Arab Forum for Alternatives
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Healthcare funding policies and alternatives


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Posted in Papers and studies, Social justice and and inequality Multiple dimensions
10

Raja Kassab Introduction: The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”[1]. Health is one of human beings’ basic rights as stated in a number of universal charters. The constitution of the WHO, for example, states that the “enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition.” The same applies to Article 25 of the Universal Charter of Human Rights and Article 12…

Industry as a core foundation of an alternative economy


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Posted in Papers and studies, Social justice and and inequality Multiple dimensions
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Salama Kela Introduction: It has become obvious throughout the years social justice is not possible under a capitalist system. The same applies to responding to the basic demands put forward by the Arab revolutions[1]. It is also clear that through systematic exploitation of the peripheries, capitalism contributes to making the domestic conditions of each of those countries unfit for the implementation of the principles of social justice[2]. Based on this, the concept of an economic and political alternative in the broad sense of the word was proposed[3]. Initially, the focus was on a class-oriented alternative, which meant that it is…

Sovereignty and development


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Posted in Papers and studies, Social justice and and inequality Multiple dimensions
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Gilbert Ashkar  Introduction: It seems quite paradoxical that the United States, which played a major role in imposing “free trade” on the world, the world’s more technologically advanced country that boosts the highest production rates in different fields, is in fact the same country that is now ruled by a man who adopts a nationalist economic discourse similar to the pre-industrial mercantile approach that prevailed in the early capitalist era. Donald Trump accuses countries much poorer than the United States, such as China and Mexico, of exploiting Americans through taking advantage of the free trade agreements that were ironically imposed…

The challenges of food sovereignty in the Arab region: The case of Egypt


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Posted in Papers and studies, Social justice and and inequality Multiple dimensions
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Sakr ElNour Introduction: The Arab region is one of the world’s most lacking in food security, which is mainly attributed to the fact that most countries in the region depend for their food on imports, thus are always impacted by changes in food prices[1].According to the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development, in 2011 the Arab region’s self-sufficiency in grains was estimated at 45% of that year’s needs. In addition, the region is subjected to the risks of climate change and drought and heat rates did reach their highest between the years 1998 and 2011, which led to expedited desertification. The…

Women’s Struggle for Citizenship: Civil Society and Constitution Making after the Arab Uprisings


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Posted in Papers and studies, Political transformations and social movements Developments and visions
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José VericatCivil society played a pivotal role in the Arab uprisings. By reconfiguring the social contract in a region distinguished by gender inequality, these revolts brought the status of women to the fore, and equal citizenship became a central goal. Social actors were therefore particularly active in contesting the  constitution-making processes that were launched. More

Democracy as a determinant of building an Alternative Economy


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Posted in Papers and studies, Political transformations and social movements Developments and visions
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Joseph DaherThe concepts of democracy and democratization have been trampled for several decades and denounced as swindles, but these questions should nevertheless remain important issues to struggle for and not be overlooked in the building of an alternative economy. Firstly, the notion of democracy should not be understood as a fixed concept, but as constantly in flux. Democracy is not a universally accepted concept and its forms differ from one country to another. Some people limit the concept of democracy to political rights and elections, while others go further to include socio-economic, education, national and cultural rights. “Democratic Liberal” systems…

Women and alternative economy: Social and solidarity economy as a case in point


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Posted in Papers and studies, Social justice and and inequality Multiple dimensions
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Mongia Hedfi   Introduction: Economic and social conditions in the Arab region were  affected by a number of major changes that took place in the second half of the 20th century. These include adopting market economy in the 1970s, the financial crises that hit several countries in the late 1980s, and the structural reform programs brought about by international financial institutions. While those programs were initially seen as the way out of the crises caused by the liberalization of the market, they proved their inability to overcome the numerous problems triggered by the expansion of the capitalist system especially poverty and…

Housing policies in alternative economy: Against the commodification of public services


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Posted in Papers and studies, Social justice and and inequality Multiple dimensions
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Shimaa ElSharkawy  Introduction: Housing policies in any given state are inseparable from the economic model adopted by this state and which usually ranges between dealing with housing as a right or as a commodity. The latter violates the social and economic right to adequate housing and shelter as stated in international charters and turns the housing sector into a business that only prioritizes profit and overlooks people’s ability at affording the commodities it offers. The liberalization of the housing market gave rise to a number of serious problems, on top of which is the phenomenon of “informal housing” where units…

The foundations of alternative economy


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Posted in Papers and studies, Social justice and and inequality Multiple dimensions
10

Wael Gamal Introduction: The Arab region was, like the rest of the world, swept by the global neoliberal model that was continuously promoted as the only option even after its policies were dealt a serious blow with the uprisings that took place in 2011. Those uprisings did, in fact, highlight the failure of such policies and demonstrated the urgent need for alternative ones, yet this was a temporary phase that was followed by an aggressive comeback of neoliberalism in the region. Supporters of an alternative economy are usually criticized for two main reasons that contradict each other, each of which…

Egyptian parliamentary elections and the political path


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Posted in Papers and studies, Political transformations and social movements Developments and visions
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Arab Forum for Alternatives     Abstract Voter turnout in the parliamentary elections in Egypt in 2015 did not even reach 25% and was thus as low as under Husni Mubarak, in spite of the fact that President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi could then count on substantial support among the Egyptian population. This lack of interest among voters, argues the Arab Forum for Alternatives in „Egyptian parliamentary elections and the political path“, can be explained by the predictable outcome of the elections in favor of the ruling elite. The policy brief of the AFA series “Papers Alternatives” discusses the Egyptian elections against the…

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