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Source: Getty

In The Media
Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center

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.

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By Maha Yahya
Published on Mar 13, 2016
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Middle East

The Middle East Program in Washington combines in-depth regional knowledge with incisive comparative analysis to provide deeply informed recommendations. With expertise in the Gulf, North Africa, Iran, and Israel/Palestine, we examine crosscutting themes of political, economic, and social change in both English and Arabic.

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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.

This broadcast was originally aired on Al-Jazeera.

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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Maha Yahya
Director, Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center
Maha Yahya
Political ReformLevantSyriaMiddle East

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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