The MENA Talks Podcast

Submitted by BIC
Position: RESEARCH TEAM on Fri, 01/22/2021 - 13:37

The MENA Talks is a podcast series by the BIC that explores many underlying historical, economic, social, and political drivers behind today's multidimensional challenges in the wider Middle East and Africa regions, with special editions on broader international security aspects of conflicts. Our hosts engage with international, regional, and local experts to have a frank discussions on a variety of topics, from a global, top-down, and local, bottom-up, perspective.

International Politics

This podcast series will discuss the roles and consequences of international actors on ongoing conflict and crises in the MENA region. Discussion themes will focus on the effect of multinational organizations such as the UN, EU and AU, and how they can utilize their tools to better support peace-building and development goals across the wider Middle East and Africa regions.

Africa

This podcast segment explores the drivers of instability, conflict and fragility across Africa from a bottom-up perspective. (Re)placing at the heart of the debate recent years’ social movements, this series of episodes will attempt to understand the way non-traditional actors are reshaping the socioeconomic landscape in the region through collective action.

Middle East

This podcast series will focus on the geopolitical aspects that are impacting the Middle East, including actors beyond the European Union, such as the United States, and China. The host will engage in more thematic aspects of the Middle East that involve multiple countries, or regionally based topics that can be specified through interactions with relevant and knowledgeable guests.

Season One
Season Two

The MENA Talks Podcast - Season One

Ep. 1 - Elections and Legitimacy in 2021 Libya

On new governments, corruption allegations and the push for elections, the BIC's Political Analyst, Ben Lowings, is joined by Lorenzo Marinone to discuss developments in Libya. What are some of the initial challenges for interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah and how can the international community help?

Ep. 2 - Visibilités Nouvelles en Tunisie: Vers une Convergence des Luttes?

Au vu de la visibilité croissante de nouvelles luttes au sein des mouvements sociaux récents en Tunisie, la question de la légitimité de certaines revendications identitaires perçues comme "superflues", "importées" et ne relevant pas du consensus social ne cesse de se poser. Dans cette épisode, nous discutons des possibilités, ou pas, d'une "convergence des luttes" en Tunisie avec la féministe décoloniale Soumaya Mestiri.

Ep. 3 - Political Disruption: Elections and Regional Developments in the Middle East

This episode of the MENA Talks will explore the upcoming elections in the Middle East, particularly within Iran and Syria. These elections have geopolitical consequences and could alter the power dynamics in the region. What could new leadership in Iran mean for actors like the European Union and the United States? With ongoing political violence, this episode will also bring light to the situation in Gaza – Israel/Palestine.

Ep. 4 - Ethiopia's GERD: Mediation and Escalation in Contemporary Nile-Diplomacy

On the current status of Nile diplomacy, the increase in bilateral tensions, and the growing challenge of water scarcity in the face of global climate change, the BIC's Political Analyst, Ben Lowings, is joined by Mirette Mabrouk, Senior Fellow and Director of the Egypt program at the Middle East Institute, to discuss the latest regarding Ethiopia's controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Is there hope for a compromise between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt, and is there sufficient political will to see such a compromise through?

Ep. 5 - Race et Féminisme(s) en Tunisie: Le Grand Tabou?

Y a-t-il réellement une volonté d'intersectionnaliser les lutte féministes en Tunisie? Comment expliquer l'invisibilisation des femmes noires au sein du mouvement féministe tunisien? Dans ce podcast, Yasmine Akrimi discute de la place de la question raciale, et donc de l'antiracisme, au sein des mouvements féministes tunisiens pré et post 2011 avec la militante antiraciste Saadia Mosbah.

Saadia Mosbah: Figure de l'antiracisme en Tunisie et fondatrice de l'association M'nemty

Ep.6 - Confronting the Challenges of Aid Workers in Yemen

This episode of the MENA Talks podcast explores some of the security concerns that national and international aid workers in Yemen are confronted with on a daily basis. Our host Elisa Chery is joined by Jean-Nicolas Beuze, the Yemen Representative for the UNHCR, who gives an overview to some of the logistical, legal, and cultural hurdles aid workers face to remain fully operational throughout the country.

Other topics include the role of the United Nations, and it’s local partners in delivering aid, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resource restrictions that Yemen is experiencing.

Ep.7 - Special Edition – What will Afghanistan's future look like? Tough regional geopolitics and how the EU can play a role

"The Afghan conflict has never been totally, or even primarily rooted in domestic factors”. For this special episode of the MENA Talks Podcast, our host Shada Islam, BIC’s Senior Commentator on Geopolitics, is joined by Jawed Ludin, President of Heart of Asia Society and former Deputy Foreign Minister of Afghanistan, to discuss regional and geopolitical implications of the current crisis in Afghanistan.

