Post-War Civil Society: A Force for Change or a Relief Façade?

The article assesses the role of Palestinian civil-society organisations at a historic turning point, posing an urgent question: are they a genuine partner in state-building, or merely a window for distributing international relief?

Author

Pal-Think research team

Date

2025-03-25

Key points

• More than 70% of civil-society organisations now work in a relief rather than developmental frame.
• The absence of horizontal coordination among organisations weakens the collective impact.
• Independence of decision from donors remains the fundamental test of effectiveness.

Recommendations

• Build a national coalition of civil-society organisations with an independent political agenda.
• Move gradually from short-term projects to strategic programmes.
• Establish a national fund for sustainable financing that reduces donor dependence.