Political transformations and social movements Developments and visions

Alternatives’ Papers, Fifth Issue (January 2018)

Adriana RuizRestrepo ,Caroline Barbary ,Mina Samir ,Mohamed ElAgati ,Yasmin Ayman  This issue Follow-ups The Forgotten Yemen: the role of international community in Yemen.            1 Yasmin Ayman  Issues Availability of information and National Security      13 Topic of the Issue (Citizenship right between politics and violence): Citizenship challenges and its effect on minorities in the Arab region.    18 Mohamed El Agati Targeting Christians in Sinai … targeting upon identity or part of a broader strategy.  25 Mina Samir  Another youth “Coptic youth” in the Egyptian revolution: politicization and engagement through Maspero Youth Union … Reading a study of…

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

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

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…

Egyptian parliamentary elections and the political path

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…

The reformation of official religious institutions in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen

Asmaa NoweiraIntroduction: The issue of reforming religious institutions has been given priority in Arab Spring countries since the eruption of the revolutions in 2011. This was mainly the result of the growing influence of religious figures in these countries during the transitional stage and the impact they started having on the political scene. Religion has also been a major part of the political and societal debates that abounded during that time. The religious scene in Egypt, Tunisia, and Yemen was affected by the developments the region witnessed and was, consequently, involved in projects that focused on the reformation of official…

Local Administration: the effect of the gap between legislation and practice on principles of Good governance

Nahla MahmoudThis paper deals, through research and analysis, with the effect of the gap between legislation and practice -with regard to local management- on good governance in Egypt. This paper can be divided into four main parts:  the first part is a summary on the general context and current conditions in Egypt; the second part focuses on the gap between the new amended constitution and the applicable law No. 43 of 1979 as well as the gap between legislations and practice on the level of local management; the third part highlights – at the same context – the effect of…

US presidential elections: foreign policy candidate’s program Analysis

Arab Forum for Alternatives Introduction: Presidential elections in the United States come at a critical time for foreign policy. The next American Administration will be facing a number of international crises, many of which associated with the Middle East. US-Russian relations have gone sour since the annexation of Crimea, which constitutes a threat to US NATO allies, and most recently over the Syrian conflict. Added to this are the remarkable escalation of terrorist operations and the unprecedented influx of refugees mostly from regions in which the US has been intervening in one way or another. The upcoming elections, due to…

US presidential elections: Domestic affairs candidate’s program Analysis

Arab Forum for AlternativesIntroduction: The 2016 US presidential elections are quite unique whether in terms of the candidates or the domestic context in which the elections are held. This paper focuses on the most significant domestic challenges that will face the future president of the United States, on top of which are economic issues such as growth rates, international trade, social security, taxes, and unequal pay. This is followed by the issue of citizenship, which has lately been jeopardized following police violations against African American citizens, as well as immigration and woman rights. The two candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald…

The Colombian Peace Process and the new role of Civil Society

Adriana RuizRestrepo In Colombia, only the very elderly can answer the question of how the country was when it was at peace. The remainder of the population has to resort to their imagination, literary descriptions, theoretical projections, or travel experiences in other countries to try to understand how it is live and move about in peace at any given time and place.  The vast majority of contemporary civil society in Colombia has been living in contexts of fear and insecurity on a daily basis. Many have faced a series of tragedies while others have had to accustom themselves to the…

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