Transnational NGOs between Popular Uprising and Authoritarian Regime:Developments in Egypt

Abstract

Scholars differentiate the concepts of internationalism and transnationalism. While the first refers to the connectivity between macro institutions such as states, multinational corporations and other institutionalized actors within and beyond national boundaries, the second term emphasizes public movements,organizations and communities engaged in de-territorialized socio‐cultural, political and economic activities. This paper focuses on the role of transnational NGOs (TNGOs) in recent developments in Egypt. The current scholarly debate on the so‐called “Arab spring” considers the mobilization of disempowered youth, intense media-tech application and sustained international pressure as crucial to ousting authoritarian regimes in North Africa. Delineating the role of TNGOs complementssuch findings. TNGO activities and responses to the Egyptian uprising in 2011 andto the ensuing coup in 2013 reveal the capability of such organizations to balancecivic transformational oriented mobilizations with state centred institutionalconsiderations. Furthermore though TNGOs cannot directly change the currentpolitical stalemate in Egypt, the power elite might misinterpret the changing andsometimes contradictory positions of these organizations and might eventuallyencourage the return to authoritarianism. After introductory remarks on thebackground of the uprising, the paper proceeds to theoretical discussion oftransnational engagement followed by recent historical and current empiricaldevelopment