Lse Middle East Centre Podcasts

This is the English recording of Panel 2 from the 29th September Conflict Research Programme-Iraq Conference 'Iraq on the Eve of Elections: A new era or return to the status quo?'. Iraq is considered to be one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change in the Middle East. By 2059, temperatures in the country are set to rise by 2.53 degrees, while rainfall will decline by around nine percent. Already, water in Iraq’s rivers and lakes are at critical levels and mismanagement of water resources coupled with outdated farming methods have resulted in increasing rates of desertification. Among the biggest challenges that Iraq will face in the coming decades is how to adapt to its drastically altered climate and mitigate the effects of climate change. Failure to effectively deal with the impacts of the climate crisis will only exacerbate existing socio-economic instability, with high temperatures and the government’s inability to provide services such as electricity and water being historical triggers for

يمكنكم الاستماع الى التسجيل الصوتي باللغة العربية للجلسة الأولى في يوم 29 سبتمبر/أيلول من مؤتمر مركز الشرق الأوسط 'العراق عشية الإنتحابات: بداية عهد جديد أم استمرار للوضع الراهن؟ إخلاء مسؤولية: هذه التسجيلات للترجمة العربية الفورية المباشرة لذلك من الممكن أن تحتوي على بعض الأخطاء أو على فجوات في الترجمة تدير الجلسة: هناء إدور –جمعية األمل العراقية • إيناس جبار –شبكة النساء العراقيات • عمر الجفّال –صحافي مستقل • LSE طيف الخضيري –مركز الشرق األوسط •

This is the English and Arabic recording of Panel 1 from the 29th September Conflict Research Programme-Iraq Conference 'Iraq on the Eve of Elections: A new era or return to the status quo?'. Unfortunately due to technical issues we are unable to upload the English interpretation of Omar Al Jaffal and Inas Jabbar's presentations and answers. We are very sorry for this inconvenience. In October 2019 over a million Iraqis took to the streets of Baghdad and the Southern Provinces calling for employment and basic services, such as clean water and electricity. Their demands later evolved to include calls for the overhaul of the post-invasion political system, a caretaker government made up of independent technocrats and early elections. The protests forced key concessions from the political elite, including the resignation of Prime Minister Adel Abed Al Mahdi, the introduction of a new electoral law and elections to be held in October 2021. In addition, they saw the creation of a number of independent civil organ

يمكنكم الاستماع الى التسجيل الصوتي باللغة العربية للجلسة الرابعة في يوم 28 سبتمبر/أيلول من مؤتمر مركز الشرق الأوسط 'العراق عشية الإنتحابات: بداية عهد جديد أم استمرار للوضع الراهن؟ إخلاء مسؤولية: هذه التسجيلات للترجمة العربية الفورية المباشرة لذلك من الممكن أن تحتوي على بعض الأخطاء أو على فجوات في الترجمة تدير الجلسة: زهراء علي –جامعة روتجرز • مروة عبد الرضا –باحثة مستقلة • زينب كايا –جامعة شفيلد • غولاي بور – باحثة مستقلة •

This is the English and Arabic recording of Panel 4 from the 28th September Conflict Research Programme-Iraq Conference 'Iraq on the Eve of Elections: A new era or return to the status quo?'. Unfortunately due to technical issues we are unable to upload the English interpretation of Marwa Abdul Ridha's presentation and answers. We are very sorry for this inconvenience. Despite the decades long struggle of Iraqi feminists, women in the country continue to face structural violence and have their rights consistently denied. In March 2021 the Iraqi government passed the Yazidi Survivors Law, putting in place a reparations framework for women and girls from minority communities who were subjected to violence at the hands of Daesh. While this has largely been heralded as a positive development, the law contains key omissions including failing to account for the rights of children born out of sexual violence and their mothers. In addition, despite a surge in cases of domestic violence in the wake of the Covid-19 pa

