RevUE of Alexandra Ana’s Book Talk by Nélia Dondrille

« The NGOization of Social Movements in Neoliberal Times », march 20, 2025 with Alexandra Ana (Université de Montréal), Pascale Dufour (université de Montréal), Nora Nagels (Université du Québec à Montréal) and Danielle Coenga-Oliveira (Université de Montréal).

“The NGOization of Social Movements in Neoliberal Time” is the new book by Alexandra Ana, presented at its launch on Thursday, March 20, during a conference moderated by Danielle Coenga-Oliveira and bringing together the author, Alexandra Ana, and two guest professors: Pascale Dufour and Nora Nagels. Through this exchange, the speakers explored in depth the complex dynamics of social movements—particularly feminist ones—in the neoliberal era. Drawing on her dissertation comparing Albania and French-speaking Belgium, Alexandra Ana highlighted the demobilization and depoliticization of social movements since the 1980s, in correlation with major transformations such as Europeanization and democratization.

A central concept in the book and the discussion is that of “NGOization,” defined as the gradual shift of activities and modes of action from social movements to non-governmental organizations. This evolution—often seen as synonymous with institutionalization, precarisation, professionalization, and bureaucratization—was critically unpacked and nuanced by the speakers, who emphasized that these processes, far from being uniform, can generate paradoxical effects. For example, professionalization, through the creation of careers dedicated to gender issues, can lead to depoliticization, but it can also open new avenues for politicization. Likewise, bureaucratization, though bound by rules, may paradoxically see these rules being instrumentalized, negotiated, or circumvented by movements. Alexandra Ana notably illustrated her point by studying how the institutionalization of feminism created a “window of opportunity” for the movement, granting it legitimacy once recognized. She also noted that engagement within institutional spheres offers access to critical information—an aspect valued by Romanian activists, for example—even as they sometimes lament the lack of participation in political arenas. Conversely, in the face of conservative governments, such engagement can become more difficult, requiring new strategies of action.

The conference underscored the challenge for social movements to reconcile institutionalization with the ability to maintain critical mobilization, particularly in a neoliberal context where market logics may shape their priorities and strategies. The discussion also highlighted the adaptive and renewing capacity of social movements in response to these pressures. The emergence of new mass mobilizations—such as those in Argentina, Poland, or movements like #MeToo—illustrates this ability to evolve despite NGOization processes. On the other hand, the rise of anti-gender campaigns reminds us that feminist movements must constantly adapt their strategies.

To conclude, the conference emphasized the need to avoid simplistic judgments about NGOization and the importance of conducting fine-grained, contextual analyses of the dynamics at work in each country and within each social movement. The question of whether it is better to be “at the negotiation table” or to act as “resisters,” as framed by Pascale Dufour, remains a crucial one for the future of rights-based movements.

Nélia Dondrille.