At the head of both the state and oversight institutions is a ranking cleric known as the rahbar, or leader. Analyzing civil society in muslim countries requires that we recognize islam not only as a religion, but also as a political theory and the major source of a legitimization of. It is a non partisan and politically independent organization with its base in oslo, norway. It will assist the parliaments human rights committee to effectively engage with the civil society and promote human rights through the legislative body. Civil society organizations csos1 are the principal vehicle for civil society activity in iraq. Written by bethany hansen with some content from an earlier edition by caryn yarnot. In the months leading to the iranian 2016 elections, authorities have cracked down heavily on irans fragile civil society. Civil state and state in the modernization process, by.
She places emphasis on the role of women in recent iranian social movements, exploring the significance of social movements in civil society and in instigating social change. Iranian library and information science association ilisa. With 19 representatives of civil society organizations the council of representatives launched in january 2015 the ngo human rights advisory board first of its kind in iraq. Civil society and the rule of law in the constitutional politics of iran under khatami iranian president mohammad khatami by. Building organisational capacity in iranian civil society. Rights of the child in iran outright action international. It explores the clergy and bazaris as the social basis of civil society in iran, and challenges gellners viewpoint that an islamic civil society is an impossibility.
Civil society, dense network of groups, communities, networks, and ties that stand between the individual and the modern state. The basis of a civil society is the existence of influential civil groups and their institutions that can, through established mechanisms counterbalance state power. It argues that the modernization of religion and the creation of modern political theories by the clergy were both crucial means for defeating a modern authoritarian state and. Covering most governorates of iraq they help enhance accountability of local services through citizen participation and networking between the civil society and local authorities. A set of laws within irans islamic penal code entitled offenses against the national and international security of the country lay the. Many of the former restrictions on the press, the media and the arts were removed. The countrys 1979 constitution put into place a mixed system of government, in which the executive, parliament, and judiciary are overseen by several bodies dominated by the clergy.
A survey of recent iranian books and journal articles reveals four important characteristics about how writers and academics in iran generally perceive the concept of civil society. Tavaana meaning empowered and capable in persian was launched in 2010 with a mission to support active citizenship and civic leadership in iran through education and civil society capacity building. Guilds and civil society in iran published by openconcept on mon, 09292008 10. This modern definition of civil society has become a familiar component of the main strands of contemporary liberal and democratic theorizing. Associate professor of department of political science, islamic azad university, central tehran branch, iran 2. Iranian civil society warns against military strike in new report. Nor can we realistically assess the fragility of the regimes cultural. Civil society in iran is one of the regions most active, but it is currently under more pressure than civil society in many other countries in the region. Unless we understand these changes, we cannot effectively appraise the prospects for a democratic transition in iran.
Report of the secr etarygeneral on the situation of human rights in the islamic republic of iran. Why governments target civil society and what can be done in. A pattern for middle east countries fariborz khosravi the president of iranian library and information science association. Mapping the progress of csos by catherine squire keywords.
I will examine these goals of the reform movement in the context of irans constitutional. Iran enjoys one of the regions most robust civil societies, partly as a result of the brief openness that blossomed. Even so, it is clear that the civilrights movement put its mark on the content of the 2009 presidential campaign and the rhetoric of the candidates. In 2006, just after the election of the ahmadinejad administration, a new bill, the establishment and supervision of ngos, was brought before the.
Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Definitions are changing as civil society is recognized as encompassing far more than a mere sector dominated by the ngo community. This is the face of a civil society that is aware of its sociopolitical responsibility and. It begins by providing an overview of the application procedures for permits and authorization required for civil society organizations. A handbook for civil society pdf iran islamic republic of.
Download pdf the undersigned national, regional and international civil society organizations urge your government to support resolution ac. In the months leading to the iranian 2016 elections, authorities have cracked down heavily on iran s fragile civil society. Grand social movements of iran in twentieth century 3. Civil society in iran has various facets and faces, and it is not coherent and homogeneous. Download the brief the issue there is growing iranian activism in the middle east despite u. From a movement for civil society towards a movement for environment 5. The emerging civil society of iraq is composed of a wide variety of actors, facing significant obstacles, including a political environment unaccustomed to and skeptical of independent advocates. Widespread repression of civil society before elections. Using the case of iran to offer a critical framework for studying social change and transformation of noneuropean countries, this book fills an important gap in the. The analysis of this essay indicates that, if the case of the tribes of iran is a good example of one type of civil society, then the relationship between the state and other dimensions of civil society would be more complex than simply the states voluntary withdrawal or marked failure.
The iranian revolution, past, present and future iran chamber. Report of the secr etarygeneral on the situation of human rights in the islamic republic of iran ahrc3724 report of the secretarygeneral on the situation of human rights in the islamic republic of iran a72562 report of the secretarygeneral on the situation of human rights in the islamic republic of iranahrc3440. Consortium of 31 civil society organizations implemented eight projects in the areas of human rights, corruption and service delivery from may 20 to april 2014. Revolutionary iran g i 7 civil society and state in the. Government insistence that all activities in iran are in accordance with islamic teachings is largely responsible for this fact. The iranamerican societys office in washington, dc arranged educational exchanges for iranian students. There has been an increase in the size and capabilities of militias supported by the islamic revolutionary guards corpsquds force in iraq, syria, lebanon, and yemen collectively. Civil society in iran 37 market, though in practice, the boundaries between state, civil society, family and market are often complex, blurred and negotiated.
