Social Anthropology Departmental Seminar -- Dr Manar Kawasmi Development Beyond Dependency and Soft Power: The Creation of a Palestinian NGO-nation

This presentation focuses on development in Palestine post-Cold War and the establishment of the PA in 1993. Since this time, Palestine has headed the donor aid recipient list, and this has had various implications on Palestinian politics, economy, labour market, and social relations. Here, I look at how in places like Palestine, development has transformed from a mere form of western dependency and soft power into a totalising way of practising politics, the economy, and sociality – an NGO-nation. I examine the rise of Palestinian queer and feminist organisations within this context, and how these organisations engage marginalised communities and individuals in national and international development networks.