Advocacy in Conflict : Critical Perspectives on Transnational Activism

Conflicts in Africa, Asia and Latin America have become a common focus of advocacy by Western celebrities and NGOs. This provocative volume delves into the realities of these efforts, which have often involved compromising on integrity in pursuit of profile and influence. Examining the methods used by Western advocates, how they relate to campaigns in the countries concerned, and their impact, expert authors evaluate the successes and failures of past advocacy campaigns and offer constructive criticism of current efforts. Taking in a range of high-profile case studies, including campaigns for democracy in Burma and Latin America, for the rights of Palestinians in Gaza, and opposing the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda, the authors challenge the assumptions set forth by advocacy organizations.

“This timely and sobering volume asks the critical question: What is the price of success? In a series of compelling cases taken from the recent past, we see how Western activists are often co-opted, or forced to compromise on their founding goals, taking them further and further away from what might truly help those who are supposed to benefit from their activism.”
Michael Barnett, author of The Empire of Humanity: A History of Humanitarianism