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DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Qatar:20230114T080000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Qatar:20230115T170000
DTSTAMP:20260409T013915
CREATED:20230131T063437Z
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UID:10001495-1673683200-1673802000@cirs.qatar.georgetown.edu
SUMMARY:POMEPS-CIRS Politics of Sports in the Middle East Workshop
DESCRIPTION:On January 14 and 15\, 2023\, the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) at Georgetown University in Qatar\, in collaboration with the Project on Middle East Politics (POMEPS) convened a two-day closed-door workshop to explore and study the complex relationship between politics and sports in the Middle East. During the meeting invited regional and international scholars presented short papers and received feedback from the group. Some of the themes under discussion included football and national identity\, sports washing\, political mobilizations\, gender and sports\, global capital\, and stadium dynamics\, among others.   \n\nOver the two days\, the convened scholars discussed various converging themes and topics associated with the political dynamics of football performance\, spectatorship\, sponsorships\, and hosting of events. Starting the discussion with the rise of disinformation and the use of bots in digital technology and social media for purposes of propaganda\, it was debated that football\, with its global and often emotional fanbase\, worldwide popularity\, and capital-heavy investment opportunities\, is also a key area for competing narratives. News shared on social media around sporting events has become another avenue for the regional rivalry of gulf regimes and the construction of reputations in the international arena. The participants also discussed and questioned the myriad reasons behind the gulf states’ heavy sports investments. It was stated that prestige building\, sports washing\, and projection of soft power were the main factors of this investment strategy. The role of football in national identity preservation in the Arab world and the politicization of the sport in countries such as Morocco\, Egypt\, and Palestine were also examined and discussed. \n\nUltras have a history of using football to develop new tools of political mobilization. This is particularly true for Cairo ultras who were active in mobilizing against the Mubarak regime. The participants explored the connection between aesthetics and politics by looking at Egypt’s football ultras movements. The discussion was then shifted to the role of privatization of football clubs in Egypt and the lack of investors’ interest in the Egyptian football industry. It was argued that structural problems in the Egyptian economy were the main reason behind the lack of investors and availability of funding for football clubs. \n\nThe use of football to construct and contest national identity in Palestine and Iran was also a topic of discussion at the meeting. In the first case\, it has been utilized to shape and represent the national identity by the Palestinians\, whereas in the latter it is the tool through which non-Persian-speaking minorities express their Azeri nationalistic narrative in Iran. Continuing the debate on Iran the group next looked at how various spaces have been used by certain political actors to bypass the ban on women’s entry to football stadiums in Iran. One such arena has been the movie theaters that allow female spectators to the screenings of football matches. Shifting the focus to Turkey\, it was maintained that football has been used by authoritarian regimes to build political support. This in turn has paved the way for the politicization of the football industry in Turkey and the mobilization of football fans to publicly express their dissent against these regimes. The discussion was brought to a close by exploring how Islamist movements in the Middle East namely\, Saudi Arabia\, Iran\, the Muslim Brotherhood\, and Hezbollah\, deal with football. It was stated that in order to avoid alienating the region’s youth a profound cultural adjustment process has been initiated in many countries apart from Iran. \n\nThe organizers thanked the participants for their contribution to the robust and productive discussions. Participants will make revisions to their papers based on the feedback received.  