From internal dynamics of this new phase under the Taliban rule to the different roles that the international community should take, Shada and Jawed promote a deep understanding of events on the ground, with a focus on the way ahead for the country and the region. How should stakeholders in the region engage with the Taliban? How to promote inclusive policies within the new government ? Is there a role for the EU in Afghanistan's future?

Ep.8 - Takeaways from the 76th UN General Assembly: A New Era of Multilateralism in 2021?

Following from the 76th United Nations General Assembly held in New York, USA in September, the BIC's Political Analyst Ben Lowings is joined by Professor Alanna O'Malley, Chair of United Nations Studies in Peace and Justice at Leiden University and The Hague University of Applied Sciences, to discuss some of the main issues framing the debates of multilateral diplomacy. How can the UN work better to address these diverse challenges and what are the prospects for the success of such multilateral action in the near future?

Ep.9 - Mixed Migration in Tunisia: Worrying Trends and Peacebuilding Solutions

The podcast discusses mixed migration in Tunisia and the larger North African region, exploring its incentives, trends, and the humanitarian programs in place to assist migrants and refugees. The BIC's North Africa Research Analyst Yasmine Akrimi is joined by Mr. Yadh Bousselmi, Danish Refugee Council Tunisia representative and regional program advisor, to highlight the necessity to move beyond the mainstream security approach to migration to focus on remedying structural problems through peace-building efforts.

EP. 10 - "L’aide humanitaire ne suffira pas" : l’Afghanistan au Bord du Gouffre

Quatre mois après le retour au pouvoir des Talibans, l’Afghanistan serait au seuil de l'une des pires crises humanitaires au monde. Selon les Nations Unies, plus d’un Afghan sur deux pourrait bientôt se retrouver en situation d'insécurité alimentaire aiguë. L’hiver arrive, l’économie est en berne et les aides internationales ont été gelées. Wilson Fache, consultant au BIC, s’est rendu dans le pays et a rencontré Isabelle Moussard Carlsen, cheffe de bureau de OCHA, pour identifier les principales cause, conséquences et solutions à cette crise.

Isabelle Moussard Carlsen est la cheffe de bureau en Afghanistan de OCHA, le bureau de Coordination des Affaires Humanitaires des Nations Unies.

Ep. 11 - A Democratic Transition at Risk: Confronting the Cycle of Coups in Sudan

In the framework of the 2022 AU-EU summit, the podcast explores the intersecting phenomena of migration and climate change in Africa, climate resilience avenues for African cities, and implications for the EU-AU partnership.
Guest: Aimée-Noël Mbiyozo, Senior Research Consultant at the Institute for Security Studies
Interviewed by Yasmine Akrimi, North Africa Research Analyst at BIC

EP.12 - Migration and Climate Change in Africa: Ways Forward after the AU EU Summit

In this episode of The MENA Talks, Ben Lowings speaks with Dr. Asil Sidahmed, Former Strategic Advisor to Sudan’s Federal Minister of Health about the events preceding, and the fallout from the October 2021 Sudanese coup. What was the experience of working in government where suspicion ruled between its military and civilian leaders? How has service delivery, including crucial medicinal provision, been affected in an environment dominated by waves of military repression and ongoing protest?

The MENA Talks Podcast - Season Two

Season 2: EP.1 - War, peace and the emergence of a multipolar world

In this first episode of the second season of the MENA Talks, our host Shada Islam is joined by Dr. Sven Biscop, Director ‘Europe in the World’ at the Egmont Institute and Professor Yeo Lay Hwee, Director at the EU-Asia Centre in Singapore, to discuss current geopolitical dynamics in a multipolar world system, or as framed during the discussions, the coming of a “great geopolitical re-ordering”. International politics had clearly entered a new era, one in which states are moved by interests, as Sven Biscop puts it, or one in which a complex, multidimensional world prevails, with different regional orders, as Prof. Lay Hwee argues. Tune in and listen to this very special episode of MENA Talks season two.

Season 2: Ep. 02 - Nouveau Pacte de Migration et d’Asile de l’UE: Pas de Sortie de Crise

Dévoilé en septembre 2020 et toujours en discussion, le nouveau pacte de Migration et d’Asile de l’Union Européenne se veut “plus solidaire, plus juste et raisonnable”, selon la présidente de la Commission. Loin d'amorcer un changement de paradigme dans la politique migratoire du bloc, la députée européenne du groupe S&D, Marie Arena, nous parle des manquements qu'elle perçoit dans le pacte et des alternatives qu'elle propose.

