The human rights movement in the Middle East & North Africa region is at a critical juncture facing both external and internal challenges. The genocide in Gaza and its flagrant exposure of double standards has further shaken belief in the ability of the international human rights system to address massive abuses, particularly after years of crimes committed in armed conflicts in Syria, Sudan, Yemen, Libya, and Lebanon. Yet, amidst this dire situation, Palestinian organizations as well as Syrian groups in exile have succeeded in getting a number of perpetrators indicted or in some cases, even convicted.
The movement’s challenges are not limited to armed conflicts and impunity for war crimes. Autocratic restoration, societal backlash against personal freedoms, economic crises, rising poverty, and environmental deterioration present unprecedented challenges. Meanwhile, the movement itself faces internal dilemmas related to governance, positionality, sustainability and effectiveness, prompting urgent conversations about revisiting its “business model” and tools of advocacy. The critique of the NGOization of the movement is not new, but it feels more existential today.
Amid these realities, the Arab Reform Initiative would like to better understand how the younger generation of human rights activists - those who became activists after 2011 – perceive these issues and ways forward. We are inviting young human rights activists in the region to contribute essays reflecting on their own experiences, positionality, and activism. Selected essays will form a dedicated chapter in an upcoming volume on the future of the human rights movement in the region.
Key Themes & Questions
To ensure submissions align with the focus of this volume, we encourage writers to engage with the following prompts. Writers can choose to focus on one key theme or on the intersection of multiple themes as long as the ideas are clear, well elaborated, and build on the writer’s own personal experience and reflections.
- Positionality and Personal Experience
- How has your personal background shaped your engagement with human rights activism?
- What role do young activists play in shaping the movement today?
- The Current Political and Human Rights Landscape
- How do you assess the legitimacy and effectiveness of the international human rights system in light of current crises?
- How have recent developments (e.g., Gaza, international courts, autocratic restoration) influenced your perspective on human rights work?
- Challenges Facing the Movement
- What are the biggest challenges for human rights activism in your country or context?
- How does the movement’s governance, funding models, or approaches to advocacy impact its effectiveness?
- How should the movement address the crisis of legitimacy and its ability to engage with local communities and grassroots organizations?
- What role does the intersection between human rights and economic justice play in shaping future strategies?
- Rethinking Strategies and Tools
- Are traditional human rights advocacy tools sufficient in addressing today’s challenges?
- Looking back on your experience, what forms of organizing or advocacy do you wish had been explored more? What would you have liked to see in the movements or organizations you were part of, and what kinds of coalitions do you think should have been pursued?
- The Future of the Human Rights Movement
- What visions do you have for the future of human rights work in your country or in the region? What alternative or innovative approaches could the movement adopt?
Eligibility
We welcome submissions from writers and activists from the Arab region (living in the region or in diaspora.
Applicants should fit the following description:
- Young human rights activists from the region between the ages of 20 and 30.
- Individuals actively involved in the human rights movement, whether as activists or through professional experience in local or international human rights organizations.
- Individuals who are interested in reflecting on their own experiences, perspectives, and positionality within the movement.
Submission Process & Guidelines
- Essay Length: Around 2,000 to 2,500 words.
- Language: Submissions can be in Arabic, French or English.
- Compensation: Selected essays will receive financial compensation of 400$.
We are adopting a two-step process. First, a pitch submission that needs to be validated before you submit a full essay.
Pitch Submission Deadline: April 24
- Choose your focus from the key themes presented above and submit a pitch for you article using the following link. You can focus on one key theme or on the intersection of multiple themes as long as your idea is clear, well elaborated, and builds on your own personal reflections.
- Please submit your pitch by April 24. This is the final date to propose your ideas or concepts for consideration.
Full Article Submission Deadline: May 24
- Once your pitch has been approved, the deadline for submitting your complete paper is May 24. Ensure that a final draft is submitted by this date for review.
For any questions and inquiries please contact: d.ahwach@arab-reform.net and n.houry@arab-reform.net