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    • Arab Spring | 57 articles
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Tag: arab spring

  • Transitional Justice in Tunisia: A Painful but Necessary Step Forward

    May 5, 2017by Meriem Trabelsi

    Tunisia’s Truth and Dignity Commission will produce a final report covering the period from 1955-2013, during which the successive oppressive administrations of Habib Bourguiba and Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned Tunisia into a police state under one-party-rule.

    Analysisarab-spring, justice
  • Inclusiveness the Key to Keeping Tunisia’s Peace: Q&A with Ikram Ben Said

    October 7, 2015by Margaret Williams

    Civil society advocate Ikram Ben Said discusses the importance of fostering political inclusiveness among Tunisians to ensure peace.

    Interviewsafrica, arab-spring
  • Book Review: Modern Mamluks and the Arab Spring Aftermath

    September 18, 2015by James Bowen

    French scholar Jean-Pierre Filiu’s latest book is a reminder that, no matter the attention paid the brutality of jihadist movements, the state retains greater capacity to inflict pain and suffering on citizens in Arab countries.

    Further Readingarab-spring, middle-east
  • In Sinai, Egypt Faces Tough Task to Counter Instability

    May 13, 2015by Andre Colling

    The origins of what has become an emerging sanctuary for jihadist activity include years of under-investment and under-development by the state and the rift between the Nile-centered Egyptian government and the distinct Bedouin-dominated Sinai region.

    Analysisarab-spring, conflict
  • Three Years After the Arab Spring, the War Between Hope and Despair Continues

    May 21, 2014by Abdullah Alsaidi

    Former Yemeni Ambassador Abdullah Alsaidi analyzes democratic transitions in Yemen, Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, and Syria, arguing that it is too early to decree the failure of the Arab Spring.

    Analysisarab-spring, middle-east, statebuilding
  • Yemen’s “Friends” Must Include Civil Society

    May 20, 2014by Margaret Williams and Waleed Alhariri

    As Yemen marches toward political and social reform, the country’s leaders will need to ensure the inclusion of civil society.

    Analysisarab-spring, democracy, middle-east
  • Is the Flood of Violent Images Further Dividing the West and the Middle East?

    April 22, 2014by Jose Vericat

    Though the majority of Middle East populations are concerned with peace and security, many outsiders perceive them as only interested in violence and extremism.

    Analysisarab-spring, middle-east, syria
  • (Arab) Spring Reading

    April 3, 2014by Omar El Okdah

    A policymaker-turned-scholar explains how the Arab world can win the battle for pluralism.

    Further Readingarab-spring, democracy, middle-east
  • The New Tunisian Constitution: Triumphs and Potential Pitfalls

    February 27, 2014by Margaret Williams and Youssef Mahmoud

    What are the merits and shortcomings of the newly adopted Tunisian constitution?

    Analysisarab-spring, democracy, statebuilding
  • Revolutionary Road Looks Precarious, Yet Tunisia Offers Beacon of Hope

    February 20, 2014by Lisa Watanabe

    Though the revolutionary road looks ever more precarious, recent developments in Tunisia are cause for optimism.

    Analysisarab-spring, statebuilding
  • Next →

This week

  • A Crisis of Consent in UN Peace Operations

    August 2, 2022by Anjali Dayal

    Last week, at least 15 people died in protests demanding UN peacekeepers leave the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The week before, the military junta ruling Mali halted troop rotations for the UN mission there and ejected the mission’s deputy spokesperson. These incidents highlight…

    Analysisafrica, peacekeeping, united-nations
  • The 2022 UN Peacekeeping Budget: Signs of Progress or a Fleeting Moment of Consensus?

    July 20, 2022by Daniel Forti

    Member states agreed to an overall increase in the peacekeeping budget for the first time in seven years, and they endorsed a resolution that considers a wide range of operational, financial, and personnel issues impacting UN operations around the world. But by digging deeper into the newly…

    Analysispeacekeeping, united-nations

Trending

  • Human Disruption to Earth’s Freshwater Cycle Has Exceeded Safe Limit

    July 18, 2022by Arne Tobian, Lan Wang Erlandsson and Dieter Gerten

    Looking at green water, the rainwater available to plants, shows that freshwater’s ability to sustain a stable Earth system is even more threatened than first reported. Explicitly governing green water is necessary.

    Analysisclimate-change, governance
  • Peace as the Norm: Sustaining Peace in Africa

    July 8, 2022by Youssef Mahmoud and Chimwemwe A. Fabiano

    The African continent has a rich and varied repertoire of formal and informal capacities, knowledge, and experiences to decolonize the study and practice of peace and develop an integrated African agenda for sustaining peace.

    Analysisafrica, peacebuilding
  • One Crisis, Multiple Norms: Strengthening Human Protection in Mali and the Sahel

    June 17, 2022by Adrian Gallagher, Charles T. Hunt and Blake Lawrinson

    The UN Security Council does not have the luxury of choosing between normative imperatives associated with preventing atrocities, protecting civilians, and countering terrorism in Mali, the Sahel, and elsewhere.

