Arab Food Security : Vulnerabilities and Pathways

Food security is a challenge in the Arab region that was further underscored during the COVID-19 pandemic. The crisis deepened food security concerns and increased uncertainty faced by policymakers. The persistent regional dilemma can be summarized as follows: To what …

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Covid-19 and its Pedagogy of Democracy

This article, written by Gianluca Solera and prof. Lidia Lo Schiavo, co-founders of Maydan Association,  was published today on Maydan’s website as the first contribution to a new section featuring stories, comments, photos, reports, or whatever preferred expression, to describe …

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Macron’s flawed vision for Europe

Persistent Divisions Will Preclude His Dreams of Global Power On May 11, 1962, U.S. President John F. Kennedy hosted an extraordinary gathering of American cultural talent to welcome France’s minister of culture, André Malraux. The dinner—which included luminaries such as …

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Step into the Vatican’s secret archives

The archives’ treasures are the stuff of legend—but their existence is absolutely real. Fifty-three miles of shelving. Thirty-five thousand volumes of catalogue. Twelve centuries worth of documents. Housed in one of the most iconic bastions of religion and culture ever, …

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Is Egypt’s oil and gas sector set to boom?

Italian oil major, Eni, announced this week that it has made three new oil and gas discoveries in the Meleiha region of western Egypt. The new discovery further adds to Egypt’s recent announcement that it expects to become self-sufficient in …

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Does a secret desert mine hold the key to Morocco

Going green has advantages for the North African nation as it looks to tie its established mining and automobile sectors to battery production Morocco is hoping to move beyond its established mining sector and develop its electric vehicle industry, as …

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Somalia points the way to first cashless society

The launch of a national payments system has allowed Somalia to centralise its digital payments. The country is on the cusp of a digital revolution, with opportunity ripe for the picking.   Mogadishu famously only installed its first ATM in …

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Semitic superpower in ancient northern Europe

Shillings, gods and runes: clues in language suggest a Semitic superpower in ancient northern Europe   Remember when Australians paid in shillings and pence? New research suggests the words for these coins and other culturally important items and concepts are the …

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Economic crisis threatens Oman’s neutrality

Coronavirus and plunging oil prices may force new leader to turn to Gulf neighbours for help   Sandwiched between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Oman has long prized its neutrality, garnering a reputation as the Middle East’s Switzerland. But the Gulf …

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Saudi Arabia seeks to become a cultural hub

While conflicts and crises have battered Arab cultural capitals, Saudi Arabia is hosting film festivals and bankrolling new movies. JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — A pregnant Saudi woman, far from home, finds herself stalked by inner and outer demons. A wannabe …

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Middle Eastern foes are giving diplomacy a shot

Exhausted from conflict and eager for growth, Middle Eastern rivals try talking IT WAS A surprising choice for a summer holiday. On August 18th Tahnoon bin Zayed, the national-security adviser of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), turned up in Ankara …

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The low price of oil will test governments in MENA

With less cash to bribe the people, some strongmen will resort to repression “In the history of any nation there are special moments and seminal events,” said President Uhuru Kenyatta in August. He was celebrating Kenya’s entry to the club …

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The countries of MENA are parched

Governments are making things worse In the neighbourhood of Algiers where the presidential palace and foreign embassies are located, some think the water pressure has increased of late. But don’t tell those living in the suburbs of Algeria’s capital, where …

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Preserving Mizrahi culture and heritage in Israel

Arabic as a language for artistic expression has recently been enjoying a resurgence of interest as a result of the social and political uprisings that have been occurring across the Arab world. Interestingly, however, this resurgence is not only limited …

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The Covid19 pandemic – Threats know no borders

  The world is facing an unprecedented situation created by a rapid global outbreak of COVID-19 disease, which reminds that threats know no borders. COVID-19 is caused by a virus that can be transmitted to both wealthy and vulnerable communities …

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Arab Human Development Report 2019

Citizenship is a contested historical process consisting of social relationships, both formal and informal, in complex environments. The active engagement of marginalized groups and policies responsive to diverse needs are prerequisites for inclusive citizenship. This paper outlines how Arab countries …

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World Democracy Index 2019

The twelfth edition of the Democracy Index covering 2019 that was published recently has concluded that global democracy is in its most fragile state since The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) first produced the study in 2006. Driven by sharp regressions …

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The World Inequality Report

The World Inequality Report 2018 relies on a cutting-edge methodology to ­measure income and wealth inequality in a systematic and transparent manner. By developing this report, the World Inequality Lab seeks to fill a democratic gap and to equip various …

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Global democracy has another bad year

Global democracy has had another bad year, but popular protests show the potential for democratic renewal, The Economist Intelligence Unit reports. After showing stagnation in 2018, the EIU’s Democracy Index – which assesses the global state of democracy – deteriorated …

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Can a soccer tournament help end The GCC crisis?

By Khalid Al-Jaber and Giorgio Cafiero, for LobeLog (*) Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Bahrain’s football associations recently announced that they would participate in the Arabian Gulf Cup football tournament, which begins tomorrow. As many experts have …

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Training Guide on EU Advocacy

The aim of this guide is to assist members of EuroMed Rights and other human rights NGOs to understand EU policies and decision-making structures, taking into account the changes introduced by the revision of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) since 2015, the EU …

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What’s standing in the way of an Arab NATO?

