CMES Seminar: Frictional Humanitarian Homebuilding - Civil Society Actors’ Navigation in the Politics of International Aid

During the seminar there will be a presentation and discussion of a forthcoming article by Nina Gren, Elsa Hedling, Lisa Strömbom, and Maria Småberg (PI), titled “Friction and Humanitarian Repertoires Across Time and Place: Swedish Civil Society Actors in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.”

The paper introduces a conceptual framework for understanding how civil society actors navigate humanitarian work in politically volatile and contested settings. Drawing on Anna Tsing’s notion of friction, the authors explore how Swedish organizations have engaged in humanitarian homebuilding in the occupied Palestinian territories, focusing on two historical moments: the aftermath of the 1967 war and the post-October 7, 2023 context. 

The seminar will reflect on how friction shapes humanitarian agency and repertoires over time, offering insights into the relational and resource-dependent nature of civil society engagement in conflict zones.