    Analysispeacekeeping, sahel
  • Peacebuilding Financing in Guinea-Bissau and Lessons for Overlooked Countries

    June 3, 2022by Gustavo de Carvalho

    Despite the instability it faces, Guinea-Bissau—alongside countries like Madagascar, Chad, or the Central African Republic—has long been overlooked by donors. There is an urgent need to re-orientate the international community toward supporting and financing conflict prevention and early action.

    Analysisafrica, peacebuilding, united-nations
  • The Role of Peacekeepers in Protecting Civilians from Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

    May 25, 2022by Jenna Russo

    There are a number of reasons why it is difficult for peacekeepers to protect civilians from sexual and gender-based violence, particularly those forms that fall outside of conflict-related sexual violence.

    Analysispeacekeeping, protection-of-civilians, women-peace-and-security
  • Protecting Peace? How the Protection of Civilians Contributes to Peace Processes

    May 23, 2022by Jenna Russo

    Without a corresponding political process, UN protection activities are an ineffective bandaid in situations of widespread violence.

    Analysispeacekeeping, protection-of-civilians
  • Russia, NATO, and International Organizations

    May 23, 2022by Kseniya Oksamytna

    As Finland and Sweden begin the process of applying for NATO membership, misleading narratives about the role of NATO’s so-called eastward expansion in “provoking” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continue to hold sway.

    Analysisconflict, eastern-europe
  • Sanctions and the Costs of Russia’s War in Ukraine

    May 12, 2022by Erica Moret

    The sanctions imposed against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine mark a new page in global sanctions practice yet lessons from earlier cases could help increase efficacy and minimize costs.

    Analysisconflict, europe, ukraine
  • What Are the International Military Options for the Sahel?

    April 12, 2022by Nina Wilén and Paul D. Williams

    The complex, and not always coordinated, ecosystem of military operations across the Sahel has been aptly labeled a security traffic jam. Why are external forces in the Sahel? Can they help resolve any of the region’s crises? And, if so, what configuration of external forces makes the most sense?

    Analysismali, peacekeeping, sahel
  • The Benefits, Challenges, and Limitations of Criminalizing Ecocide

    March 30, 2022by Rachel Killean

    The campaign to introduce a new international crime of “ecocide” at the International Criminal Court is long-standing but has received increased support over the last couple of years.

    Analysisenvironment
  • ECOWAS Sanctions Against Mali Necessary, but May Be Counter-Productive

    February 2, 2022by Festus Kofi Aubyn

    The new sanctions were triggered by months of growing tensions between ECOWAS and the military-dominated transitional government over the timetable for Mali’s return to civilian rule after two successful coups d’état.

    Analysisafrica, sanctions
  • New Name, but Little Sign of Change: The Revised Agreement on the African Union Mission in Somalia

    January 27, 2022by Colin Robinson

    The AU mission’s success relies on the handover of military responsibilities to an effective Somali replacement. But the Somali National Army remains as politicized and clan-divided as it has ever been.

    Analysisafrica, african-union, peacekeeping
  • New Climate Data Visualizations, 2021

    December 15, 2021by Noemi Florea

    Noemi Florea has compiled some key data visualizations from 2021 for the Global Observatory that highlight progress on climate change, from expanded research on the global environment to emerging developments for climate adaptation.

    Further Readingclimate-change, climate2021
  • The Gendered Political Economy of Militarized Peacekeeping

    October 28, 2021by Dean Peacock

    Reforming peacekeeping to foster sustainable peace must include an interrogation of militarized masculinities and their harmful gendered consequences.

    Analysiswomen-peace-and-security, wpsat21
  • The Pitfalls of UN Peacekeeping in Afghanistan

    September 1, 2021by Paul D. Williams

    Neither local nor international politics are currently right for a UN peacekeeping deployment in Afghanistan.

    Analysisafghanistan, peacekeeping
  • Preventing Violence or Harming Peace and Rights? What the UN Can Learn from Counterterrorism in the Philippines

    June 10, 2021by Aries Arugay, Marc Batac, and Jordan Street

    The roll-out of counterterrorism and P/CVE policies, plans, and projects in the Philippines is having a significant negative impact on peace, security, and the fulfillment of human rights in the country.

    Analysisctat20, terrorism
  • Reflecting on the UN’s Role in Counterterrorism Twenty Years After 9/11

    June 1, 2021by Jake Sherman and Agathe Sarfati

    As the 20th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, there is value in assessing the emergence of counterterrorism as the “fourth pillar” of the UN, its effectiveness to date, and the way ahead.

    Analysisctat20, terrorism
  • The Exclusion of Women’s Voices from Afghan Peace Talks Remains the Norm

    March 30, 2021by Masooma Rahmaty

    As the peace talks gain momentum again, ensuring that women’s voices are sufficiently represented in peace efforts should be a top priority.

    Analysisafghanistan, asia, peace-processes
  • How Can Artificial Intelligence Help Curb Deforestation in the Amazon?

    November 23, 2020by Adriana Erthal Abdenur

    Some of the most promising innovations for enhancing the monitoring of forests involve artificial intelligence.

    Analysisclimate-change, climate2020
  • The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Peace and Conflict

    October 23, 2020by Katariina Mustasilta

    What happened to the pandemic being a catalyst for peaceful processes?

    Analysiscoronavirus, peace-and-security

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