Governance and Local Development in the Middle East and North Africa
Short description
The aims of this project are three-fold. First, it strengthens the community of scholars working on GLD issues in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Europe, the US, and elsewhere by providing capacity-building opportunities. Second, it seeks to promote scholarly collaboration across the MENA and Europe on issues pertinent to local governance and development. Finally, it brings together scholars and policy practitioners working in and/or on the MENA region, providing a better understanding of key local governance and development issues.
About the Project
This project aimed to promote scholarly collaboration and strengthen the community of scholars working on governance and local development issues in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Europe, the US, and elsewhere by providing capacity-building opportunities. The project also aimed to create a sustainable bridge between scholars and policy practitioners working in and/or on the MENA region. It thereby provided policymakers, practitioners, and the general public in the MENA, Europe, and the US with a better understanding of key local governance and development issues.
Part of this project was implemented in collaboration with Alternative Policy Solutions (APS) at The American University in Cairo (AUC). It convened researchers from the University of Gothenburg, AUC, and across the MENA to focus on governance, social engineering, climate change, and sustainability in the region.
In 2023, GLD organized a six-month capacity-building program for junior scholars based in the MENA region. The selected scholars were from Kuwait, Jordan, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen. During this period, they each worked on a research paper; five worked on social engineering, including gender, nation-building, and state-led development agendas in the region, and one on climate change policies.
Related Policy Briefs
Paller, Jeffrey. (2022). “Local Governance in Afghanistan: Six Months After the Taliban Takeover.” Eds. Bjurenvall, Sara and Shaber-Twedt, Rose. Governance and Local Development Policy Brief, No. 8. Read it here.
Paller, Jeffrey. (2022). “The Future of Local Governance and Development in Tunisia.” Ed. Shaber-Twedt, Rose. Governance and Local Development Policy Brief, No. 12. Read it here.
Arabic version of Policy Brief No. 12.
Paller, Jeffrey. (2022). "Agriculture and Local Adaption to Climate Change in the MENA." Ed. Shaber-Twedt, Rose. Governance and Local Development Policy Brief, No. 13. Read it here.
Arabic version of Policy Brief No. 13.
Paller, Jeffey. (2022). "Confronting Global and Regional Inequalities to Achieve Equity and Climate Justice." Eds. Lust, Ellen and Shaber-Twedt, Rose. Governance and Local Development Policy Brief, No. 14. Read it here.
Arabic version of Policy Brief No. 14.
Paller, Jeffrey. (2022). "The World’s Most Water Stressed Region Requires Cooperation and Diplomacy." Eds. Dafalla, Salih; Jacob, Thabit; and Shaber-Twedt, Rose. Governance and Local Development Policy Brief, No. 15. Read it here.
Arabic version of Policy Brief No. 15.
Paller, Jeffrey. (2023). “Listen to the Youth: The importance of increasing youth political participation in the MENA region." Eds. Hussein, Ghadeer; Lust, Ellen; and Shaber-Twedt, Rose. Governance and Local Development Policy Brief, No. 16. Read it here.
Arabic version of Policy Brief No. 16.
Paller, Jeffrey. (2023). "Women's Rights in the Middle East and North Africa." Eds. Editors: Hussein, Ghadeer; Lust, Ellen; and Shaber-Twedt, Rose. Governance and Local Development Policy Brief, No. 19. Read it here.
Acknowledgments
This project is supported by the Governance and Local Development in the Middle East and North Africa grant (Carnegie Corporation of New York – G21-58464), PI: Ellen Lust.