Martin Schneider

2/14/16

What is civil society? What is the status of MENA civil society? What role can it play, if any, in broadening the space for political participation?

Civil Society is made up of groups and organizations that work for the benefit for the people. Civil Society is kept separate from both interferences from the state and from markets. Organizations that make up a thriving civil society include unions, non profits, volunteering groups, and religious organizations. Organizations not beholden to politics or money is vital for a prospering and healthy society. A strong civil society builds trust, shares values, greater participation in government, and stronger relationships among the citizenry. Nations with weak civil societies have weaker bonds tying their nations together. These countries are prone to revolutions, sectarian or religious conflict, and fragmentation.

Many of the nations in the Middle East and North Africa have far weaker civil societies than that of the west. Civil societies in the Middle East and North Africa are weak because the region’s leaders have not facilitated its growth. Since decolonization, most of the nations in MENA have been run by autocratic strongmen, who have crushed dissent in order to maintain their own power. The silencing of opposition leaders and reformers have made the creation of civil society difficult if not impossible. The resignation of longtime Egyptian strongman, Hosni Mubarak in 2011 marked the end of a string of autocratic leaders that had ruled Egypt since the gaining of independence. In the 2013 elections the only organized forces were pro government or the Muslim Brother. This was because there was no organization of civil society to counter these forces. Feeling as though there was no other choice, the Muslim Brother swept the elections, making Mohamed Morsi the fifth president of Egypt. Only an organized civil society can counter the existing powers that assert dominance over MENA and form a new world.

In regards to the United States, we must take a hands off approach. In 2003, the US attempted to create democracy in the Middle East by invading Iraq and deposing strongman Saddam Hussain. Instead of organizing a prosperous civil society after the fall of Saddam, the Iraqi people organized into insurgent groups, creating a toxic mess that still hasn’t been solved.