Governance of the nonprofit sector in Lebanon between theory and practice

ABSTRACT Non Profit associations in Lebanon are governed by the 1909 Law of Associations, an Ottoman law predating the creation of the state that was based on the French law of associations. The main aim of this paper is to assess the extent to which the law offers an enabling environment for associations’ development in Lebanon. Based on 15 interviews conducted with experts and activists in the field, the main argument this paper presents is that although the law itself is fair and supportive to associations, the vagueness of its wording and interference by Lebanese state government are hindering the development of associations in Lebanon. In other words, analyzing the Law of Associations as it is written is inadequate to comprehend the state of associations. Lebanon’s historical, political and social context must be taken into account to shed light on the law’s implementation. The paper argues that the absence of a comprehensive programme of action or a movement to defend the autonomy of association could be encouraging the state administration to interfere in associations’ internal governance. Civil society has a long road ahead of it in order to reach full independence.