Commentary
Maha Yahya
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Source: Getty
In The Media
Is Federalism the Answer to the War in Syria?
With no clear end to the Syria conflict in sight , the idea of federalism, which has attracted considerable attention and controversy, is being discussed.
By Maha Yahya
Published on Mar 13, 2016
Source: Al-Jazeera
The resumption of talks in Geneva coincides with the fifth anniversary of the conflict in Syria. The fighting has slowed considerably since a fragile ceasefire brokered by the US and Russia, came into force almost two weeks ago. However, a permanent peace deal and full ceasefire remain a distant possibility. As Staffan de Mistura, the UN special envoy for Syria, prepares to meet delegations from the government and opposition groups, the idea of federalism is being discussed. The idea has attracted considerable attention and controversy. But could both sides consider federalism? And will the latest round of talks yield any concrete results?
Marwan Kabalan, Syrian academic and writer and Associate Analyst at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, Maha Yahya, acting director of the Carnegie Middle East Center, and Julien Barnes-Dacey, senior policy fellow in the Middle East and North Africa Program at the European Council on Foreign Relations, discuss whether both sides could consider federalism and assess whether the latest round of talks will yield any concrete results.
About the Author
Maha Yahya
Director, Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center
Maha Yahya is director of the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center, where her research focuses on citizenship, pluralism, and social justice in the aftermath of the Arab uprisings.
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Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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