يمكنكم الاستماع الى التسجيل الصوتي باللغة العربية للجلسة الثالثة في يوم 28 سبتمبر/أيلول من مؤتمر مركز الشرق الأوسط 'العراق عشية الإنتحابات: بداية عهد جديد أم استمرار للوضع الراهن؟ إخلاء مسؤولية: هذه التسجيلات للترجمة العربية الفورية المباشرة لذلك من الممكن أن تحتوي على بعض الأخطاء أو على فجوات في الترجمة LSE تدير الجلسة: جيسيكا واتكينز – مركز الشرق األوسط • بلقيس والي – هيومن رايتس ووتش • ريناد منصور – تشاتام هاوس • إينا رودولف –المركز الدولي لدراسة التطرف •

This is the English recording of Panel 3 from the 28th September Conflict Research Programme-Iraq Conference 'Iraq on the Eve of Elections: A new era or return to the status quo?'. Since the beginning of mass protests in Iraq in October 2019, the country has seen a sharp increase in the use of violent coercion against government critics. A coordinated campaign of violence, including the use of live bullets, military grade tear gas canisters, targeted assassinations, snipers and enforced disappearances resulted in the extrajudicial killing of over 700 protesters and the injury of at least 25,000 others. While this eventually forced protesters to go home, the campaign led by militias from the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) has continued unabated targeting political activists and forcing many to flee Iraq. In Kurdistan, the government has also launched a crackdown on activists and journalists known to be outspoken government critics, with at least five sentenced to jail terms following flawed trials. This cl

This is the English recording of Panel 2 from the 28th September Conflict Research Programme-Iraq Conference 'Iraq on the Eve of Elections: A new era or return to the status quo?'. Iraq has long been on the verge of economic collapse. This was expounded in April 2020, when the fall in oil prices in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic meant that the government struggled to pay public sector workers for several months. In response, Finance Minister Ali Allawi published a White Paper meant as a road map for the country’s economic recovery and later, in January of this year, devalued the dinar by 20% as a means of stimulating internal markets. Yet, 90% of all government revenues continue to come from oil sales leaving Iraq’s economy vulnerable to the volatility of global oil markets and state sanctioned corruption sees up to 30% of public funds lost every year. What is more, while the public payroll has more than tripled since 2003, the development of the private sector continues to be hampered by poor infrastruct

يمكنكم الاستماع الى التسجيل الصوتي باللغة العربية للجلسة الأولى في يوم 28 سبتمبر/أيلول من مؤتمر مركز الشرق الأوسط "العراق عشية الإنتحابات:بداية عهد جديد أم استمرار للوضع الراهن؟ إخلاء مسؤولية: هذه التسجيلات للترجمة العربية الفورية المباشرة لذلك من الممكن أن تحتوي على بعض الأخطاء أو على فجوات في الترجمة يدير الجلسة: توبي دودج - مركز الشرق األوسط مارسين الشمري - معهد الدراسات اإلقليمية والدولية سجاد جياد – باحث مستقل لهيب هيجل - مجموعة األزمات الدولية

This is the English recording of Panel 1 from the 28th September Conflict Research Programme-Iraq Conference 'Iraq on the Eve of Elections: A new era or return to the status quo?'. In October Iraqis will go to the polls for the sixth time since regime change to vote in early elections, held as a key concession to the demands of the Tishreen protest movement. The elections will be the first to be based on the new Elections Law passed in December 2019. This divides Iraq into 83 electoral districts in a bid to make it easier for smaller parties and independent candidates to run in elections. Despite this, the elections have been marred in controversy, with political activists often becoming the targets of threats and assassinations. This has resulted in widespread calls to boycott elections in protest against the inequitable electoral environment. In this session, panellists will discuss the likely outcome of elections and what they could mean for reform of Iraq’s political system. Chair: • Toby Dodge – LSE M

