Development Ngos and Social Development in Contemporary Egypt : Neoliberal State, Non-State Actors and the Question of Community Empowerment

In Egypt, Open-door Economic Policy initiated in the 1970s paved the road for major transformation towards market economy. The dismantling of the socialist state in Egypt added more challenges in order for Egypt to meet the Millennium Development Goals. This research focuses on roles played by Egyptian development NGOs in realizing social development. The purpose of the study is to examine the validity of the "third road" thesis that emerged from the dominant Neo-Liberal development discourse. The author interviewed prominent experts in the field in Egypt and reviewed relevant literature. For the empirical part of the study, ten Egyptian Development NGOs were thoroughly studied. Although Egyptian NGOs exist and operate in an environment constrained by bureaucratic siege and security surveillance, they are blazing a trial in creating new dimensions of civil activism through changing people's perception from waiting for solutions for problems they barely consider theirs, to feeling empowered by owning the problems and solutions. NGOs lacked collective vision for how to deal with their environment because they live in isolated islands due to the absence of constructive dialogue