Civil Society and the War on Terror: This book highlights the drastic pressures being placed upon civil society, primarily in the name of northern security concerns.

Aggravated poverty and insecurity, the loss of livelihoods, the breakdown of trust and hope - these are some of the consequences of the ‘war on terror’. While international terrorism remains a threat for both northern and southern countries, for low-income urban populations it is the acts of everyday violence - including hunger, poor sanitation, illness, crime and civil conflict - which explain why the overriding concern remains the persistence of poverty. The manifold ways in which counter-terrorism measures have undermined ordinary peoples’ livelihoods were the subject of debates at INTRAC workshops as far apart as the Bishkek and Beirut. This book is a compilation of the debates from these workshops, and highlights the drastic pressures placed upon civil society, primarily in the name of northern security concerns. A veritable industry has been created and is being used mainly to oppress and silence dissent. This does not augur well for either democracy or development.