Counter-terrorism Aid And Civil Society

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Description

Counter-Terrorism, Aid and Civil Society critically examines the effects of the War on Terror on the relationships between civil society, security and aid, drawing on original fieldwork in Afghanistan, India and Kenya. Although governments are avoiding use of the term 'War on Terror', post-9/11 counter-terrorism responses have been widely legislated, institutionalized and bureaucratized.

Hence, the impacts of the War on Terror will be long-lasting. Specifically, the book proposes that the War on Terror has reshaped the field of international development, which has become increasingly oriented to address issues of national and international security. This has had clear implications for how government and aid agencies engage with civil societies at home and abroad.

However, in many contexts, mainstream groups supported by governments have failed to respond vigorously to counter-terrorism responses, leaving human rights and Muslim groups that have borne the brunt of scrutiny to challenge the premise and need for new security practices, measures and laws. Review: 'Counter-Terrorism, Aid and Civil Society is an important collection on the key nexus between government anti-terrorism policy, foreign aid, and the changing roles of civil society in key nations across the world.

It is a splendid melding of theory and analysis of reality on the ground. This volume will advance scholarly debate, teach students, and inform activists in new and significant ways, and it belongs in libraries and on reading lists across a wide range of disciplines and courses.' - Mark Sidel, Professor of Law and Faculty Scholar, University of Iowa, USA 'This timely study raises important concerns about the effects of the U.S-led war on terror on Western development policy, including the convergence of security and development policies and new pressures on civil society.

Drawing on case studies from the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and the United States, it shines a wide light on this vital topic.' - Thomas Carothers, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, USA 'An extremely timely and important analysis of how the 'war on terror' has eroded the qualities of autonomy and dissent in civil society, with the acquiescence or disregard of many civil society organisations.

It is time to revisit this concept and invest it in new meaning.' - Professor Jenny Pearce, Department of Peace Studies, University of Bradford, UK 'Jude Howell and Jeremy Lind set out to examine critically the effects of the post-9/11 global security regime on development policy and practice and civil society.

Using intensive case studies of Afghanistan, Kenya and India, they demonstrate that the global war on terror has seriously warped the types and targets of development assistance, both from national donors and through international institutions. Cogently argued and lucidly written, the book is a wake-up call for policy makers, advocates and academics interested in the intersection of security and development as they affect civil society.' - Sidney Tarrow, Maxwell Upson Professor of Government, Cornell University, author of The New Transnational Activism.