ُيعتبـر المشـهد السياسـي فـي الشـرق ا وسـط وشـمال أفريقيـا فـي العـام 2018 أرضيـة جـد عدائيـة لتنشـئة بـذور الديمقراطيــة التــي تــم زرعهــا بطريقــة مدهشــة قبــل ســبع ســنوات فحســب، إبــان ا حــداث المصيريــة التــي طبعــت الانتفاضــات العربيــة. فعلــى مــا يبــدو، تتصــف المنطقــة اليــوم بشــكل أساســي بالعنــف وانعــدام الاســتقرار والتوتــراتالاجتماعيــةوالاســتبدادالمتجــددوا زمــاتا نســانية.وتــمإغــلاقالفضــاءالمدنــيبمجملــهتقريًبــا فـي عـدة دول أساسـية، فيمـا تشـهد دول أخـرى اهتـراء النسـيج الاجتماعـي القائـم علـى ً التنـوع الدينـي والعرقـي والثقافـي لدرجـة التلـف. أمـا ا طـراف الفاعلـة الخارجيـة ا ساسـية التـي رحبـت سـابقا ببـزوغ حقبـة جديـدة لسـلطة الشـعب فـي المنطقـة فاصطفـت اليـوم مجـد ًدا إلـى جانـب الاسـتبداد والاسـتقطاب الجيوسياسـي فـي بحـث ملتبــس عــن ا مــن. كمــا أن الحــروب بالوكالــة بيــن القــوى ا قليميــة تؤجــج النــزاع الاجتماعــي. بالتالــي، لا يوفــر...

2018 yılında baktığımızda Orta Doğu ve Kuzey Afrika’daki siyasi manzara, sadece yedi yıl önce yaşanan Arap Ayaklanmaları’nın attığı demokrasi tohumlarının çiçeklenmesine imkân vermeyen bir çoraklaşmaya işaret etmektedir. Bugün bölge her şeyden çok şiddet, istikrarsızlık, siyasi gerilim, yeniden ortaya çıkan otoriter rejimler ve insani krizler ile anılmaktadır. Birçok önemli ülkede sivil alan neredeyse tamamen ortadan kalkmıştır, […]

Food security in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is viewed as one contributing factor in catalyzing conflicts in the region as well as perpetuating multiple humanitarian crises. The MENA region is the largest importer of food in the world, accounting for nearly 1/3rd of global cereal imports. Rising prices in staple foods […]

The political landscape of the Middle East and North Africa in 2018 is a terrain deeply hostile to nurturing the seeds of democracy planted so spectacularly just seven years prior during the momentous events of the Arab Uprisings. The region today seems characterized above all by violence, instability, social tension, renewed authoritarianism, and humanitarian crisis. […]

Understanding Afghanistan has been a critical need over the past two decades and will continue to be important in the coming years. Yet, the necessary scholarship that can provide better understanding of the country remained underdeveloped both within and outside the country for decades. With the exception of a brief open period between 1960 and […]

Jeannie Sowers, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of New Hampshire, discusses some of the obstacles to food security in the Middle East & North Africa, particularly the challenge of the inclusion of rural populations in food security strategies. She further highlights good examples from the region.

Martin Keulertz, Assistant Professor at the American University of Beirut, discusses the challenges the MENA region faces in achieving food security and discusses possible ways to address those challenges. Most importantly, the outlook can be optimistic with attention to key issues and the development of new strategies.

Ismahane Elouafi, Director General of the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture, discusses the innovation solutions that could be applied to improving food security in the Middle East & North Africa. She focuses on deploying small scale technological innovations, the importance of learning from older techniques, and the utilization of local, native crop varieties.

The Hollings Center supported a photography competition and two exhibitions held in Lahore, Pakistan and Kabul, Afghanistan, entitled Amazing Pakistan : Amazing Afghanistan, through a grant received by the United States Embassy Kabul. The project aimed to build trust, mutual respect, and to promote commonalities between Pakistan and Afghanistan through the medium of photography. Photographers […]

The Middle East and North Africa region urgently needs ethical and sustainable solutions for the plethora of challenges it faces, including the pressure of displaced populations, growing unemployment, armed conflict, environmental concerns, and lack of food or water security. Multiple previous Hollings Center dialogue programs have noted the important need for sustainable economic growth and […]