Arab Reform Initiative
@arabreforminit.bsky.social
A Hub for Independent Thought. Producing knowledge geared towards achieving democratic change in the Arab Region. مؤسسة بحثية وملتقى الفكر الحر في المنطقة العربية
In this video, ARI assistant researcher Nadia Jmal breaks down "youth co-optation"—how authoritarian regimes use programs and empowerment narratives to boost their legitimacy without real reform. 📄 Read the paper: tinyurl.com/3awc3rs6 📷 Hamda Dhaouadi / ARI Image Allies program
The closure of the #StraitofHormuz cut off ~95% of Iraq’s oil exports overnight. But the real story isn’t the war, it’s the decades of self-inflicted damage that left #Iraq so exposed. A thread on Ahmed Maan Tabaqchali’s latest commentary. 👇 tinyurl.com/259hd5zu
Online violence is increasingly being used to silence women journalists in conflict settings. In this paper by Badra Dabbabi examines how digital spaces have become another front of pressure and intimidation against journalists in Sudan. Read the full paper: lnkd.in/dwZdaFtS
كانت النقابات الطلابية في تونس دائماً أخصب أرض سياسية في المنطقة، إذ أنجبت منظمين نقابيين وقادة معارضة وفاعلين في المجتمع المدني عبر الأجيال لكن هل لا تزال كذلك؟ تتحدث ملاك الأكحل مع عالم الاجتماع مطاع أمين الواعر لتفحص كيف تغيّر المشهد منذ 2011 @malek93.bsky.social لقراءة الحوار tinyurl.com/9mkf3m76
War is no longer fought only on the battlefield, it is shaped by #algorithms, data, and opaque systems. This new Q&A unpacks how #AI is transforming the US–Israel–Iran war: from decision-support systems and automated targeting, to the amplification of disinformation and the risks of lethal errors.
In our conversation with Kanj Hamade, we unpack how #Israel is conducting an #ecocide in of South #Lebanon and destroying farmland, #infrastructure, and the foundations of rural life,
"Sheer terror rained from the sky” ARI Executive Director Nadim Houry describes the scale and immediacy of Israel’s strikes on Beirut, around 100 targets hit in just 10 minutes, while on the phone with colleagues. Watch here: f24.my/Bqqq #Lebanon
Perspective - 'Sheer terror rained from the sky': Arab Reform Initiative Executive Director Nadim Houry
The Executive Director of the Arab Reform Initiative told FRANCE 24 how chaos erupted during Israel’s attacks on Beirut. Nadim Houry was on the phone with colleagues as Israel struck around a hundred…
f24.my
Sarine Karajerjian discusses with Energy Specialist Diana Kaissi, her recent publication ‘Hormuz Under Fire: LNG Disruption, Regional Exposure, & Energy Sovereignty in MENA’ Watch here: youtu.be/zAbbugv_Chs?si… Diana's paper: tinyurl.com/4bm76d4k #Hormuz #Iran #GCC #Energy
ARI in @thenationalnews.com Experts say Israel’s campaign in Lebanon is another example of its “yellow line” doctrine, when Israel razed villages on the outer edge of Gaza to create a buffer zone during the war there. tinyurl.com/2nhh4m35
ARI in @thenationalnews.com As attacks increasingly hit areas without clear military targets, our ED Nadim Houry points to a troubling shift in both strategy and legal boundaries, raising concerns about civilian protection and the erosion of international norms. tinyurl.com/42xvbdpb
As tensions escalate around the #StraitofHormuz, #LNG markets are entering a new phase of uncertainty. In this Q&A, Diana El Kaissi explores the crisis’s implications for #energy security, regional exposure, and long-term energy sovereignty. Read the Q&A here: lnkd.in/dtwHw65f
The Middle East is living through the exhaustion of an old security order, as fragmented alliances and external dependencies fail to deliver stability while no credible regional alternative has yet emerged. Analysis by ARI's Nadim Houry: lnkd.in/d2WDesB3
📣 CFP: SARN UK Conference 2026 📣 📆 When: 17-18 September 2026 📍Where: @cambup-polsci.cambridge.org 🎭Theme: Syria in Transition (more details👇) 💻Submit abstract here: forms.gle/CYxwrgtDs9RH... 📅Submission deadline: 17 May 2026 🖼️Artwork by Issam Kourbaj
“..our commitment is to remain engaged in radical acts of political imagination and to remember that the peoples of this region are not spectators in history. They can and must remain its authors, especially when the region is going through such massive changes.”
Arab Reform Initiative@arabreforminit.bsky.social · 5mo agoIn this statement: lnkd.in/dNWH8K7v - the Arab Reform Initiative reflects on the emerging regional order, the limits of externally imposed visions, and the enduring role of societies, civic actors, and local agency in shaping the region’s future. #Lebanon #Iran
Speaking on #F24Spotlight, Nadim Houry of @arabreforminit.bsky.social shares concerns from #Beirut as #Iran war escalates regionally.
