Negotiating Cultural Resistance: Riwaq's Cultural Initiatives and the Oslo Paradigm in the local and global arenas

This paper contributes to scholarly debates on the impact of global neoliberal frameworks and hegemonic culture on Palestinian cultural resistance. It investigates the restoration efforts in historic centers and cultural projects led by the Palestinian NGO Riwaq, which has attempted to utilize cultural resistance amidst the "liberal peace" paradigm of the Oslo Agreements, coordinated by Western donor states. Building on Salih and Richter-Devroe's insights (2014), the study contends that resistance operates in both global and local languages, intertwining and conflicting. Riwaq's collaborations with international cultural entities and local communities exemplify this dynamic, as global forces enable local culture to circulate but also appropriate local elements while imposing boundaries. Examining Riwaq's engagement with institutions like UNESCO and the Venice Architecture Biennale, the paper highlights the tension between its efforts to redefine cultural practices and the risk of conforming to global standards. Moreover, the "Life Jacket" project in rural Jerusalem historic villages exposes the clash between international donors' neoliberal agenda in the Oslo framework’s "Palestine limited" model and Riwaq's expression of cultural resistance that challenges prevailing narratives. These dynamics expose political tensions in NGO-donor relationships, showcasing differing definitions of Palestinian cultural resistance despite cooperation. Simultaneously, the paper sheds light on informal acts of resistance through discreet cultural practices that foster subaltern political subjectivity. These initiatives are carried out by Palestinian local communities within the revitalized historic centers facilitated by Riwaq. Operating at the grassroots level, these projects address ordinary problems and realities, creating gender-safe spaces free from societal constraints. Therefore, they remain almost invisible to the international community. This duality in visibility signifies a negotiation between engaging with the international arena and promoting a locally relevant agenda that is not entirely subsumed by global norms. Drawing on six months of ethnographic fieldwork in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Venice, with a focus on architectural rehabilitation projects and art exhibitions, the research includes over 40 field-based interviews with Palestinian cultural heritage practitioners and project beneficiaries. The paper raises crucial questions about the intersection of culture, liberal peace and resistance. It delves into how Palestinians either oppose or adapt to the internationally imposed liberal script, allowing alternative cultural politics to emerge as agents of change in this challenging context.