Mourad Belhassen, NESA Alumnus and Director of Cultural Diplomacy and Strategic Planning, Tunisian MFA; former Ambassador of Tunisia to Indonesia Themes at the heart of the global security community debate: From the outset, it should be emphasized that the outbreak of the Coronavirus took many nations around the world by surprise, including those thought best Read More >
Tunisia
Privacy and Surveillance, Freedom and Censorship in the Digital Age
Governments in the NESA region have been grappling with the privacy-security dilemma and technology for many years. This quandary is becoming especially critical now as governments deal with the multiple public health and socioeconomic challenges of COVID-19. It heightens concerns about the national security implications of the use of emerging technologies such as facial recognition Read More >
Covid-19: Thoughts from Tunisia
Brig. Gen. (ret.) Khalifa Nafti, NESA Alumnus In Tunisia, we have started calling our medical personnel “soldiers in white coats”. Like the other countries of the world, we consider our country at war against this unexpected and unwelcome virus. We rely on people’s positive energy during these critical times and understand that we all need Read More >
COVID-19: Reflections from Quarantine
بالعربية en français Pусский Shiran Ben Abderrazak, NESA Alumnus and Executive Director, Rambourg Foundation, Tunisia In light of these challenging times, writing is an outlet used to rid us of those feelings that clutter our mind and prevent us from experiencing peace and balance. Sometimes what has been written can also give readers food for Read More >
COVID-19: Three Possible Scenarios in Tunisia
بالعربية en français Pусский Shiran Ben Abderrazak, NESA Alumnus and Executive Director, Rambourg Foundation In the following discussion, we will try to project into the coming months with three different scenarios in order to determine what could happen to Tunisia, its institutions, and its population(s) as a result of the health crisis currently affecting the Read More >
How Khedija Arfaoui’s Tragedy Strengthened her Peace Activism in Tunisia
On New Year’s Eve 2017, a suicide bombing in Istanbul left 40 dead. Among those who lost their loved ones is longtime Tunisian peace activist, academic, and NESA Alumnus Khedija Arfaoui. Although Arfaoui is still in disbelief that she will no longer see her son and daughter-in-law, she continues to raise her voice in the Read More >
The African Union and Counter-Terrorism
Africa has witnessed a tremendous increase in terrorist incidents. According to the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, there has been more than a 1000 percent increase in terrorism since 2006. Moreover, an alarming twenty-two African countries has been targeted by terrorism. This, in turn, raises the question of what the African Union (AU) has done to curb Read More >
U.S. National Security Strategy 2018- English, French, Russian, Dari
President Donald Trump released his administrations U.S. National Security Strategy. See his vision here. The four main pillars of his new strategy include: Protecting the U.S. from threats. Promoting American prosperity. Preserving “peace through strength.” Advancing American influence. Take a look at his vision and further explanation of the pillars here in: English (web-link); English Read More >
Cutting Edge Middle East News Analysis
Summary: Tunisia is rich in diverse cultures, religions and races which has made it one of the most open-minded countries in the region. Yet resistance to plurality remains, in particular among Islamist groups. We are pleased to announce today the publication of two new chapters for our forthcoming new e-book ‘The Future of the Middle Read More >
Arab States and the Alienation of the Masses: Pre and post Arab Spring
State polices and the strategic choices of the ruling elite have alienated the Arab people. This paper analyzes the source of the Arab masses alienation by the state using the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Transformation Index (BTI) and the World Wide Governance Indicators along the following dimensions: lack of political participation; unstable democratic institutions; lack of political Read More >