We are currently in the middle of multiple global crises that leave us with a different outlook t... more We are currently in the middle of multiple global crises that leave us with a different outlook than the optimism that characterized the decades of the 1990s and early 2000s. The belief in continuous global democratic and developmental progress has been replaced by concerns for irreversible climate change, global geopolitical instability, democratic decline, new manifestations of authoritarian populism, and a reversal of developmental gains in human rights, health, education, and welfare (CIVICUS, 2021;
This chapter builds on and contributes to the debates on experienced, lived and multi-scalar citi... more This chapter builds on and contributes to the debates on experienced, lived and multi-scalar citizenship that widens its conceptualizations beyond a legal status and membership defined by individuals' rights and responsibilities vis-á-vis a state. Recent literature in citizenship studies has suggested more nuanced, multifaceted and contextualized understandings (
This is a self-archived version of an original article. This version may differ from the original... more This is a self-archived version of an original article. This version may differ from the original in pagination and typographic details.
In this chapter, we scrutinize civic space as an arena for action for organizations, groups, and ... more In this chapter, we scrutinize civic space as an arena for action for organizations, groups, and individuals, the borders of which are continuously shaped and negotiated. One pertinent negotiation concerns legitimacy revolved around the question of what kinds of forms, actions, and goals within civic space are considered legitimate, in other words, appropriate and desirable, evaluated differently by diverse actors. In this vein, the restrictive measures on civic space can be seen as attempts to mould actions conducted by civil society organizations (CSOs) and citizens towards a direction considered more "legitimate" by the government. The chapter focuses on Tanzania, and especially on President John Magufuli's time of office that started in November 2015 and ended with
Kansalaisyhteiskuntaselvitys: Kansalaisyhteiskunnan toimijoiden rooli kehitysyhteistyössä [An analysis of the role of civil society actors in Finnish development cooperation]
Learning and Forgetting in Development NGOs: Insights from Organisational Theory
This chapter argues that civil society organizations (CSOs) engage in continuous legitimacy negot... more This chapter argues that civil society organizations (CSOs) engage in continuous legitimacy negotiations that both shape and are shaped by civic space. It focuses on President John Magufuli’s term in Tanzania, which was labelled as an authoritarian turn characterized by shrinking civic space. The chapter employs broad definitions: of civic space as an arena for action by formal CSOs as well as groups and individuals; of legitimacy as a continuous negotiation of appropriateness; and of democracy as a dynamic form of governance with different manifestations. Drawing on interviews with both professional urban NGOs and rural self-help groups, the chapter investigates restrictions experienced by CSOs, analyses the central themes negotiation over CSO legitimacy, and reflects on these vis-á-vis the evolution of democracy in Tanzania over time.
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