Greek-Turkish Relations and Civil Society: Healing the wounds?
Greek-Turkish Relations and Civil Society: Healing the wounds?

Author(s): Leonidas Karakatsanis
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Recent History (1900 till today)
Published by: Transnational Press London
Keywords: Greek-Turkish; Relations; Civil Society; Healing; wounds;
Summary/Abstract: When the notion of “civil society” appears in everyday discussions, positive images usually arise in people’s minds, like charities, community initiatives, informal networks, or formal Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) defending the rights of peoples, providing services, or working for peace in conflict areas all over the world. Although the cases of misuse of funds or even corruption have been growing commensurately with the number of NGOs worldwide, these are usually considered an anomaly, dark exceptions in a field where “doing good” is—or at least should be—the main purpose of action. Such a positive image of civil society has its roots in the thinking and writings of traditional liberal political thinkers like the Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville or contemporary American political scientist Robert D. Putnam, thinkers who see civil society as a bastion of democracy. According to them, civil society is rooted in the kindness and unmediated collaboration between laypeople, standing in contrast to centre-stage politics where conflicts of interest and manipulation are the main drivers for action.

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