Roadmap to nowhere - How the EU is gambling its last shred of credibility in Turkey policy Published: 6 April 2021 Commentary The EU’s positive agenda in its Turkey policy is based on wrong assumptions where Europe’s strategic interests lie. By Kristian Brakel
10 years "Arab Spring" Published: 16 March 2021 Dossier To mark the occasion, we will be publishing a series of literary essays by authors from the region over the next few weeks. The contributions reflect what the protagonists hoped for and how they look today at what they have achieved, a kind of "look back to the future". They make clear how important the personal confrontations are in order to develop political alternatives.
Giving up has no future: Ten years and three stories of the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings Published: 10 March 2021 Feature It’s a decade since democratic protests began in the Middle East and North Africa and still for many activists the fight against authoritarian regimes and in pursuit of dignity and political reform is far from over. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Three stories from Egypt, Syria and Tunisia illustrate how the revolutions in these countries are still a work in progress – in spite of violent repercussions and the all-round terrible toll they have taken. By Mohamed Amjahid and Diala Brisly
Georgia: trapped in a spiral of escalation Published: 9 March 2021 Commentary Georgia has been unable to find peace since the parliamentary elections in October 2020. The resignation of Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, respected for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, in conjunction with the imprisonment of opposition leader Nika Melia on 23 February 2021, is merely another low point in this trend. The egotism of the neoliberal political elite favours informal structures leading to a creeping "Russification" of the country. By Dr. Stefan Meister
Migration in Senegal: Societal visions instead of criminalisation and the rhetoric of deterrence Published: 13 January 2021 Analysis In the last few months, more than 500 migrants have lost their lives trying to leave West Africa for the Canary Islands and thus Europe, in a terrible repeat of the situation of 2005/2006. In 2006 alone, more than 32,000 migrants set off on the perilous journey from the coast of West Africa hoping to reach the Canary Islands across the sea. By Usha Ziegelmayer
Aegean chronicles: A reporter’s confrontation with Europe’s failures and moral imperative Published: 7 January 2021 Background A 6-year-old boy from Afghanistan drowned in November 2020 off the coast of Samos. Ηe was with his father and other asylum seekers onboard a dinghy that was shipwrecked. The tragic loss of a child’s life hardly made an impression on the international media or public discourse in Greece. By Giorgos Christides
Individual liberties in Tunisia during Covid-19: the crisis has only reinforced an existing problem Published: 17 December 2020 Interview What are the challenges in Tunisia of deploying effective Covid-19 measures while remaining committed to the protection of individual rights and liberties for the whole period of the crisis? Mahassen Segni interviews Professor Wahid Ferchichi, founder of the Tunisian Association for the Defence of Individual Liberties. By Mahassen Segni
Hassan Fazili: caught between the duties of a director, a father and a husband Published: 4 December 2020 Interview When the Taliban put a bounty on Afghan director Hassan Fazili’s head, he was forced to flee the country with his wife and two young daughters. He captured the family’s uncertain journey at first hand, documenting their harrowing trek across numerous borders. By Zora Siebert
Precarious peace – Nagorno-Karabakh after the ceasefire agreement Published: 24 November 2020 Analysis The new ceasefire agreement negotiated between Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan has grave geopolitical and domestic consequences for the South Caucasus states. Stefan Meister, Director of the Heinrich Böll Foundation South Caucasus, explains 10 consequences of the agreement. By Dr. Stefan Meister
Dublin Forever - Nothing New for the South Published: 26 October 2020 Commentary In contrast to many declarations that Italy should not be left to face the challenges of mass boat arrivals from North Africa alone, the New Pact's proposals if anything renew the obsolete “Dublin system”. By Christopher Hein