The MENA Region in Turmoil: Causes and Ways out of the Crises
The MENA region has become a place of constant, often unpredictable, change. Even though the uprisings resulted in significant changes in the old and rigid structures, the quality of the transformation differs substantially from country to country. While two relatively free and fair elections were held in Tunisia in the past months, Syria is caught in a civil war. While Morocco and Jordan initiated a top down reform process and the oil rich Gulf states seem largely stable, Libya and Yemen are on the verge of collapse. At the same time, the Egyptian regime is rigorously fighting political Islam, while the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is expanding rapidly.
The developments in the region are not only determined by internal but also by external actors and dynamics. In Syria, an originally local revolt has developed into a proxy war, affecting many different states. The Gulf States, Iran, Russia, Turkey, or China are involved in the developments in many countries and try to maintain or increase their sphere of influence with different means and goals. At the same time Western actors seem to struggle to fully comprehend the underlying dynamics of the new developments. In addition, the US pivot to Asia and Europe’s financial malaise and lack of leverage over regional powers render these states impotent when trying to influence the course of developments on the ground.
In this context, the 2014 Alumni conference offered the participants a platform to discuss current developments and issues in the region, in addition to debating possible solutions and exchanging experiences. The topics of analysis focused on national challenges of different countries, geo-political power shifts, terrorism and security related issues. During the conference presentations were given exclusively by the Alumni themselves, covering topics such as education policies in Egypt, the role of civil society in Morocco, the drivers and rationale of foreign policies pursued by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, or the EU, a deconstruction of the civil war in Libya, and ISIS and whether it will present a short-lived phenomena or a new lasting reality in a reshuffled regional order.
In addition, participants had the opportunity to present own projects and initiatives and develop new project ideas with the support of other Alumni. Ideas for a deepened Alumni work were also collected in small working groups and a number of local initiatives are already being implemented. The Alumni’s professional background ranges from high-level positions in governments, ministries, bodies such as the EU, universities, think tanks, the media, and other civil society organizations.
