Crossing boundaries: foreign funding and disability rights activism in a context of war

Abstract

Focusing on a case example of disability rights activism in the context of war, I discuss the impact of foreign funding crossing boundaries. Specifically, I report on the findings of a study conducted with 28 activists who are part of a grassroots organization in Lebanon. I will suggest that while foreign funding brings necessary supports, it can hold negative impacts for the work of disability rights activism; specifically, I will argue that the strategies, approaches and conditions imposed through foreign funding are often problematic because they reinforce neocolonial discourses that lead to the exclusion and marginalization of disabled people.

Keywords:

• funding
• Lebanon
• disability rights activism
• neocolonialism

Acknowledgements

The author wishes to acknowledge the activists who continue their work for disability rights in the most difficult of circumstances. This research was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.