Civil society and state in the modernization process. In 2006, just after the election of the ahmadinejad administration, a new bill, the establishment and supervision of ngos, was brought before the iranian parliament majlise shoraye islami to change many aspects of the law surrounding. Civil society, definitions and approaches john keane the university of westminster, w1t 3uw, london, uk introduction for nearly a century after 1850, the language of civil society virtually disappeared from intellectual and political life and, as recently as 2 decades ago, the term itself remained strange sounding and unfashionable, or was. Iranian civil societythe cauldron of transformation with which we are most concerned in this book. This practical guide aims to introduce civil society actors to the various procedures and mechanisms in place for starting and operating csos in iran.
Pdf the civil society discourse in iran mehran kamrava. There are estimated to be from 5,000 to 8,000 ngos active in iran, including islamic charities, as well as secular organizations, local groups, and internationally known organizations. Civil society, if not a misnomer, may be an imperfect term for capturing the new type of political space and new forms of agency that have emerged in iran since 1997. Ayca ergun may, 2008, 104 pages this thesis aims to understand how civil society developed and evolved in the modern history of iran and how it operates in the current day through the eyes of the actors of this realm. The role of civil society in iran and ngos center for. They noted the huge electoral win of rouhani in the presidential election of 20 and the extent to which this reflected the hopes of much of iranian society for a more inclusive and participatory environment in which there was dialogue and exchange between civil.
The new political space is disorderly but also pluralistic and boisterously public, and is inextricably linked with government. Assistant professor of the national library and archives of iran, tehran, iran. May 20, 2003 the basis of a civil society is the existence of influential civil groups and their institutions that can, through established mechanisms counterbalance state power. Iranian civil society warns against military strike in new. The role of civil society in iran and ngos center for human. Volunteer activists institution kabelweg 37 1014 ba amsterdam the netherlands kvk number.
Such observations from a diverse set of scholars leads one to ask. The iranamerica society was founded in the 1950s in tehran, iran to promote understanding between the people of iran and the people of the united states of america. First and foremost, the notion of civil society has gone through a substantial process of indigenization. Said amir arjomand, 2000 the promotion of civil society and the rule of law are the key elements in khatamis reform program. Jun 21, 2015 many of the individuals interviewed spoke of the need to allow civil society to flourish and play its natural role in the country. The impact of globalization on development of civil.
Guilds and civil society in iran foundation for iranian. Iranian library and information science association ilisa in service of civil society. On may 8, 2018, president trump announced that the united states would no longer participate in the jcpoa. The future role of civil society 5 executive summary civil society is evolving in impactful and dynamic ways.
Empowering civil society organizations csos in iraq. Revolutionary iran investigates two major political transformations in the modern history of iran. Elearning institute for iranian civil society provides free online training and persian and english learning resources to iranians. Browers highlights, civil society forms the bedrock of good democratic 1governance. Feb 24, 2016 iran human rights ihr is a nonprofit, human rights organization with members inside and outside iran. Civil society discourse as battleground of societal change 4. World scenario series the future role of civil society. Irans civil society under attack december 25, 2012 a police colonel talks with a group of iranian workers during a protest. The impact of globalization on development of civil society in iran with an emphasis on the political parties and the press mohammad tohidfam ph. Bahmani j 2016 the role of civil society in development. Iran is a unitary islamic republic with one legislative house. The safavid dynasty ruled iran until 1722, when an afghan army invaded the country and captured isfahan.
And while the movement may have miscalculated in assuming that some degree of popular sovereigntywaiting to be activated by the voting masseslay dormant in the 1979 constitution, the regime. Civil society commonly embraces a diversity of spaces, actors and institutional forms, varying in their degree of formality, autonomy and power. Why governments target civil society and what can be done. Pdf civil society in iran elham gheytanchi academia. Several definitions exist, but most seem to agree that civil society is the sum of institutions, organizations, and individuals located between the family, the state, and the market, in which people associate voluntarily to advance common interests anheier 9. Iran, may 2008 2 eighteenth century, iran was weakened by civil wars, new dynasties came to rule, and a new regional rival, russia, arose. Library of congress federal research division country profile. Print civil society is a target because it is, by its very nature, an organized threat to governmental oppression. Foreshadowing the concerns expressed by the global alliance of civil society leaders, civicus, in 2014, john clark suggests shifts in tactics and argues that civil society is becoming less relevant with a loss of citizen support. The iranian revolution past, present and future brought the safavids into direct conflict with the ottoman empire and led to two centuries of intermittent warfare between those two powerful states. Iran human rights ihr is a nonprofit, human rights organization with members inside and outside iran.
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