An important read from Nadim Houry: "Lebanon does not have to accept domination. It requires shifting the strategy and the terrain of resistance – from the battlefield to the political, diplomatic, and institutional arenas." www.arab-reform.net/publication/... @arabreforminit.bsky.social
Lebanon Cannot Be Built on Two False Choices: Rethinking sovereignty, resistance, and survival in a changing Middle East
Lebanon finds itself trapped between two impossible choices. On one side stands an increasingly aggressive Israel, fully backed by the United States and led by a government that speaks openly about…
arab-reform.net
In this statement: lnkd.in/dNWH8K7v - the Arab Reform Initiative reflects on the emerging regional order, the limits of externally imposed visions, and the enduring role of societies, civic actors, and local agency in shaping the region’s future. #Lebanon #Iran
youtu.be/A5m1lch7CRo In this video, Tunisian researcher and natural resources engineer Yasser Souilmi shares key findings from his research on water justice in Tunisia, highlighting the structural inequalities that shape access to drinking water across urban and rural communities.
Yasser Souilmi, Researcher and Natural Resources Engineer
YouTube video by Arab Reform Initiative مبادرة الإصلاح العربي -
youtu.be
youtu.be/67LTlkgLK_A This conversation is part of our broader campaign, Community Voices, Policy Choices: Food, Water, and Power in Tunisia, grounded in research and consultation meetings held in Tunis and Kairouan with farmers, practitioners, researchers, and local actors.
Dr. Imen Louati, Researcher and Ecological Program Manager
YouTube video by Arab Reform Initiative مبادرة الإصلاح العربي -
youtu.be
youtube.com/shorts/QWT-z... In Tunisia, water scarcity dictates what we grow, what we eat, and who benefits from agricultural policies. This week, we highlight these intersections through our research and collaboration with local experts to support fairer discussions and policies.
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In partnership with @smex.org , this thired webinar in ARI’s Siyasa & Silicon series moves beyond innovation narratives to examine data centers as strategic infrastructure shaping sovereignty, ownership, dependency, privacy, and inequality. Join us for a critical conversation: tinyurl.com/3hdpr2yj
"While calls for an inclusive transitional justice that serves all Syrians are warranted, they raise unrealistic expectations of what transitional justice can effectively achieve in the short term..." @arabreforminit.bsky.social www.arab-reform.net/publication/...
Process Over Outcome: Rethinking Transitional Justice in Syria
No matter how you slice it, transitional justice will at times exclude certain groups of victims at the expense of others. This is as true for Syria as it is in many other contexts, especially when…
arab-reform.net
Interview mit Amine Kharrat von der tunesischen NGO Al Bawsala bei der #Umweltpolitik-Konferenz der @arabreforminit.bsky.social in der #MENA-Region zu #Wasserstoff-Projekten in #Tunesien (ar mit engl UT) youtu.be/VZhe4EoNffY
Amine Kharrat
YouTube video by Arab Reform Initiative مبادرة الإصلاح العربي -
youtu.be
@arabreforminit.bsky.social's @naderatassi.bsky.social on opacity surrounding big-ticket investments announced by Syrian government, and what it implies about government's vision for private investment-driven recovery: www.arab-reform.net/publication/...
Deals Without Details: The Opaque Political Economy of Syria’s New Mega-Projects
Amid a flurry of multi-billion-dollar memoranda of understanding (MoUs), the Syrian Transitional Government is positioning private investment as the engine of reconstruction. The recent announcemen…
arab-reform.net
My latest examines how security challenges in southern #Syria persist, evolve, and transform — and what this reveals about state authority, armed networks and demobilisation, drug trafficking, and foreign intervention in post-Assad context. @arabreforminit.bsky.social bit.ly/4ryNIQh
In this sharp new piece, @haidhaid22.bsky.social examines the tenuous ceasefire in Syria’s Sweida region, warning that the U.S.-brokered truce masks deeper unresolved tensions. Amid rising sectarian hate speech, the calm may prove short-lived. Read full article: lnkd.in/efX3njFw
🔎 #Syria: "A possible misunderstanding is that #Al-Sharaa and his allies thought #Israel might allow some movement if he eased up on the #Golan." 👉 @arabreforminit.bsky.social ‘s Nadim Houry ➡️Full show: f24.my/BJy4.x #ısrael #Sweida
Can a constitutional declaration drafted in two weeks shape Syria’s future? Zaid Al-Ali, Visiting Fellow at Princeton unpacks the risks and potential of Syria’s new transitional framework in this in-depth conversation with ARI’s Nadim Houry. Full interview: lnkd.in/dTE-awqU @zalali.bsky.social
📢 27/03/2025 - Webinar: A panel discussion featuring four dossier authors, diving into how environmental governance is evolving in #Syria, #Palestine, and #Iraq, and examining the impact of recent political shifts on climate resilience. 🔗 Register here: lnkd.in/diVrCrPC
Webinar Series: #Palestine Insight | The Arab League’s Reconstruction Plan for #Gaza: What Role for Palestinians? 📅 Thursday, March 20 ⏰ 10-11:30am CET | 11am-12:30pm Gaza 📍 Online Details & Zoom registration: tinyurl.com/49v6755m @alshabaka.bsky.social
