Externally sponsored contention: the channelling of environmental movement organisations in the Czech Republic after the fall of Communism

Abstract

From an examination of the impact of international civil-society-building programmes on Czech environmental movement organisations (EMOs), it is clear that international influence left a deep imprint on eastern European civil societies. It did not however curb opportunities for environmental political activism, as supposed by an important part of the traditional scholarship, but instead helped create a particular form of activism based on advocacy organisations capable of staging political protest when necessary. While international donors have clearly channelled activist organisations towards professionalisation, this process has not necessarily been accompanied by de-politicisation and de-radicalisation of activist organisations. In fact, drawing on quantitative as well as qualitative data, employing protest event analysis and the small-N comparative method, it appears that activists dependent on foreign funding have often displayed a more assertive stance in political conflicts than their domestically embedded counterparts.

Gaining Access to the State: Political Opportunities and Agency in Forest Activism in Indonesia

“…International actors also affect political opportunities for environmental movements, in particular in the global South and in countries in transition, by providing resources or putting pressure on national governments through the so-called 'boomerang' effect (Carmin & Hicks, 2002;Císa , 2010;Keck & Sikkink, 1998).…”

Friend or foe? Foreign donors’ role in the formation of civil society in Ukraine

“…Similarly to Poland described by Ayoub (2013) and the Czech Republic (Cisar 2010), Ukrainian civil society has become more professionalized, involved in transnational activism and cooperation, and has reached a new level of political participation, building alliances with new political actors and groups. At the same time, this section shows that there are certain issues both scholars and foreign donors overlook, such as the disconnectedness from grassroots organizations, low sustainability and the dependency of CSOs on foreign donors.…”

“…There are authors who argue that while foreign donors had a crucial role in the professionalization and institutionalization of CSOs in CEE countries, this influence has not always been accompanied by the de-politicization of these organizations or has even made internationally funded activists more assertive in domestic political conflicts (Ayoub 2013, Cisar 2010, Cisar-Vrablikova 2012. Other scholars, however, challenge the emancipatory potential of democracy assistance (Hearn 2000), claiming that while foreign donors (the EU, in particular) are declaring empowerment and strengthening of civil society as the main purpose of their assistance, in reality the aim is "to build governance and state capacity" (Fagan-Ostojic 2008).…”

Geger Sikep: Environmental (Re)Interpretation among the Contemporary Anti-Cement Movement in Kendeng, Central Java

“…This focus upon traditional community, I hope, can gives a new addition to the existing literatures on environmental movements which are largely non-traditional, non-organic and transnational (Císař 2010;Chen 2010).…”