event
Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center

Citizenship and Social Constituency in the Arab Region

Mon. November 16th, 2015
Beirut

In recent years, the Arab region witnessed popular movements demanding freedom and equality for all citizens without discrimination. But political developments have led to the strengthening of ethnic, religious, or racial identities at the expense of citizenship. And in countries including Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Yemen, these strengthened identities have led to armed confrontation. Is a state built on the principle of citizenship still possible? 

Carnegie Middle East Center, in cooperation with the Arab Forum for Alternatives and the Hivos Foundation, hosted a two-day conference that brought together Arab researchers and experts to discuss the conditions of citizenship in Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Libya, and Morocco. These experts also debated the future of states based on citizenship in the Arab region. The event launched the book Citizenship and Social Constituency in the Arab World (Rawafed, 2015). 

Agenda

Day 1 November 16, 2015

9:45 to 10:00 a.m.
Welcome and Introduction: Maha Yahya

10:00 a.m. to 12:00p.m.
Book Launch “Citizenship and Social Constituency”
Mohamed Elagati, Fawwaz Traboulsi
Moderator: Doreen Khoury

12:00 to 12:30 p.m. 
Coffee Break

12:30 to 2:00 p.m.
Citizenship and Social Diversity in the Mashreq and Maghreb
Youssef Laaraj, Saad Salloum
Moderator: Gameel Matar

2:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Lunch Break

Day 2 November 17, 2015

10:00 to 11:30 a.m.
Citizenship and Social Classes
Georges Fahmi, Sabah Al-Hallak
Moderator: Oussama Safa 

11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. 
Coffee Break

12:30 to 1:30 pm
Pluralism and Political Mobilization
Walid Haddouk, Heba Raouf Ezzat
Moderator: Kawa Hassan

Participants

Sabah Al-Hallak

Sabah Al-Hallak is a researcher on women’s issues and a member of the Syrian Women’s Association and the Syrian Association for Women Citizens. 

Mohamed Elagati

Mohamed Elagati is the executive director of the Arab Forum for Alternatives. 

Georges Fahmi

Georges Fahmi is a visiting scholar at Carnegie Middle East Center.

Walid Haddouk

Walid Haddouk is a Tunisian political researcher and writer.

Kawa Hassan

Kawa Hassan is director of the Middle East North Africa Program at the EastWest Institute and a nonresident scholar at Carnegie Middle East Center.

Doreen Khoury

Doreen Khoury is Middle East Liaison at Hivos International.

Youssef Laaraj

Youssef Laaraj is a researcher in Amazigh affairs.

Gameel Matar 

Gameel Matar is an Egyptian thinker and writer who focuses on reform and democratization issues.

Heba Raouf Ezzat

Heba Raouf Ezzat is assistant professor of political science and deputy director of the Center for Humanities and Interdisciplinary Studies at Cairo University.

Oussama Safa

Oussama Safa is section chief of Participation and Social Justice, Social Development Division, UN-ESCWA.

Saad Salloum

Saad Salloum is the director the research department in the College of Political Sciences of Mustansiriya University. 

Fawwaz Traboulsi

Fawwaz Traboulsi is a Lebanese historian, writer, activist, researcher, and political analyst.

Maha Yahya

Maha Yahya is a senior associate at Carnegie Middle East Center. 

Political ReformNorth AfricaEgyptLevantMaghreb
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
event speakers

Sabah Al-Hallak

Sabah Al-Hallak is a researcher on women’s issues and a member of the Syrian Women’s Association and the Syrian Association for Women Citizens.

Mohamed Elagati

Mohamed Elagati is the executive director of the Arab Forum for Alternatives.

Georges Fahmi

Nonresident Scholar, Middle East Center

Fahmi was a nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Middle East Center, where his research focused on religious actors in democratic transition, the interplay between state and religion, and religious minorities and citizenship.

Walid Haddouk

Walid Haddouk is a Tunisian political researcher and writer.

Kawa Hassan

Nonresident Scholar, Middle East Center

Hassan is a nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Middle East Center, where his research focuses on Kurdish and Iraqi politics, civil society and democratization, donor assistance, and transition processes, especially in the Middle East.

Doreen Khoury

Youssef Laaraj

Youssef Laaraj is a researcher in Amazigh affairs.

Gameel Matar

Gameel Matar is an Egyptian thinker and writer who focuses on reform and democratization issues.

Heba Raouf Ezzat

Heba Raouf Ezzat is assistant professor of political science and deputy director of the Center for Humanities and Interdisciplinary Studies at Cairo University.

Oussama Safa

Saad Salloum

Saad Salloum is the director the research department in the College of Political Sciences of Mustansiriya University.

Fawwaz Traboulsi

Fawwaz Traboulsi is a Lebanese historian, writer, activist, researcher, and political analyst.

Maha Yahya

Director, Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center

Yahya is director of the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center, where her research focuses on citizenship, pluralism, and social justice in the aftermath of the Arab uprisings.