Civil society organisations' public diplomacy and youth political participation in Egypt

This chapter examines how political shifts impact donor-driven civil society efforts in the realm of youth political participation programmes and how regimes reshape youth participation initiatives to support their rhetoric and gain regime loyalty. The authors argue that the increasing emphasis on the participation agenda and the role of CSOs in promoting youth participation and youth diplomacy should not be seen in isolation from the rapid transformation of civic spaces, especially in the Global South, where formal and informal institutions are used to co-opt CSOs and youth segments to ensure loyalty to the ruling regimes. Since the 25 January Revolution in Egypt in 2011, donors have shown an increasing interest in supporting the spread of democratic and liberal norms through financing civil society activities.