Season 2: Ep. 03 - Division and Violence in Ethiopia: The Role of Weaponised Ethnicity in the War in Tigray

The BIC's Political Analyst, Ben Lowings, is joined by William Davison, Senior Analyst for Ethiopia at the International Crisis Group, to discuss the role of ethnicity in Ethiopia and how historical divisions have been weaponised to contribute to the level of violence in Tigray, where the nature of such atrocities has amounted to reports of ethnic cleansing. What are some of the structural factors within Ethiopia exacerbating such inter-ethnic hatred, and what should be done about it?

Season 2 Ep. 04 - Afghanistan : "la crise affecte les femmes de façon disproportionnée"

C’était le 15 août 2021. La chute de Kaboul aux mains des talibans et le départ précipité des forces occidentales avaient provoqué l’avènement d’un nouvel « émirat islamique » après vingt ans de guerre et d’occupation. Aujourd’hui, l’Afghanistan est un pays au bord du gouffre, miné par une crise économique et humanitaire qui a mis la population à genoux. Wilson Fache, consultant au BIC, s'est rendu dans le pays et y a rencontré l’experte française Mélissa Cornet pour identifier les causes et conséquences de cette crise qui affecte les femmes afghanes de façon disproportionnée. L'entretien est suivi d'un reportage dans la province de Wardak auprès de villageois qui se félicitent du retour de la sécurité et vantent la générosité d’un nouveau gouvernement qui récompense la loyauté.

Experte indépendante, Mélissa Cornet effectue des recherches en Afghanistan depuis 2018 pour le compte de différentes ONGs, dont l'organisation humanitaire CARE.

Season 2 Ep. 05 - Energy-efficiency: The Solution to Europe’s Energy Crisis?

While Europe’s energy crisis fuels fears of a harsh winter for millions of European residents, much discussions are revolving around diversifying the EU’s energy suppliers and reducing European countries’ dependency on Russian hydrocarbons. Yet, solutions can also be found within Europe with the implementation of demand side measures to reduce energy consumption. Senior associate at the Institute for European Energy and Climate Policy (IEECP) Filippos Anagnostopoulos shares his expertise in energy efficiency in the building sector and what measures should be taken immediately and on the long-term to reduce energy-consumption.

Season 2 Ep. 06 - Policing Women’s Bodies: Iran, the West, and the Danger of Single Narratives

With Shada Islam and Rafia ZakariaOn this very special episode of the MENA Talks, the BIC’s Senior Commentator on Geopolitics, Shada Islam, is joined by best seller author Rafia Zakaria to have a frank conversation about current developments in Iran. The death of Maisa Amini provoked fury across Iran and the world, causing unprecedented levels of popular discontent against the Iranian regime’s brutal practices. In view of that, Shada and Rafia go beyond the headlines to shed light on the meaning and potential for these protests from a gender, post-colonial perspective, while also highlighting the role of the West in supporting the protesters.

Season 2 Ep. 07 - Evaluating European Foreign Policy: Strategic Autonomy, Preparedness, and a Worrying Threat Assessment for the Union

The BIC's Political Analyst, Ben Lowings, is joined by Dr. Daniel Fiott, Head of the Defence and Statecraft Programme at the Brussels School of Governance and Non-Resident Fellow at the Real Elcano Institute, to discuss the current state of European foreign policy including an evaluation of the effectiveness of some of its tools, such as those involved using the CSDP framework, as well as its current level of preparedness in the face of external aggression. Does the EU have suitable mechanisms in place for a truly autonomous foreign policy, or instead what is missing from achieving such an aspiration?

Dr. Daniel Fiott
Head of the Defence and Statecraft Programme, Brussels School of Governance; Non-Resident Fellow, Real Elcano Institute

Season 2: EP. 08 - Irak: Quel Avenir Pour Les Familles Affiliées à Daech?

Cinq ans après la fin de la guerre contre le groupe Etat islamique, plus d’un million d’Irakiens qui avaient été déplacés par le conflit n’ont pas encore pu rentrer chez eux. Parmi eux, des milliers de familles dites « affiliées » à l’organisation terroriste et qui sont aujourd’hui considérées comme des parias. Wilson Fache, consultant pour le BIC, s’est rendu à Bagdad, Mossoul et Erbil pour tenter de mieux comprendre ce phénomène. Il y a interviewé plusieurs de ces familles ainsi que Mélisande Genat, spécialiste de l’Irak et doctorante à l’université de Stanford, et Christophe Reltien, responsable en Irak de « Echo », le programme humanitaire de l’Union européenne. Musique: Khalid Alrawi.

