Civil Society

Gherbal Initiative in Lebanon
Gherbal Initiative in Lebanon

Amid months of nationwide protests, one Lebanese’s mission to weed out endemic corruption tells the story of a country at economic breaking point.

Ghassan Salamé disembarks from the UN plane in Al-Qubbah.
Political Developments in Libya since 2011

Libya entered a new era in 2011 – full of hopes but burdened by setbacks. A look back at the most important developments over the past eight years from the fall of Gaddafi to the Battle of Tripoli.

Scouts Movement in Libya
Scouts Movement in Libya

They even defied Gadhafi to establish one of the most long-standing institutions of Libyan civil society. Now, with the civil battle for the capital ravaging the country, the Scouts movement’s help is needed once more.

Bomb squads and the war in Libya
Bomb squads and the war in Libya

Colonel Khaled Hanka has been locating and defusing hidden explosives for over thirty years. The Libyan civil war, unfortunately, continuously presents him and his bomb squad with new challenges. This summer, his men are headed to the capital.

Demining in Libya
Demining in Libya

Mines and unexploded ordnances pose a threat at every step of the way. Efforts to dispose of the remnants of war aim to reclaim safe spaces–and a common ground for shared experiences for Libyans from all parts of the country.

Bedan el-Sisi is played on every street-corner of Cairo
Subtle Freedoms in Egypt

A children’s game named after the president’s testicles is the latest outlet for popular dissent in Egypt.

Zahra Langhi, a Libyan exile and human rights defender.
Profile of Zahra Langhi

A social activist in exile in Cairo, the story of Zahra Langhi and her family is interwoven with the modern history of Libya.

Participants at the 2016 Civic Education Conference (CEC) in Hammamet in Tunisia
Connecting Arab Civil Society

Organisations promoting civic education in the Arab world often face difficult working conditions. Connecting MENA NGOs with one another, and with NGOs in Europe, helps spread expertise and resources.