Civil Society
All stories about Civil Society
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Libya: Benghazi activists honor the price of war April 25, 2012
One of the great things about my job is that I get to meet people who contribute to social change from a million different angles. But of all the people I’ve met through my work at Mercy Corps, few have been as inspiring as a group of activists I met in Benghazi during a trip to Libya last week.
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Iraq: Empowered youth build stronger society April 2, 2012
Salahadin in one of the hardest hit provinces in Iraq. Just north of Baghdad, services here are hard to come by and the security situation is often critical. But it is also the centre of a groundswell of civic activism and organisation.
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South Sudan: The importance of an empty building July 8, 2011
In the blur of excitement that is South Sudan’s capital these days, I wasn’t thrilled at the prospect of spending my morning at a civil society project — one of the more nebulous concepts in the world of international development.
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South Sudan: Alfonse: Never giving up on an education July 5, 2011
Alfonse Pawil, 20 years old, spent most of his life in a war zone. He was born in Turalei, South Sudan in the midst of the two-decade long bloody civil war that devastated his homeland.
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Iraq: Citizens learn to speak out, leaders learn to listen June 22, 2011
Good things are happening in Iraq. Ordinary citizens are stepping up to rebuild and renew their country. People not accustomed to having a voice are learning how to make their concerns known to the leaders of their communities. Leaders are learning how to listen and respond.
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Iraq: 'Nothing equals education' May 23, 2011
Forty-four-year-old Kareem Kateh has been a farmer in southern Iraq his entire life. He didn’t have many other options: the nearest school was too far away to complete his primary school education. Still he made a good living, and was able to buy a large plot of land for his family.
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Somalia: Broader perspective from a bigger team May 4, 2011
Joint monitoring trips are the most exciting visits, in my opinion, to go and see Mercy Corps' programme activities.
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Iraq: Remembering the importance of "community" in community development April 12, 2011
Mercy Corps has been in Iraq’s four southernmost provinces — Basra, Maysan, Muthanna and Thi Qar — since 2003, implementing the USAID-funded Community Action Programme.
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Niger: Niger’s success: did anybody notice? April 11, 2011
Protests turn violent in Egypt and Yemen. Transition seems likely after prolonged fighting in Libya and Ivory Coast. Recovery efforts trudge on in Japan’s tsunami zone. Power peacefully changes hands in Niger. Wait. What?
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Egypt: What comes after revolution? February 18, 2011
I just got back from the “Day of Victory” in Tahrir Square, during which upwards of one million elated Egyptians flooded into central Cairo to bask in the glory of their successful revolution.