Governing Through Patronage: The Rise of NGOs and the Fall of Civil Society in Palestine and Morocco

Abstract

This article examines foreign aid and government funding to NGOs as forms of patronage, and explores the impact of such funding on the nature and role of civil society. Using qualitative research from Palestine and Morocco, we argue that patronage transforms NGOs into apparatuses of governing. NGOs become key sites for the exercise of productive power through the technologies of professionalization, bureaucratization and upward accountability. The article explores how this transformation of NGOs depoliticizes their work while undermining their role as change agents within civil society. The findings have implications for understanding the transformation of NGOs, the relationship between patrons and their grantees, and, finally, for exploring the limitations of NGOs as vehicles for social change in sensitive political environments.

The Role and Contributions of Development NGOs to Development Cooperation: What Do We Know?

“…A critique of whether the modus operandi of NGOs enables them to pursue social justice as well as to meet the service delivery needs of disadvantaged groups is both widespread in the literature and consistent over time (Atia and Herrold 2018;Banks et al 2015;Mitlin et al 2007;Suarez and Gugerty 2016). The Buthe et al (2012) study of 40 US development NGOs is an interesting addition to this literature because it analyses how development NGOs allocate their privately financed resources across the countries they operate within.…”

The Donor-Driven Model and Financial Sustainability: A Case Study from Palestinian Non-Government Organizations

“…The patronage relationship between funder and grantees was well discussed in the literature (Walker 1983;Brulle & Jenkins 2005;Goss 2007;Reckhow 2016); this relationship occurs when 'organizations lose their autonomy and become dependent on their funders, and increasingly implement their funders' agendas' (Atia & Herrold 2018). Much of this literature considers that NGOs express loyalty to the agenda of the funder in order to obtain funding (Shatzmiller 2001;Brulle & Jenkins 2005).…”

“…It is no secret that there is a pervasive view among policy makers and the local community in Palestine that NGOs have failed to achieve their objectives in realizing real development for people and society, and in creating sustainable model for themselves. While the international community has been supporting Palestinian NGOs for decades, the impact of their funds has been questioned by policy makers and society members (Nakhleh 1989;NGOs' Development Center 2009;Atia & Herrold 2018). Thus, financial sustainability is a challenge that most NGOs in Palestine must address in an evolving and fluctuating funding landscape with NGOs competing to enable effective contribution in social development and improve well-being in a politically complex and rapidly changing environment like Palestine (Okorley & Nkrumah 2012).…”

From anti‐slavery to third sector in development: The transition of non‐governmental organisations and limitations

“…NGOs are accused for being a potential vehicle for supporting neo‐liberal policies. If the neo‐liberalism agenda fails, it results to a situation where the NGOs withdraw and leave the weak economy (Lehman, : Atia & Herrold, ).…”