The recent popular uprisings in the Arab world sought to dismantle authoritarian political regimes and address profound societal inequities. However, they also triggered fundamental questions about the relationship between citizens and the state, as well as the rights and obligations of citizenship. Today, diverse spaces for contestation have expanded public discourse to discuss new concepts of social justice, identity, and rule of law. Citizens are also debating the enduring role of the nation-state in the twenty-first century while internally addressing the need for reinvigorated institutions and a new social contract.
Carnegie Middle East Center Senior Associate Maha Yahya joined Carnegie Deputy Director of the Middle East Program Katherine Wilkens to discuss the evolving definitions of citizenship in the Arab world.
Maha Yahya
Maha Yahya is a senior associate at the Carnegie Middle East Center, where her research focuses on citizenship, pluralism, and social justice in the aftermath of the Arab uprisings.
Katherine Wilkens
Katherine Wilkens is the deputy director of the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment.