By Agnes Helou, Journalist and writer, for Defense News (*) The so-called Arab NATO, a U.S.-led initiative, has the potential to address threats to the Gulf and the Middle East. So what is delaying the creation of such an alliance? An …

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Why is Qatar leaving OPEC?

The decision to leave the oil cartel is aimed at reinforcing the country’s autonomy from its Persian Gulf neighbors. By Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, for The New York Times (*) The surprising declaration by Qatar about leaving OPEC on Jan. 1 …

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Iraq needs regime change again

Musical chairs in the Iraqi parliament can no longer solve the country’s problems. By John Hannah, for the Foreign Policy (*) The United States faces an increasingly urgent set of first-order policy questions in Iraq. Spoiler alert: The answer is …

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Militaries can tip the scales toward democracy

These five factors make the difference between militaries that support autocracy and those that allow free elections. By Nathaniel Allen and Alexander Noyes, for The Washington Post (*) A cross Africa, long-standing dictators are losing their grip on power. In April alone, Sudan’s …

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The rise and fall of Egyptian Arabic

Once the lingua franca of the Arab world, Egypt’s dialect is in decline along with the country’s cultural and political leadership .. By A.V. , for Foreign Policy (*) THE END of January marks the start of the Cairo International …

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Lebanon battles to be born at last

By Roger Cohen, for The New York Times (*) BEIRUT — Lebanon was ahead of the game on civil war and now is last to the Arab Spring, or at least an Arab something — a vast, united exhalation of …

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Arab Culture week at the College of Europe

The College of Europe Arabic Society is happy to announce the Arab cultural week, in partnership with the Council for MENA Affairs – ForMENA” The College of Europe will host between 11 – 16 April 2016 series of activities organized …

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Seminar on EU foreign Policy & NGOs Lobbying

Brussels – The Council for MENA affairs « ForMENA » hosted on Wednesday the 7th of September 2015 at its headquarters in Brussels, a delegation of 25 Arab diplomats representing the ministries of foreign affairs, international cooperation and planning in …

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Rule of Law and Civil State (the 6th discussion paper)

By: King of Jordan Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein (*) In my previous five discussion papers, I put forward several ideas and visions related to Jordan’s political reform path. These included advancing crucial democratic practices, identifying the roles of stakeholders …

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Another Arab awakening is looming, warns a UN report

Arabs make up just 5% of the world’s population, but they account for about half the world’s terrorism and refugees The Economist (*) IN DECEMBER 2010 Egypt’s cabinet discussed the findings of their National Youth Survey. Only 16% of 18-29-year-olds …

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Terror and security through UN eyes

The evolution of UN thinking on countering terrorism is part of the development of building an international capacity to shut down extremist networks. By: Dr. Theodore Karasik, for Al Arabiya English (*) The evolution of UN thinking on countering terrorism …

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Who in the GCC wants a union ?

Gulf Cooperation Council states consider transforming into a union to arm themselves against Iran’s increasing dominance and the growing instability in the Middle East. By: Giorgio Cafiero, for Al-Monitor (*) Citing “security problems, economic challenges and other serious issues confronted …

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The European Union and the Arab World

The European Union and the Arab World: from the Rome Treaty to the Arab Spring For many Europeans, the Arab World is seen, at best, as an oil well and a huge market and, at worst, as a turbulent and …

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The Space of Civil Society in the Mediterranean Region

Report : Shackled Freedoms: What Space for Civil Society in the EuroMed? (*) This report depicts the obstacles and repression against civil society in the region and showcases first-hand accounts from Turkey, Egypt, Algeria, Syria, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian …

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The Arab Human Development Report 2016

The sixth Arab Human Development Report by the United Nations Development Programme is entitled “Youth and the Prospects for Human Development in a Changing Reality.” The report provides an evidence-based overview of youth challenges and opportunities since 2011. The report …

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Policy Launch on Yemen Crisis

On Tuesday 7th July, ForMENA started its Policy Lunch activities in Brussels, dedicating its first round of talks on the current Yemen crisis. Mr John O’Rourke, Head of Division – Arabian Peninsula, Iran and Iraq, European External Action Service (EEAS) …

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Briefing on Yemen Crisis

Briefing on Yemen Crisis With Mr. John O’Rourke Head of Division – Arabian Peninsula, Iran and Iraq European External Action Service Tuesday 7th July, 12:45 – 14:00 Location : Info Point Europa Rue Archimède 1 – 1000 Brussels – Metro: Schuman  …

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Press Release Regarding the Libyan Crisis

Press Release No.150625 Council for MENA Affairs “ForMENA”, is thoroughly following with major concern the regional and international diplomatic efforts aiming at resolving the Libyan crisis, especially: the second Libyan tribal leaders’ forum in Cairo on 25-28 May, the sixth …

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Conference on ISIS, jihadism and the threats to Europe

Council for MENA Affairs (ForMENA) held a conference entitled “ISIS, jihadism and the threats to Europe” in Brussels on Monday, 20 April, 2015. The event was the last of a series of conferences that ForMENA has organized to discuss various aspects of the Islamic State. To …

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Conference in Brussels: Youth employment in the Maghreb

Council for MENA Affairs (ForMENA) is delighted to invite you to attend our conference collaboration with the European Parliament in Brussels: Youth employment in the Maghreb Speakers: Mr Abdellatif Abid, General Secretary of the Arab League, Tunis Mr Mhammed Abbad …

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