Civil Society in Algeria is the result of Jessica Northey's years of field work, interviews and time spent in the company of Algerian associations and their members struggling to grapple with the huge challenges facing the country. It focuses on two specific areas, cultural heritage and social work, examining how associations engage with their audiences and the state to promote reform and bring new ideas to the public sphere.  This highly original book explores recent developments before and after the Arab uprisings of 2011 and scrutinizes the role associations play, sometimes in the most difficult of conditions, in promoting political reform and democratization in Algeria.

Jessica Ayesha Northey (@JessNorthey) is a Director of Postgraduate Research at the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations at Coventry University. She gained her PhD from the European University Institute, Florence, where she studied relations between the EU and Algerian charitable associations, examining, through extensive fieldwork, the impact of external funding on their work and role in political life. She is the country expert for Algeria with the Bertelsmann Foundation and has previously worked with the European Union, World Bank and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy in Europe and in Africa, before returning home to the challenge of UK politics and academia.

Robert Lowe is Deputy Director of the Middle East Centre. He joined the Centre when it opened in 2010. Robert is responsible for running the Centre's operations, research activities, fundraising and development. He oversees the events and publications programmes, research projects and public outreach. His main research interest is Kurdish politics, with particular focus on the Kurdish movement in Syria. Robert is also the Executive Director of the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES).

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