support, without adopting the conceptual framework of European institutions. It will be of great interest to those working on the evolution of civil society and national identity and on the future of political participation in Algeria and the region. - Professor Olivier Roy, Joint chair of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute, Florence This is an important and welcome publication for scholars seeking to understand the relationship between civil society and state not only in Algeria but across MENA. Jessica Northey offers engaging insights into a range of grass roots organisations in Algeria based on her extensive fieldwork and knowledge of the political, historical and social issues at play. Her focus is on the construction of civil society in Algeria over the past three decades, examining the effects of the post-1988 reforms, the role of European Union funding and the link between such forms of funding for associations and the EU's strategic aims and objectives in the Southern Mediterranean. But it is her astute use of empirical data gathered from an impressive range of interviews carried out during extensive field-work trips to Algeria that gives the reader such a real insight into the resilience and agency of ordinary Algerians - those who have worked for social and cultural change through associations that allow communities to shape change. This book is marked by methodological rigour, enriched by Northey's linguistic and listening skills and informed by human empathy. Civil Society in Algeria brings us into the heart of everyday Algeria in a way that few books do and is essential reading for those of us who seek to understand civil society in North Africa. - Patrick Crowley, Head of Department of French and Senior Lecturer, School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, University College Cork This fascinating book identifies some of the key dynamics of socio-political change in contemporary Algeria. Drawing on personal experience and wide-ranging research in the country, including impressive fieldwork, Northey's analysis of the emergence and behaviour of numerous voluntary associations, active particularly in the fields of heritage preservation and social welfare, charts an extremely interesting and positive evolution in the relationship between state and society and argues persuasively that earlier pessimistic assessments of the role of associations in Algeria are now seriously out-of-date. A crucial feature of these dynamics is the way the associations she describes have eschewed contestation of the state and instead have developed strategies of constructive engagement and persuasion that tend to prompt new, equally constructive, responses on the part of Algerian officialdom. The associations demonstrated how their independent initiatives and activities, while advancing particular concerns and projects, have also been contributing to the commonweal, thus inducing the state to adopt a new and positive attitude towards them. Now, association activists and government agencies and office holders have begun to move along vital learning curves into new and hopeful territory. Northey's lucid and judicious analysis authorises us at last to speak of the emergence of civil society in Algeria without debasing that venerable concept. This is an original and important book and a most welcome contribution to the study of contemporary Algeria. - Hugh Roberts, Edward Keller Professor of North African and Middle Eastern History, Department of History, Tufts University

Author Information

Jessica Ayesha Northey is the Director of Postgraduate Research at the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations of the University of Coventry, UK. She is a country expert for the Bertelsmann Foundation, Washington D.C. and has carried out numerous research assignments and electoral observation missions for international organisations, including the EU, the Westminster Foundation and the World Bank. She completed her PhD in Social & Political Sciences at the European University Institute, Florence.

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