This webinar, co-organised with the Society for Algerian Studies, was a launch for Dr. Natalya Vince's latest book 'The Algerian War, The Algerian Revolution'. This book provides a new analysis of the contested history of one of the most violent wars of decolonisation of the twentieth century – the Algerian War/the Algerian Revolution between 1954 and 1962. It brings together an engaging account of its origins, course and legacies with an incisive examination of how interpretations of the conflict have shifted and why it continues to provoke intense debate. Locating the war in a century-long timeframe stretching from 1914 to the present, it multiplies the perspectives from which events can be seen. The pronouncements of politicians are explored alongside the testimony of rural women who provided logistical support for guerrillas in the National Liberation Front. The broader context of decolonisation and the Cold War is considered alongside the experiences of colonised men serving in the French army. Unpacki

This webinar, as part of the LSE Middle East Centre's Kurdish Studies Series, was a discussion around the new and revised edition of David McDowall's book 'A Modern History of the Kurds'. In this latest edition, McDowall analyses the momentous transformations affecting Kurdish socio-politics in the last 20 years. This fourth edition includes new analysis of the Kurdish experience in Syria; the role of political Islam in Kurdish society and Kurds' involvement in Islamist Jihad; and issues surrounding women and gender that were previously overlooked, from the impact of the women's equality movement to how patriarchal practices within the Kurdish community still limit its progress. The foundation text for Kurdish Studies, this book highlights in detail the changing situation of the Kurds across the Middle East. The division of the Kurdish people among the modern nation states of Iraq, Turkey, Syria and Iran and their struggle for national rights continues to influence the politics of the Middle East. David McD

Instant Coffee is back! And on season 2, we’re exploring our favourite topic, food. We are going beyond the plate to understand how the complexities of food, farming and cuisine in the region are shaping people’s writing, thinking and organising. We’ll be speaking with inspiring individuals who are grappling with culinary appropriation, access to food and food sovereignty, archiving the region’s recipes and more. To listen to the rest of our interview with Fadi Kattan and to get access to all past and upcoming episodes of Instant Coffee, just search for ‘Instant Coffee’ on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play or wherever you get your podcast. We also have a brand new Instagram account where we post our latest episodes as well as beautiful illustrations created by Rawand Issa for each one of them. Find us on @instantcoffee.pod.

This webinar, co-organised with Boston University School of Law's International Human Rights Clinic, explored research outputs from their project on the challenges of statelessness in the region. To find out more about the project click here: https://www.bu.edu/law/current-students/jd-student-resources/experiential-learning/clinics/international-human-rights-clinic/ The understanding and regulation of who is and who is not a member of each state, and why communities have been rendered stateless, has long been a regional challenge and touches on some of the most fundamental concepts regarding nationality in the Middle East and North Africa. The webinar will explore trends such as the link between statelessness and displacement, children's rights, civil documentation and discrimination, highlighting region-wide advocacy initiatives that can fill in knowledge gaps on this issue and address statelessness challenges. Susan Akram directs the International Human Rights Clinic at Boston University's School of Law

This event was a book launch for 'Civilization and the Making of the State in Lebanon and Syria' by Dr. Andrew Delatolla. The book argues that the modern state, from the nineteenth century to the contemporary period, has consistently been used as a means to measure civilizational engagement and attainment. This volume historicizes this dynamic, examining how it impacted state-making in Lebanon and Syria. By putting social, political, and economic pressure on the Ottoman Empire to replicate the modern state in Europe, the book examines processes of racialization, nationalist development, continued imperial expansion, and resistance that became embedded in the state as it was assembled. By historicizing post-imperial and post-colonial state formation in Lebanon and Syria, it is possible to engage in a conceptual separation from the modern state, abandoning the ongoing reproduction of the state as a standard, or benchmark, of civilization and progress. Andrew Delatolla is a Lecturer in Middle Eastern Studies a