The collection will be co-edited by POMEPS and CIRS and jointly published in POMEPS Studies Journal in the near future. \n\n\nTo view the working group agenda\, click here\n\n\n\nTo read the participants’ biographies\, click here\n\n\nParticipants and Discussants:  \n\n\nMajd Abuamer\, Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies\n\n\n\nAbdullah Al-Arian\, Georgetown University Qatar\n\n\n\nZahra Babar\, CIRS – Georgetown University Qatar\n\n\n\nMisba Bhatti\, CIRS – Georgetown University Qatar\n\n\n\nRonnie Close\, American University in Cairo.\n\n\n\nEman Demerdash\, Ph.D. candidate Cairo University\n\n\n\nSaleh Elghamrawi\, American University of Cairo.\n\n\n\nSami Hermez\, Northwestern University in Qatar\n\n\n\nMarc Owen Jones\, Hamad bin Khalifa University in Doha\, Qatar\n\n\n\nEhsan Kashfi\, University of Alberta\n\n\n\nMarc Lynch\, The George Washington University\n\n\n\nYara Nassar\, Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies\n\n\n\nSuzi Mirgani\, CIRS – Georgetown University Qatar\n\n\n\nIbrahim S.I. Rabaia\, Palestinian Research Center\n\n\n\nDanyel Reiche\, Georgetown University Qatar\n\n\n\nCurtis Ryan\, Appalachian State University- North Carolina\n\n\n\nSefa Secen\, Ohio State University.\n\n\n\nNazanin Shahrokni\, London School of Economics\n\n\n\nDag Tuastad\, University of Oslo.\n\n\n\nElizabeth Wanucha\, CIRS – Georgetown University Qatar\n\n\nArticle by Misba Bhatti\, Research Analyst at CIRS
URL:https://cirs.qatar.georgetown.edu/event/pomeps-cirs-politics-of-sports-in-the-middle-east-workshop/
LOCATION:Education City\, Al Luqta St\, Ar-Rayyan\, Doha\, Qatar
CATEGORIES:Focused Discussions,Regional Studies
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cirs.qatar.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/EH2_0378.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Moscow:20230129T080000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Moscow:20230130T170000
DTSTAMP:20260409T013915
CREATED:20230212T115140Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230312T094848Z
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SUMMARY:The Evolution of African Regional Organizations Working Group I
DESCRIPTION:On January 29 and 30\, 2023\, the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) at Georgetown University Qatar held a book manuscript workshop under its project\, “The Evolution of African Regional Organizations.” Several international and regional scholars were invited to present their papers on various African Regional Organizations (ROs) operational on the African continent. During the meeting\, they discussed various issues such as regionalism\, African voices\, and problems\, gender\, colonial legacies\, Pan-Arabism\, and Pan-Africanism and received extensive and in-depth commentary from the group. \n\nThe initial discussion was initiated by Lynda Iroulo\, with her paper\, “From the Organization of African Unity to the African Union.” She outlined the transition of the African Union (AU) from the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and argued that the Pan-African solidarity norm is a double-edged for the AU. Iroulo highlighted that while solidarity norms were at the heart and center of AU and bound the members together\, it was also detrimental to them. Thus\, she argued it is important for the organization’s future to not only continue on the solidarity path but to strengthen and advance it to other levels of interaction that would bridge the gap between talk and action. \n\nDensua Mumford\, then discussed the issues related to the “Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).” Providing a comprehensive analysis of ECOWAS\, she argued that since its establishment in 1975\, the regional organization has had a complex history of innovation and triumph\, inertia and tragedy. She examined the primary aims of the political leaders and bureaucrats steering the ECOWAS\, the regional organization’s fragile relationship with West African citizens\, and its inventive institutional changes over time. Her paper aims to study these various interactions in light of the shifting global and regional political-economic landscapes. \n\nThe focus of the discussion was then shifted to Afro-Arab relations\, with a paper on “Evolution of the Afro-Arab Region and the Creation of the Arab League\,” by Ahmed Salem & Mohamed Ashour. They began by explaining the inclusion of the Arab League and its importance within the African ROs. Outlining the relevance of the Arab League to the African continent they argued that Afrabia is an integral part of Africa and the pan-African