Darfur – Roots of Conflict and the Role of the Arab and the International Community

A Tharwa Project Statement on Darfur

The unfolding humanitarian crisis in Darfur cannot be simply attributed to a conflict over scarce resources, although this is definitely an important factor in this regard.

Indeed, there is a history in the Sudan, and many other parts of Africa, of encroachment by nomadic tribes on lands owned by farmers whenever draught conditions prevailed. This seems to have been the initial catalyst for the current crisis in Darfur, but it is definitely not the reason why it has assumed such major humanitarian proportions. Continue reading “Darfur – Roots of Conflict and the Role of the Arab and the International Community” →

A Modernizer Challenges Syria’s Old Order

washingtonpost.com
By Nora Boustany

Going out on a limb almost comes naturally for Ammar Abdulhamid. He grew up in an artsy milieu in Damascus, the only child of a celebrity couple whose daily existence depended on living on the edge of what was acceptable within a rigid political system. His father, Mohammed Shaheen, was a movie director, and his mother, Mona Wasef, is a top Syrian actress. To succeed in their field meant breaking barriers. Continue reading “A Modernizer Challenges Syria’s Old Order” →

Why Minorities?

Tharwa Editorial

One of the main criticisms that the Tharwa Project has received focuses on its emphasis on the rights of religious and ethnic minorities in the region, noting that this could easily conflict with other avowed goals of the Project, namely: the interest in democracy promotion in the region and raising the standards of civic awareness and citizenship therein. The emphasis on minorities, we are told, could eventually increase the feeling of non-belonging and separation among minority groups, further isolating them from the rest of society and further feeding the growing ethnic and sectarian suspicions that exist between minority and majority populations in the region. As such, wouldn’t it be better to simply focus on democratization and citizen rights? Continue reading “Why Minorities?” →

Where are we now? A few observations on Tharwa’s progress

Tharwa Editorial

Several months have passed now since the official launch of the Tharwa Project Website, and the Tharwa Team is fast approaching the end of the Site’s trial period. The trial period was intended to help us further define the particular mission of the Website, taking visitors’ comments, interests and queries into account. Continue reading “Where are we now? A few observations on Tharwa’s progress” →