Papers and studies Archives - Arab Forum for Alternatives

Publication of the Arab Forum for Alternatives on social movements and democratic transition in the Arab region (January 2024)

9 January، 2024أيمن عبد المعطيPapers and studies

Arab Forum for Alternatives Since its foundation, the Arab Forum for Alternatives has been dealing with the Arab region as a unified entity for despite the specificity of each country, all countries in the region are constantly influenced by one another. This was particularly demonstrated in the uprisings that took place in the region. The Arab region witnessed two waves of the Arab Spring. The first started in Tunisia in December 2010 and included Egypt, Yemen, Syria, Libya, and Bahrain while the second started in Sudan in December 2018 and included Algeria, Lebanon, and Iraq. The two waves cannot be…

Social Movements in Lebanon: The Case of the salary scale movement

5 January، 2024s.elshrkawyPapers and studies, Political transformations and social movements Developments and visions

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Mohamed ElAgati ,Zainab SrourrLebanonThis research is part of the Activism, Policy and Transformation project, which is considered a collaborative, participatory work between male and female researchers from different countries of Chile, Armenia, South Africa, Egypt, and Lebanon. This project is managed and supported by the International Inequality Institute and the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Ongoing Israeli Aggression:

23 November، 2023أيمن عبد المعطيPapers and studies, Political transformations and social movements Developments and visions

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Arab Forum for AlternativesPalestine “Yes, that’s my mother… I recognize her by the hair.” Introduction: A new round of the conflict: The conflict between Israeli occupation forces and Palestinian resistance in Gaza constitutes a major phase in the Arab-Israeli conflict and provides striking evidence that the occupation of Palestine has not ended with the Oslo Agreement as many had claimed. In fact, what Oslo did was securing “a deluxe occupation” for Israel as several Zionist analysts put it at the time.[1] This meant that the Palestinian Authority would repress the Palestinian people as Israel besieges them while invading their lands…

Paper: Decentralization in Egypt: More than 10 years of a stumbling path

7 March، 2023emad oufPapers and studies, Political transformations and social movements Developments and visions

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Shimaa El Sharkawy ,Shimaa ElSharkawyEgypt Abstract: Decentralization has been in the limelight of scholarly debate both for OECD countries and for other world regions, such as the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) for the last decades. When mass protests in the periphery in 2011 spilled over to urban spaces across the region, several MENA regimes responded to the increasing uncontrollability of political dynamics by broadening their discourse on decentralization and local governance reforms. Even the formerly heavily centralized regimes of Tunisia and Egypt opted for decentralization and introduced associated principles in their new constitutions. While, in Tunisia, the democratic…

New Project: Pandemic Lessons for Democratic Good Practices in Crisis in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia (2022-2024)

11 August، 2022emad oufPapers and studies, Political transformations and social movements Developments and visions

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Arab Forum for Alternatives ,Observatory for Democratic TransitionEgypt ,Jordan ,Lebanon ,TunisiaArab Alternatives Forum for Social Studies (AFA) is pleased to announce the launch of its new project in partnership with United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF). As well as with the partnership of the Tunisian Democratic transition observatory (OTTD). The project’s overall objective is the promotion of democratic good practices during crises, through examining the different ways in which governments have dealt with the pandemic crisis. Key activities aim to support stakeholders in improving their knowledge on the features and characteristics of Covid-19 responses in the Arab States Region, combining research,…

The Egyptian Experience in Dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic: Between Politics and the Media

26 November، 2020emad oufPapers and studies, Political transformations and social movements Developments and visions

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Egypt In dealing with the Covid-19 crisis, the Egyptian government tended to focus more on the message communicated via the media and political considerations than on the professional and scientific dimensions of the pandemic – despite their presence at times. The government also witnessed the emergence of a social dichotomy in dealing with the pandemic and in holding other communities responsible for its spread. The Egyptian media dealt with the Covid-19 challenge at multiple levels related to demonstrating the strength and presence of the state as well as its ability to combat internal and external dangers. The suddenness of the…

COVID-19 pandemic: Does the mainstream public policies system achieve protection for all?

2 July، 2020emad oufPapers and studies, Political transformations and social movements Developments and visions

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Mohamed ElAgati ,Nissaf Brahim ,Shimaa ElSharkawy ,Zainab SrourrEgypt ,Lebanon ,TunisiaExecutive summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has put the world in front of many challenges regarding public policies and state responses to the spread of the pandemic. This as well has led to raising multiple concerns concerning fair and equitable public service provision and the process of doing that with accordance to social justice values. This paper examines the three cases of Egypt, Tunisia and Lebanon, in public policies and state responses in facing the pandemic. It attempts to test the ability of countries in the region to provide services at times…

COVID-19 and the crisis of democracy

31 May، 2020emad oufPapers and studies, Political transformations and social movements Developments and visions

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Mohamed ElAgati ,Shorouk Al Hariri In late December 2019, the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) appeared in the Chinese city of Wuhan. In early 2020, the virus had reached dozens of countries, and by April 2020, the virus had infected around three million and killed more than 200 thousand1. In late January, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a state of emergency2 and shortly after the virus was declared a pandemic3. Countries closed their borders and airports and global aviation ground to a halt and governments imposed either curfew or total lockdown in addition to other procedures that were characterized by centralization…

Youth and the Arab Spring: Same demands and different paths

5 May، 2020emad oufPapers and studies, Political transformations and social movements Developments and visions

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Shimaa El Sharkawy ,Shimaa ElSharkawyEgypt ,Jordan ,Lebanon ,Morocco ,Tunisia Introduction: The role played by Arab youth in the protest movements that started in 2010 is undeniably pivotal in steering the wheel for change towards democratic transformation in countries of the region. However, in their pursuit for democratic transformation, Arab youth were met by multiple challenges and drawbacks that influenced the fulfillment of their demands on the ground. Most analysts divide the “Arab Spring” into waves the first wave that started with Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, etc. Moreover, the second wave that started with Algeria, Sudan and Lebanon. In both waves, the…

Sudan protests and the prospects of change

3 November، 2019emad oufPapers and studies, Political transformations and social movements Developments and visions

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Omar Samir Khalaf ,Shimaa El Sharkawy ,Shimaa ElSharkawyIntroduction: Throughout its history, Sudan witnessed two successful revolutions, one in 1964 and another in 1986, and went through a number of incomplete democratic transitions. Under Bashir’s 30-year rule, several uprisings erupted against his economic policies or his wars on several regions including Darfur or South Sudan. With the eruption of Arab Spring revolutions, limited student protests were staged on January 30, 2011 against corruption, price hikes, and the uncertainty of the country’s future in the wake of South Sudan’s secession. The protests mainly took place at the universities of Khartoum and Omdurman.…