Reform, Revolution, Culture: How to Resist Arab Authoritarianism?

Authoritarian states have largely survived the frontal challenges to their power since the Arab revolts in 2010. But alternative political ideas and power structures continue to emerge in marginal spaces or in geographical areas where the state’s authority weakens.

The Carnegie Middle East Center and the Century Foundation organized the launch of a new book on this subject, titled Arab Politics Beyond the Uprisings: Experiments in the Shadow of Authoritarianism.

The edited volume, which brought together 21 researchers, explores initiatives and experiments that thrive on the margins of resurgent state oppression, and highlights the nascent indigenous debate over the best approach for crafting Arab political alternatives.

Program:

2:30 PM | Welcome and Opening Remarks

Maha Yahya is the director of the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut.

2:30 – 3:45 PM | Culture, Rights, and Citizenship

Laura Dean is a journalist who specializes in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Sima Ghaddar is a policy associate at the Century Foundation in Beirut.

Moderator: Thanassis Cambanis is a senior fellow at the Century Foundation .

3:45 – 4:00 PM| Break

4:00 – 5:30 PM | Popular Governance in Failing States

Asya el-Meehy is a governance and public administration officer at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia.

Sam Heller is a fellow at the Century Foundation.

Aron Lund is a fellow at the Century Foundation.

Moderator: Michel Wahid Hanna is a senior fellow at the Century Foundation.