The Implications of Closing Civic Space for Hunger and Poverty in the Global South

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Main author: Hossain, Naomi
Other authors: Oosterom, Marjoke
Format: Journal Article           
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id eprints-40444
recordtype eprints
institution SOAS, University of London
collection SOAS Research Online
language English
language_search English
description Concerns about closing civic space have focused on human rights, and little to date has been known of the impacts on development. This article traces impacts of closing civic space on civil society and social movements addressing poverty and hunger in Brazil, Ethiopia, Pakistan and Zimbabwe. Countries that clamped down on civil society and social movements have not all fared badly in terms of poverty and hunger, as the ‘developmental states’ of China and Vietnam demonstrate. This article proposes that how closures of civic space affect development outcomes will depend on the role civil society plays in development, and specifically on the ‘fit’ between civil society and the state with respect to development policy and programming. Despite diversity in political and economic context, restrictions on civic space commonly prevent broad civic engagement in policy processes, in particular critique or scrutiny of government policy and practice, and hamper non-governmental organizations’ service delivery. Because civic engagement matters most for marginalized and disempowered people, their exclusion from policy processes and services will deepen. Reversals or stagnation in progress towards addressing poverty and hunger indicate that as civic space narrows, the most marginalized and disempowered groups face a growing risk of being left behind.
format Journal Article
author Hossain, Naomi
author_facet Hossain, Naomi
Oosterom, Marjoke
authorStr Hossain, Naomi
author_letter Hossain, Naomi
author2 Oosterom, Marjoke
author2Str Oosterom, Marjoke
title The Implications of Closing Civic Space for Hunger and Poverty in the Global South
publisher Wiley
publishDate 2021
url https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/40444/

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