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2. Coronavirus in the Arab World
- Author:
- Haizam Amirah-Fernandez
- Publication Date:
- 02-2021
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Center for Contemporary Arab Studies
- Abstract:
- The COVID-19 pandemic is shaking Arab countries hard at a time when the region is already under great pressure. The responses of Arab states to the threat of the coronavirus, added to the uncertain international context generated by the pandemic, is aggravating existing problems in the Middle East and the Maghreb. This current global emergency and its ramifications has the potential to turn socioeconomic challenges into political crises and intensify demands for change that have spread through multiple countries in the region over the past decade. Until an effective vaccine against the pandemic is made available and widely accessible, the economic and social costs of the drastic restrictions being imposed by Arab governments during the successive waves of the pandemic may be overwhelming and, ultimately, unbearable.
- Topic:
- Politics, Arts, Culture, COVID-19, and Demonstrations
- Political Geography:
- Middle East, Arab Countries, and North Africa
3. How to Study Gender in the Middle East
- Author:
- Maya Mikdashi
- Publication Date:
- 06-2020
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Center for Contemporary Arab Studies
- Abstract:
- Before resolving to write about gender, sexuality, or any other practice or aspect of life, subjectivity or power in the Middle East, one must first define what exactly the object of study is. Be specific. What country, region, and time period form the background picture of your study? The terms “Middle East,” “Islamic world,” and “Arab world” do not refer to the same places, peoples, or histories, but the linkages between them are crucial. Moreover, the region has always been transnational, with the nation state being a relatively new phenomenon in much of Middle East. In order to study political economy and gender in Syria, for example, one must be aware of the regional history that has produced “Syria” to begin with, as well as phenomena such as a “national” economy or political economy.
- Topic:
- Gender Issues, Sexuality, Academia, and Area Studies
- Political Geography:
- Middle East and North Africa
4. Q&A with Kristin Smith (MAAS ’14): A Day in the Life of Beirut’s Cultural Attaché
- Author:
- Vicki Valosik and Kristin Smith
- Publication Date:
- 02-2019
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Center for Contemporary Arab Studies
- Abstract:
- For Kristin Smith, MAAS alum and Cultural Affairs Officer for the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, culture and diplomacy go hand-in-hand. “My job is really using culture and art to bring people closer together,” Smith told the Lebanese newspaper The Daily Star at a U.S. Embassy event celebrating the Lebanese writer Khalil Gibran. “It’s not just about deepening our ties and getting to know each other on a cultural level though. If we have these similarities in [the arts], then perhaps that will lead to future cooperation in other ways.” During her time in the MA in Arab Studies program, Smith—who holds a BA in Near Eastern Languages and Civilization from Harvard—pursued an academic concentration in Culture and Society, managed a yoga studio, and served as a Public Diplomacy Fellow at the U.S. Consulate General in Casablanca. Following graduation, she joined the Foreign Service, serving in Taiwan before beginning her current position in 2017. Her portfolio as Cultural Affairs Officer covers five primary issues: arts and culture, non-formal education, academic outreach, interfaith and minority outreach, and alumni programming.
- Topic:
- Diplomacy, Culture, Language, and Arabic
- Political Geography:
- Middle East, Lebanon, North America, Beirut, and United States of America
5. Diplomacy and the Art of Storytelling
- Author:
- Isabel Roemer
- Publication Date:
- 05-2019
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Center for Contemporary Arab Studies
- Abstract:
- A MAAS grad’s work at the intersection of diplomacy and cinematic arts is shaping American narratives and empowering storytellers around the globe. When people think about the tools of diplomatic engagement, narrative storytelling is not one that usually comes to mind. But for Rachel Gandin Mark, Program Director of the American Film Showcase (ASF)—the State Department’s film, television, and digital diplomacy program —the two go hand-in-hand. “I love thinking about how to incorporate entertainment, particularly story and character, into specific foreign policy strategies,” says Gandin Mark, who graduated from MAAS in 2003. “Some of our country’s biggest diplomatic challenges today stem from conflicting global narratives. Film and TV, when produced with authenticity and nuance, have the potential to complicate narratives and reveal a shared human experience.”
- Topic:
- Diplomacy, Culture, Media, and Film
- Political Geography:
- Middle East, North America, and United States of America
6. Refugees and Water Security
- Author:
- Skylar Benedict
- Publication Date:
- 11-2019
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Center for Contemporary Arab Studies
- Abstract:
- Examining the historic roots of Jordan’s water management policy. First, Jordan deals with natural water scarcity arising from the country’s arid semi-desert climate and seasonally fluctuating surface water sources. Second, Jordan currently depends on costly water projects such as the Disi Water Conveyance Project and the King Abdullah Canal to meet its municipal, agricultural, and industrial water needs. Third, the sudden influx of refugees fleeing the Syrian civil war has led to an increased strain on water resources. While realistic, this narrative’s exclusive focus on the present hardships obscures a much longer history of water management in Jordan—one characterized by successive political conflicts and increasingly centralized and unsustainable water extraction policies—that has equally contributed to the country’s current scarcity challenges.
- Topic:
- Environment, Water, Refugees, and Syrian War
- Political Geography:
- Middle East, Syria, Jordan, and United States of America
7. Mobilizing Memories
- Author:
- Carol Graham
- Publication Date:
- 04-2019
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Center for Contemporary Arab Studies
- Abstract:
- Carol Madison Graham (MAAS ’81) was the first MAAS graduate to enter the United States Foreign Service. She reflects on how the 1984 embassy bombing in Beirut inspired her current work to strengthen the Foreign Service for future generations.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, Violence, and Memoir
- Political Geography:
- Middle East, Lebanon, North America, and United States of America
8. Reflections from Singapore
- Author:
- ONG Keng Yong
- Publication Date:
- 04-2019
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Center for Contemporary Arab Studies
- Abstract:
- Ambassador ONG Keng Yong, who graduated from MAAS in 1983, remembers his time in Washington and sheds light on Singapore’s “price taker” approach to foreign policy.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, and Higher Education
- Political Geography:
- Middle East, Asia, Arab Countries, Singapore, and United States of America
9. Renewable Energy in the Gulf Arab States
- Author:
- Aisha Al-Sarihi
- Publication Date:
- 11-2019
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Center for Contemporary Arab Studies
- Abstract:
- Since the 2014 drop in oil prices, Gulf countries have begun to shift their attention toward renewables.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Development, Oil, Natural Resources, Gas, Economy, and Renewable Energy
- Political Geography:
- Middle East, Arab Countries, and Gulf Nations
10. New Law Hinders Public Diplomacy and Penalizes Palestinian Students
- Author:
- Kaylee Steck and Mohammed Alhammami
- Publication Date:
- 05-2019
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Center for Contemporary Arab Studies
- Abstract:
- Last fall, Congress enacted a law that indirectly led to 29 young Arab leaders losing their scholarships to U.S.-accredited universities and dealt another blow to educational and cultural exchange programming, a critical part of U.S. public diplomacy efforts.
- Topic:
- Diplomacy, Government, Law, and Higher Education
- Political Geography:
- Middle East, Palestine, North America, and United States of America