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1. COVID-19 in the MENA: Two Years On

Author:
Marc Lynch, Vahid Abedini, Yasmina Abouzzohour, Meliha Benli Altunisik, and Mona Ali
Publication Date:
06-2022
Content Type:
Research Paper
Institution:
Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS)
Abstract:
Early in the pandemic, POMEPS convened an online workshop with a diverse group of scholars working across the MENA region to discuss the initial impacts and to think through possible trajectories. That workshop resulted in POMEPS Studies 39, which included twenty-one essays ranging across the MENA region. Several major themes ran across those essays. We collectively expected regimes to securitize the pandemic, using the excuse of lockdowns to crack down on a protest wave that had reached multiple countries in 2019 and to further entrench authoritarian rule. We expected variation in state capacity to be a critical variable in terms of the ability of states to effectively respond to the pandemic. And several essays anticipated soft power international competition, as great powers used vaccine diplomacy to sway public attitudes their way. Two years on, how did those predictions hold up? In April 2022, POMEPS convened a follow-up workshop with some of the same scholars and a number of new contributors to assess how well those early projections panned out, and to assess the actual impacts of COVID on the region after two years. We are delighted to now publish the results of that workshop and ongoing conversations among a diverse group of scholars of the region.
Topic:
Civil Society, Health, Politics, Sectarianism, Authoritarianism, Economy, Solidarity, Soft Power, Violence, Public Health, Students, COVID-19, Securitization, Gender, and Regional Politics
Political Geography:
Iran, Middle East, Israel, Palestine, North Africa, Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, and United Arab Emirates

2. Palestine Comes to Paris: The Global Sixties and the Making of a Universal Cause

Author:
Yoav Di-Capua
Publication Date:
01-2021
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Journal of Palestine Studies
Institution:
Institute for Palestine Studies
Abstract:
In the early 1960s, Israeli diplomats based in Paris noted that student life there had become political in new ways that threatened to undermine Israel’s image and standing in the public mind. In an effort to understand the growing international student body and its nine thousand wellintegrated Arab students, the embassy asked Israeli students to spy on their colleagues and submit detailed reports about their political associations, thoughts, opinions, connections, whereabouts, and much else. Using the reports and other auxiliary material that the Israeli diplomats collected, this article examines the formation process of a unique, student-led intellectual and political ecosystem. Specifically, it shows how, in tandem with the rise of the New Arab Left and other transnational student collaborations, the Palestinian question grew from a marginal and marginalized issue to a major cause that was deeply entwined with other contemporaneous causes of universal resonance, such as those of South Africa, Rhodesia, and Algeria.
Topic:
Diplomacy, Intellectual History, and Students
Political Geography:
Israel, France, and Palestine

3. Transnational Histories of Palestinian Youth Organizing in the United States

Author:
Loubna Qutami
Publication Date:
06-2021
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Journal of Palestine Studies
Institution:
Institute for Palestine Studies
Abstract:
This article explores the transnational histories that have conditioned Palestinian youth organizing in the United States from the 1950s to the present day. It examines the organizational vehicles of earlier generations of activists such as the Organization of Arab Students (OAS) and the General Union of Palestinian Students (GUPS) to trace the formation of the U.S. chapter of the transnational Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM). It argues that in the Oslo and post-Oslo eras, which severed the Palestinian diaspora from the national body politic and the rich Palestinian organizational histories of the pre-1993 period, the lessons of their forerunners are instructive for PYM’s new generation of organizers. The article posits that transnational connections have profound implications for localized U.S. political organizing and that contemporary Palestinian youth organizing is part of a historical continuum. Drawing on oral history and scholar-activist ethnographic methods, the article situates contemporary youth organizing in its transnational and historical contexts.
Topic:
Transnational Actors, Students, Oslo Accords, and Israeli–Palestinian Conflict
Political Geography:
United States and Palestine

4. Views of Youth Non-Formal Education in the West Bank and Gaza

Publication Date:
09-2017
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Arab Barometer
Abstract:
Over half of Palestinians are dissatisfied with the educational system in the West Bank and Gaza. In addition, a survey conducted by the Arab Barometer reveals they are worried about the ability to provide their children with a good education. This worry, coupled with 1 the concerns Palestinians have about the current formal education system, provides a unique potential opening for youth non-formal education programs to fill some of the gap. However, in order to meet the needs of Palestinians, non-formal education programs must first address the issue of accessibility. Certain barriers, both physical and nonphysical prevent access to these programs. Currently, participation rates in non-formal education programs are relatively low and with the majority of these education programs organized by private institutions, it is not surprising that cost is one of the most pronounced barriers Palestinians face. In terms of content, the types of programs most valued differs between residents of Gaza and the West Bank. In the West Bank a focus on critical thinking and analytical skills would be welcomed by the population, as respondents express a preference for curricula that develop these skills. To some extent West Bankers would also welcome a program that promotes social skills and emotional intelligence. In contrast, Gazans prefer more traditional educational styles, with Palestinians in Gaza favoring a system that places greater emphasis on memorization compared with the West Bank. However, across all regions, Palestinians are open to attending non-formal education programs, especially those that develop skills for the labor market or allow them to obtain a certificate or qualification. Promotion of NFE programs should target potential students on by highlighting the potential benefits of their curriculum on their future job prospects.
Topic:
Demographics, Education, Public Opinion, Higher Education, Academia, and Students
Political Geography:
Middle East, Palestine, Gaza, North Africa, and West Bank