Arab Forum for Alternatives
Social justice and and inequality Multiple dimensions

Press Release | Unchecked inequalities could threaten UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, according to social science report


by أيمن عبد المعطي
Posted in Social justice and and inequality Multiple dimensions
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The World Social Science Report, Challenging Inequalities – Pathways to a Just World warns that unchecked inequalities could jeopardize the sustainability of economies, societies and communities, undermining efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The Report is now published in Arabic thanks to the generous contribution made by the Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud Charitable Foundation – Saudi Arabia. It will be launched on 13-14 September 2018 at the American University of Beirut (AUB) in collaboration with its Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Media Studies (SOAM) and the Arab Alternatives Forum (AFA). The first day the report will…

Paper: The problematics of alternative economy in the Arab region


by أيمن عبد المعطي
Posted in Books and manuals, Social justice and and inequality Multiple dimensions
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Maan DammagAlgeria ,Egypt ,Iraq ,Jordan ,Lebanon ,Morocco ,Tunisia ,YemenEconomic policies played a major role in the revolutions staged in 2011 in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Libya, and Syria as well as protests that took place in other countries in the region such as Bahrain and Morocco. However, Arab revolutions are still mainly attributed to the authoritarian nature of ruling regimes. With the collapse of socialism in the Eastern Bloc, chances at finding an alternative to the capitalist system dwindled. Even the 2008 financial crisis did not lead to serious attempts at replacing the economic system that triggered this crisis and most…

The quest for an alternative economy: Social activism in Tunisia as a case in point


by أيمن عبد المعطي
Posted in Papers and studies, Social justice and and inequality Multiple dimensions
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Layla Al RiahiIntroduction: The restructuring of development patterns has for a long time been part of the official discourse of all political players in Tunisia, whether governments or opposition factions, political parties or trade unions, right wing or left wing, since the winter of 2010. Despite consensus over the necessity of restructuring the Tunisian economy, the level of political will required to achieve this end was never reached throughout the past seven years despite the relatively substantial political changes that took place during that time and the continuation of lobbying by social movements. According to al-Saghir al-Salihi, the absence of…

Towards an alternative participatory economy: The role of the state


by أيمن عبد المعطي
Posted in Papers and studies, Social justice and and inequality Multiple dimensions
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Heba Khalil  Introduction: Any plan for an alternative economy that goes beyond the current capitalist system requires a state with an independent administration as far as decision-making is concerned, one that is well connected to society and the private sector, especially different forms of production including cooperatives and labor unions. The existence of an independent and uncorrupt administrative structure is one of the most important steps for the transition to an alternative economy that replaces that current neoliberal order and challenges the dominant capitalist discourse. Such administration would protect the economy from its enemies both on the domestic and foreign…

Environmental citizenship: On equal access to natural resources


by أيمن عبد المعطي
Posted in Papers and studies, Social justice and and inequality Multiple dimensions
60

Abdelmawla Ismail  Introduction:    The environment is among the most vital sectors that are constantly being subjected to monopoly and control attempts by multi-nationals that aim at integrating environmental resources such as land, water, and renewable energy into neoliberal markets. In doing so, those corporations aim at turning resources from services whose main purpose is serving citizens into commodities that should yield profit, hence putting pressure on locals whose livelihood depends on those resources and triggering a major deterioration in the living conditions of farmers, fishermen, shepherds, and others. The aim of the paper: The paper attempts to envision a…

International institutions in an alternative economy


by أيمن عبد المعطي
Posted in Papers and studies, Social justice and and inequality Multiple dimensions
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Rasha Abu ZakiThe Bretton Woods Conference was held 73 years ago. Ever since, the institutions that emerged from this conference have witnessed a number of transformations, faced waves of criticism and engaged in self-criticism, and expanded their influence and promoted their financial policies across a large number of countries all over the world. Despite the financial character of these institutions, their impact transcended the economy to encompass culture, society, and human rights among others. In 1944, the United States was on its way to become the world’s superpower. After going through several fluctuations that included phases of economic stagnation, the…

Healthcare funding policies and alternatives


by 8fe72e23ug8o
Posted in Papers and studies, Social justice and and inequality Multiple dimensions
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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


by 8fe72e23ug8o
Posted in Papers and studies, Social justice and and inequality Multiple dimensions
00

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


by 8fe72e23ug8o
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


by 8fe72e23ug8o
Posted in Papers and studies, Social justice and and inequality Multiple dimensions
00

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…

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