Democratization & Human Rights

Rami el Ali, assistant professor of Philosophy and director of the Lebanese American University’s (LAU) philosophy program, is pointing out opportunities, risks and ethical questions behind virtual reality. Leading to the questions about the debate in the Arab world.

Computer games have become an ever more valuable tool for recruitment for armed groups. Ana Maria Luca, a Romanian award winning journalist and currently working with the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, analyzes the impact of these means.

The Gaming scene in Lebanon has developed considerably over the past decades. Tanite Chahwan, a MA graduate in English Literature from the American University of Beirut (AUB), has visited some of these places for us.

The queer and drag scene in Lebanon is on the rise. Inga Hofmann shows how this – playful in appearance – at the same time is a deeply political act, claiming the rights of the communities to be recognized.

Hazar Azze, a performer and part-time trainer at the Palestinian Circus School, is writing about the Circus School of Bir Zeit (Ramallah) and how the performances are providing a social benefit.

In order to overcome conflicts and build bridges in society, Lea Baroudi, a founding member and director of Lebanon’s MARCH organization, shows how theatre overcomes social and political divisions in Lebanon.

Moroccan cultural production struggles with on the one hand being perceived as a ‘bourgeois’ luxury while on the other being subject to arbitrary funding by the Moroccan government. Salma Belkebir, a Rabat-based architect and lover of art & culture has a closer look at the funding policies and arts production.

How are the Beirut Hippodrome’s races different from the elitist ones of Ascot? Jorn De Cock details how after the civil war they emerged as a rare common ground for people of the most different confessional and social backgrounds to meet. Jorn De Cock, a Belgian writer and historian, details how the Beirut Hippodrome’s horse races are far from an elitist “Ascot of the Middle East”, and after the civil war emerged as a rare common ground for people of the most different confessional and social backgrounds to meet.

Suicidal or practicing for the Tour de France? Sara Stachelhaus is sharing her stories about the underprivileged cyclist minority on their every day adventures through Beirut.

Tunisia, where the protests and demonstrations of the Arab Spring began, is in the process of democratic transition. Since 2011, Tunisia has faced a number of challenges in the process of building a democratic government and stable economy. But 2014 heralded a significant moment in its history with the creation of a new constitution. This constitution will provide the legal framework for how Tunisia will be governed and guarantees that fundamental rights including human rights, freedom of expression and freedom of information will be protected; and the rights of people with disabilities is no exception.