Essay - Egypt Csos This Paper Provides an Overview of Civil Society...

Egypt CSOs

This paper provides an overview of civil society in Egypt. Firstly, a brief historical overview of civil society in ***** is presented (1000-2000 words), *****d then an analytical overview ***** the political situation in Egypt is *****, illustrat*****g the authoritarian nature of the regime, and assessing the influence of the regime on ***** growth and nature of civil ***** (2000-3000 *****). Next, an ***** overview of the ec*****omic situation in Egypt ***** presented, ***** the influence of the economic malaise on ***** growth of civil society (1500 -2000 words).

*****, a sectoral overview of civil ***** organizations in Egypt is presented, by dividing the civil organizations in to categories (Service provision, charity and welfare, Guilds and Unions, Development Civil Society Organizations, Political Parties, Human rights/citizenship rights, Research organizations, cultural groups, ***** finally sports clubs) and within this section, several ***** within each category are discussed, in terms ***** *****ir activities (4500-6000 words). This section *****cludes information on the total number of ***** in Egypt. This section highlights the fact that a culturally specific approach is necessary when discussing CSOs in *****, as a large quantity of Islamic groups ***** spread throughout ***** sectors.

*****, an in-depth analysis of three ***** and their activities is presented: one Islamic, one ***** party (maybe the muslim brotherhood) and one an International NGO (4000-5000 words). This section, as the description suggests, provides a more detailed look at three CSO's, *****ing in detail at what the CSO, for whom its services are provided etc.

***** section presents a brief historical overview of civil society in Egypt, and draws on ***** supplied in the literature. Egypt h***** over six thous***** years of recorded history, possessed ***** of the earliest known, and at ***** time most advanced, civiliz*****ions, and also possessed one of the first states known to man, ***** as such, the issue of civil society and its development is particularly interesting for th***** country (Ibrahim et al., 1998).

Researchers have identified *****at sever***** elements have shaped ***** profile of Egypt's civic sector: government policies shifted over ***** from laissez faire to increased government control under different regimes, yet religion has always been an element ***** associational life in Egypt (K*****dil, 1999). In a 1993 survey, it was found that about 31% of associations were Islamic and about 7% were Christian: most of these organizations provided health services, social assistance, and religious ***** (Kandil, *****). Further influences on civil ***** ***** been identified (by ***** et al., 1998) as the state, traditi*****al forces (via ***** Communities of Virtue), and external Western forces: it is argued that the current status of civil society in Egypt has come ***** due ***** a complex h*****torical - and ***** - relationship between these three factors (Ibrahim et al., *****).

Starting in the second h*****f ***** ***** 19th century, however, association life began to flourish in Egypt: during this time, ***** were active in politics and in economic and intellectual movements, as, during ***** time, *****s ***** private foundations