Season 2: Ep. 09 - Exploring the EU-NATO Relationship: Building Resilience and Opportunity for Continental Security

In this episode, BIC's Political Analyst, Ben Lowings is joined by Alessandro Mattiato, Coordinator for EU-NATO Relations at the European Commission to get an EU perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing the EU-NATO partnership, especially in the context of the Russian war in Ukraine.

How can we interpret the most recent joint declaration signed in January 2023 between the EU and NATO? And what does the state of the partnership mean for the European drive for 'strategic autonomy'?

Season 2: Ep. 10 : Journée internationale des droits de « la femme », de quoi parle-t-on?

C'est quoi être féministe aujourd'hui? Pourquoi tant de femmes sont-elles réticentes à le devenir, surtout dans le Sud global? C'est quoi le féminisme « mainstream »? Et pourquoi pose-t-il problème? À l'occasion de la journée internationale des droits des femmes le 8 mars, notre chercheuse Yasmine Akrimi et sa confrère, la journaliste féministe tunisienne Sarah Ben Ali, ont partagé une réflexion critique concernant l'unicité du concept de "femme" qui pose de plus en plus problème tant les expériences d'oppression sont multiples et les intérêts souvent contradictoires. Invitée: Sarah Ben Ali, journaliste reporter d'image et féministe tunisienne

Season 2: Ep. 11 : Behind the Frontlines in Ukraine: Unpacking the EU's Role

Wilson Fache is travelling to Ukraine to capture the ground realities of the conflict-ridden country. He records the destruction caused in and around the city of Bakhmut. Back in Brussels, Wilson meets Lisa Musiol, the International Crisis Group's Head of EU Affairs, as they both talk about the nature of the European Union's economic, military, and political support towards Ukraine.

Season 2: Ep. 12 MENA Talks S02 - The EU’s Strategic Partnership with the Gulf: One Year On

In this new MENA Talks podcast episode, Dr. Cinzia Bianco, BIC Senior Expert on EU-Gulf Relations, engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Dr. Tobias Borck, Senior Research Fellow at RUSI. Both experts provide a comprehensive status check on the EU-Gulf strategic partnership, shedding light on progress and limitations in key sectors like security, energy, climate, and humanitarian aid. Dr. Bianco provides an analysis of the drivers, push and pull factors influencing the EU-Gulf Strategic Partnership, while Dr. Borck emphasizes how energy security cooperation, further empowered by emerging geopolitical dynamics, has become an important aspect for increased engagement. However, both experts acknowledge the challenges and tensions posed by mutual reluctance and a lack of prioritization on both sides. From energy security cooperation to geopolitics, join their engaging conversation as they navigate the complex terrain of the EU-Gulf relations.

Host: Dr. Cinzia Bianco, Senior Expert on EU-Gulf Relations
Guest: Dr. Tobias Borck, Senior Research Fellow, RUSI

Season 2: Ep.13 MENA Talks S02 : Lutte contre le racisme, où en est l'Europe?

La question du racisme en Europe a gagné en visibilité ces dernières années, notamment depuis l'assassinat de George Floyd aux États-Unis et l'internationalisation du mouvement Black Lives Matter. Elle-même victime d'une altercation raciste avec la police belge en 2020, la députée Européenne Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana échange avec notre analyste Yasmine Akrimi sur son engagement contre le racisme en Europe, le plan d'action européen 2020-2025 contre les discriminations raciales et l'incohérence de la politique migratoire européenne.

Season 2: Ep.14: Towards COP28: What to Expect in the UAE and how Europe Can Work With It

As COP28 rapidly approaches, the United Arab Emirates, as the conference's presiding nation, is gearing up to host a pivotal global conversation about our shared future. Dubai Abulhoul, an accomplished Author, Rhodes Scholar, and founder of the Fiker Institute, along with her role as an Advisory Committee Member at COP28, joins Cinzia Bianco for a frank conversation. Their exchange will bring valuable insights and perspectives to the forefront, as they delve into the complex issues surrounding COP28 and its significance on the global stage.

The UAE is poised to lead a significant dialogue on the future of energy and climate protection. The UAE's distinct position, being both a producer of fossil fuels and one of the world's largest investors in green energy and climate technologies, is not without its controversies.

In a similarly complex position, Europe grapples with the challenge of balancing its energy security needs, diversifying away from a dependency on Russia, and striving to meet the world's most ambitious climate objectives. What can Europeans anticipate in the UAE, and is there room for productive collaboration to ensure the success of COP28?