concept of unity. They discussed the league’s history\, background\, and functions and analyzed the league’s past and present contributions to African-Arab cooperation on the continent and on the global scale. \n\nShifting the focus back to regional ROs Donnet-Rose Odhiambo and Christopher Otieno presented their paper on “Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).” Established in 1996 as a successor to Intergovernmental Authority on Drought and Development (IGADD)\, IGAD changed its mandate from focusing on droughts and other natural disasters to promoting and maintaining peace and security in the region. Tracing this transformation\, they looked at IGAD’s political role in conflict management and examined the international community’s role in its establishment. They argue that this change in its mandate enabled its robust reemergence as a legitimate regional actor in Eastern Africa. \n\nWilliam Arrey then presented his chapter on “Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).” Tracing the historical development and the goals and functions of the RO\, Arrey stated that ECCAS was created to promote and strengthen harmonious cooperation and self-sustained economic development of the Central African Sub-region. These economic objectives were revitalized and expanded to include the promotion of cooperation\, peace\, and security in Central Africa.  However\, the organization is still struggling to achieve its ambitious objectives which he argued is a result of many structural and operational challenges. The chapter provides certain policy recommendations to overcome these challenges by suggesting a strategic use of its opportunities and strengths.  \n\nNorman Sempijja and Houyame Hakmi then discussed their chapter on “Arab Maghreb Union (UMA).” Detailing the creation of the organization\, they stated that the Union was created to address several internal and external challenges that had marginalized the Maghreb countries. UMA’s main objectives were establishing cooperation\, good governance\, and peace and security. However\, to the present day\, the organization has failed to achieve true political or economic integration and is riddled with many challenges and intra-regional crises. Building on existing literature\, the chapter aims to highlight the role of UMA\, and its geostrategic importance and reconsider its institutional blockage and asymmetric functioning. \n\nHenry Berrian led the discussion on his chapter titled “Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).” Documenting the historical developments of COMESA\, he analyzed the economic and political developments that have occurred within the organization since its inception in 1994. Using a comprehensive examination Berrian questioned how COMESA had played a role of a transformative institution in Africa to promote regional trade and investment in areas of customs management\, trade facilitation\, project finance\, and technical cooperation. He argued that despite many achievements\, COMESA has faced numerous challenges and finds itself in a unique position as one of the key institutions in the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area. \n\nThe next session was led by Jacob Lisakafu and looked at the role and development of “East African Community (EAC).” Analyzing the evolution of EAC from the colonial period with a focus on its political and economic integration agenda Lisakafu questioned its key roles and responsibilities in the region. Using the theory of liberal institutionalism\, he argued that EAC is a unique RO in terms of its set-up\, historical background\, and mode of functioning. He stated that EAC’s fundamental principles of social\, cultural\, and economic integration and prosperity can be used as a model for other ROs in Africa for establishing foundations for effective integration. \n\nJohn Paul Banchani & Sebastian Pablo then discussed their paper on “Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD).” Addressing the question of security in the region the paper traced the history\, goals\, general mandate\, and operations of CEN-SAD. The authors explained that in recent times the Sahel region has become a hotspot for incidents of terrorism\, Islamic radicalization\, illicit drug traffic\, and fragile states. Tackling these security challenges in the region has shaped the evolution of CEN-SAD. The paper aims to analyze the successes and challenges of CEN-SAD as a regional organization within the context of regionalism in