The PowerPoint presentations from the event can be viewed here: https://www.lse.ac.uk/middle-east-centre/events/2021/kuwaits-urbanisation This Kuwait Programme event was a discussion about two research projects - 'Public Space in Kuwait: From User Behaviour to Policy-making' led by Alexandra Gomes and Asseel Al-Ragam, and 'Towards an Equitable Transport System in Kuwait' led by Adeel Muhammad. This webinar will explore how Kuwait’s urbanisation trends and car-centric development have shaped planning, urban design, and individual behaviour with consequences for public health and the environment. The webinar included two presentations. The first from Alexandra Gomes and Asseel Al-Ragam on ‘Public space in Kuwait’ looked at some of the challenges and opportunities facing Kuwait’s residential neighbourhoods and everyday use of public space. The second from Reem Alfahad on ‘Social justice, transport and accessibility’ explored transport spatial inequalities at the city scale. Alexandra Gomes is a Research Offi

This webinar was the launch of Omar Sirri's paper 'Destructive Creations: Social-Spatial Transformations in Contemporary Baghdad' published as part of the LSE Middle East Centre Paper Series. This working paper examines social-spatial transformations in contemporary Baghdad by zooming in on two of the city’s most frequented consumer districts, Karada and Mansour. By way of ethnographic fieldwork, Sirri foregrounds the entanglements between violence, property and consumption. Baghdad’s transformations over nearly two decades are not simply a product of urban violence; nor are they only a result of the privatisation of formerly public property; nor are they merely a consequence of changes in everyday consumer patterns. Rather, the city’s transformations stem from the co-constitution of all three forces. In Baghdad, violence, property and consumption are inextricably linked. Their enmeshment has in turn spawned social-spatial transformations benefitting the political-economic interests of an elite few at the ex

This event was a book launch for 'Israeli Foreign Policy Since the End of the Cold War' by Dr. Amnon Aran. This is the first study of Israeli foreign policy towards the Middle East and selected world powers including China, India, the European Union and the United States since the end of the Cold War. It provides an integrated account of these foreign policy spheres and serves as an essential historical context for the domestic political scene during these pivotal decades. The book demonstrates how foreign policy is shaped by domestic factors, which are represented as three concentric circles of decision-makers, the security network and Israeli national identity. Told from this perspective, Amnon Aran highlights the contributions of the central individuals, societal actors, domestic institutions, and political parties that have informed and shaped Israeli foreign policy decisions, implementation, and outcomes. Aran demonstrates that Israel has pursued three foreign policy stances since the end of the Cold W

This event was co-organised with the Kurdish Studies Programme at the University of Central Florida. It was the book launch of 'Kurds and Yezidis in the Middle East: Shifting Identities, Borders, and the Experience of Minority Communities'. The diversity of Kurdish communities across the Middle East is now recognized as central to understanding both the challenges and opportunities for their representation and politics. Yet little scholarship has focused on the complexities within these different groups and the range of their experiences. This book diversifies the literature on Kurdish Studies by offering close analyses of subjects which have not been adequately researched, and in particular, by highlighting the Kurds' relationship to the Yazidis. Case studies include: the political ideas of Ehmede Xani, “the father of Kurdish nationalism”; Kurdish refugees in camps in Iraq; the perception of the Kurds by Armenians in the late Ottoman Empire and the Turks in modern Western Turkey; and the important connecti

This event was the launch of the publication 'Redefining deprivation in a conflict area: learning from the Palestinian experience using mixed methods' produced as part of the Academic Collaboration with Arab Universities Programme, led by Principal Investigators Tiziana Leone, Rita Giacaman and Weeam Hammoudeh. Conflicts threaten public health, human security, and wellbeing. While their visible impacts garner considerable attention (such as physical disability, injury, and death), they affect populations in other important ways. This paper reviews findings from a two-year collaboration project to understand how people make sense of, and cope with, various forms of deprivation and trauma resulting from experiences of conflict and military occupation in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt). Using mixed methods, the paper explores mental health and wellbeing outcomes associated with deprivation in a conflict setting. Weeam Hammoudeh is currently an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Community and P