Civil society and foreign donors in Libya

Mostly banned under Muammar Gaddafi, political civil society has mushroomed in post-2011 Libya. The influx of foreign donors to the previously isolated country has contributed to building up the capacities of the Libyan NGO sector. However, the country’s fragile security situation significantly limits the scope for both domestic and external actors to venture beyond the big cities.

Based on a series of interviews carried out in Libya in early 2013, this paper examines how the issue of foreign funding is perceived by local stakeholders and donors in Libya, focusing on how local attitudes have changed in the post-Gaddafi era.