Africa in an era of de-globalization and tries to answer questions regarding the CEN-SAD’s navigation of the challenging security situation in Sahel and its current organizational form. \n\nThe discussion then focused on African ROs and International Organizations (IO) with Oheneba Boateng’s chapter\, “Relationship between African regional orgnaizations in international organizations.” Examining the mandates of African ROs and how they cope with changing regional and global political and economic environments\, Oheneba reflected on the African ROs global presence. He stated that African ROs have acted as mobilizing forces in international affairs on behalf of their member states\, however despite their efforts\, their role in international affairs often causes tensions with member states\, individual bureaucrats\, as well as global actors. The paper seeks to reflect on ways regional ROs can maximize their global presence in a manner that benefits member states and the wider African diaspora.  \n\nThe discussion was brought to a close with Lidet Tilahun’s chapter titled\, “Voices of the Pioneers: The Vision of African Integration.” Tilahun’s piece contextualizes the interviews she conducted with two pioneers of the African Union\, Dr. Nkosazana Clarice Dlamini-Zuma and Ambassador Konjit Sinegiorgis. The paper looks at OAU’s inception\, OAU’s transformation into the AU\, and both their roles and efforts in shaping Agenda 2063. \n\nThe authors will revise their chapters based on the feedback received. CIRS will collect the chapters and publish the outcome of the project as an edited volume. \n\n\nTo view the working group agenda\, click here\n\n\n\nTo read the participants’ biographies\, click here\n\n\n\nRead more about this research initiative\n\n\nParticipants and Discussants:  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRogaia Abusharaf\, Georgetown University in Qatar\n\n\n\nWilliam Hermann Arrey\, Protestant University of Central Africa\, Cameroon\n\n\n\nMohamed Ashour\, Zayed University\, UAE\n\n\n\nZahra Babar\, CIRS – Georgetown University in Qatar\n\n\n\nJohn-Paul Banchani\, Kwame Nkwame University of Science and Technology\, Ghana\n\n\n\nHenry Berrian\, development consultant\, South Africa\n\n\n\nMisba Bhatti\, CIRS – Georgetown University in Qatar\n\n\n\nOheneba Boateng\, Bucknell University\, USA\n\n\n\nHouyame Hakmi\, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P)\, Morocco\n\n\n\nLynda Cinenye Iroulo\, Georgetown University in Qatar\n\n\n\nJacob Lisakafu\, Open University in Tanzania\n\n\n\nSuzi Mirgani\, CIRS – Georgetown University in Qatar\n\n\n\nYehia Mohamed\, Georgetown University in Qatar\n\n\n\nDensua Mumford\, Leiden University\n\n\n\nDonnet-Rose Adhiambo Odhiambo\, Technical University of Kenya\n\n\n\nChristopher Otieno Omolo\, Eberhard Karls University Tubingen\, Germany \n\n\n\nSebastian Angzoorokuu Paalo\, Kwame Nkwame University of Science and Technology\, Ghana\n\n\n\nDalva Raposo\, Georgetown University in Qatar\n\n\n\nAhmed Ali Salem\, Rhodes University in South Africa\n\n\n\nNorman Sempijja\, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P)\, Morocco\n\n\n\nLidet Tilahun\n\n\n\nElizabeth Wanucha\, CIRS – Georgetown University Qatar\n\n\n\nArticle by Misba Bhatti\, Research Analyst at CIRS
URL:https://cirs.qatar.georgetown.edu/event/the-evolution-of-african-regional-organizations-working-group-i/
LOCATION:Education City\, Al Luqta St\, Ar-Rayyan\, Doha\, Qatar
CATEGORIES:Focused Discussions,Race & Society
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cirs.qatar.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/02/Working_Group_Africa_ROs_January292023_1.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Moscow:20230129T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Moscow:20230129T190000
DTSTAMP:20260409T013915
CREATED:20230117T082128Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230326T085420Z
UID:10001493-1675015200-1675018800@cirs.qatar.georgetown.edu
SUMMARY:African Regionalism: Achievements\, Challenges\, and Prospects
DESCRIPTION:This CIRS panel offers a discussion of the history and politics of African Regional Organizations. \n\nModerator: Lynda Iroulo (Georgetown University in Qatar) \n\nPanelists: Norman Sempiija (Mohammed VI Polytechnic University)\, Oheneba Boateng (Bucknell University)\, Densua Mumford (Leiden University)\, and Dalva Raposo (Georgetown University in Qatar\, Class of 2024).  \n\nLocation: CIRS Conference Room\, Georgetown University in Qatar).
