This study analyses a Swedish solidarity organisation, The Palestine Solidarity Association ofSweden. In original language Palestinagrupperna i Sverige, abbreviated PGS. Like other solidaritygroups the PGS was founded in sympathy with liberation movements during the decolonisation erain the 1960s. The PGS supports the Palestinian attempt to form an independent state partly on thesame land as Israel.Many of the groups were organised in a different manner than traditional leftist organisations. Thisstudy tries to apply the theory of Social Contentious Movements to the PSG. The general idea isthat new social groups mobilise in new ways and apply confrontational tactics towards the state.Renowned scholars in this field are Sidney Tarrow and Charles Tilly. Some of these groups wereformed transnationally and used new ways of communication like the internet.The PGS is active in one such transnational organisation called BDS, Boycott, Divestment andSanctions. PGS have put pressure on Swedish businesses to boycott the Israeli factory SodaStreamthat has been producing on occupied Palestinian territory still labelling the products Made inIsrael.The study shows support for the fact that the PGS has gradually turned from mainly radical critic toan organisation of development aid in Palestine. The main hostile counterpart is the Israeligovernment, which has promised to stop PGS-members entering the country because of itsengagement in the BDS.The results of the study gives support to explanation of its survival where other leftist solidaritygroups have ceased to exist due to its work with development aid.The PGS supports the rights of the Palestinian people. The interest of the people has beenarticulated in different ways of the leadership. The initial wholehearted support seems to havechanged to a more sceptical one. The support now is more directed towards the civil society.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:umu-152543 |
| Date | January 2018 |
| Creators | Sundberg, Kjell |
| Publisher | Umeå universitet, Institutionen för idé- och samhällsstudier |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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