URL:https://cirs.qatar.georgetown.edu/event/african-regionalism-achievements-challenges-and-prospectsafrican-regionalism/
LOCATION:Education City\, Al Luqta St\, Ar-Rayyan\, Doha\, Qatar
CATEGORIES:Panels,Race & Society
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cirs.qatar.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/EH2_0664-min.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Moscow:20230131T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Moscow:20230131T190000
DTSTAMP:20260409T013915
CREATED:20230118T085523Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230322T104130Z
UID:10001494-1675188000-1675191600@cirs.qatar.georgetown.edu
SUMMARY:Mapping the Mongol Steppe: Indigenous Cartography and Statecraft in 19th Century Qing China
DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Anne-Sophie Pratte\, Georgetown University in Qatar  \n\nLocation: CIRS Conference Room\, Georgetown University in Qatar \n\nOn January 31\, 2023\, Anne-Sophie Pratte\, Assistant Professor of History at Georgetown University in Qatar\, delivered a CIRS Dialogue titled “Mapping the Mongol Steppe: Indigenous Cartography and Statecraft in 19th Century Qing China.” Pratte argued that multiple historically meaningful “exchanges between various populations of Eurasia took place thanks to a specific ecological zone: the Steppe belt of Eurasia. The steppe belt makes long distance travels the easiest\,” and so Mongolia became a vast contact zone for all kinds of trade\, cultures\, religions\, ideas\, but also conflicts\, between networks of people from the Qing Empire to Eurasia. \n\nIn eighteenth-century imperial cartography\, “despite their size and strategic geographical location at the crossroads of two major early modern empires\, the Mongol lands remained mostly blank on these world maps\, reflecting how little geographical knowledge flowed out of Qing Mongolia to be incorporated into the imperial cartography of the early modern world\,” Pratte noted. \n\nInstead\, “local Mongol maps followed an indigenous system of geographical correspondence” and an intimate local knowledge of the terrain was exhibited by both nomadic and pastoral communities as an important means of navigating the broad expanses of the Mongolian Steppe. These were sketched for past and future generations in a series of sophisticated hand-drawn maps\, which Pratte discussed in detail during her talk. She argued that “from the perspective of Mongol mapmakers\, the maps of their land\, just like their history\, was not blank at all. The maps they drew in the Qing era were rich\, detailed\, artistic\, and diverse\,” and numbered in the thousands. Importantly\, indigenous Mongols “envision their land differently. And the maps they produce give us a unique window into this worldview\,” which does not distinguish between the natural and political geography of the region. \n\nPratte discussed a central dilemma: “Mongol officials drew maps of their land\, and submitted them to the central state in Beijing. And yet\, this layer of geographical knowledge never featured in imperial atlases. Why that was is the question that began this research project.” She answered this question by noting that the complex sophistication of Mongol mapping\, and its relationship to the lived experience of the land\, made it alien to normative imperial cartography\, which discounted such local knowledge\, no matter how rich and informative\, if it did not fit the abstract\, geometric\, simplified\, and standardized maps of the imperial age. \n\nPratte concluded by noting that the National Archives of Mongolia and the Central Library in Ulaanbaatar contain millions of materials documenting pastoralist society in world history\, and so “there remains lots of work to be done to incorporate these voices into our understanding of Eurasian History.” \n\nAnne-Sophie Pratte is an assistant professor of history at Georgetown University in Qatar. She specializes in the early modern history of China and Inner Asia\, with a focus on historical cartography\, China-Mongolia relations\, and environmental history. She previously held a postdoctoral fellowship from the Social Sciences and Research Council of Canada and was a visiting scholar at the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University. She completed her PhD in Inner Asian and Altaic Studies at Harvard University and her M.A. in East Asian Studies at McGill University. Her research was published in Late Imperial China (Dec. 2022) and in Études Mongoles et Sibériennes (2022). She also directed the making of an interactive Manchu historical map for the Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center at the Boston Public Library (2021).
URL:https://cirs.qatar.georgetown.edu/event/mapping-the-mongol-steppe-indigenous-cartography-and-statecraft-in-19th-century-qing-china/
LOCATION:Education City\, Al Luqta St\, Ar-Rayyan\, Doha\, Qatar
CATEGORIES:CIRS Faculty Lectures,Dialogue Series
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cirs.qatar.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/2W7A3789.jpg
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