Civil Society

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Pro-Sadr Protests Exacerbate Risky Political Impasse in Iraq

Iraq’s Parliament, where a sit-in of Sadr supporters continues, has become the epicenter of the intra-Shia power struggle, perpetuating the country’s political crisis.

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After Sistani: Is There a Successor to Continue His Legacy?

Since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, Iraq’s Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani has played a key role in Iraq’s religious and political spheres, particularly as a staunch opponent of vilayet e-faqih.

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Bread Riots in Iran, Intransigence in Vienna

Are domestic protests over economic conditions likely to increase Iran’s willingness to come to a final agreement with the United States to restore the JCPOA?

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“Civil Nomadism”: Itinerant Social Engagement as a Precursor to Civil Society

A fixed definition of civil society can cloud a deeper understanding of how civil society can function in different contexts, like that of the UAE.

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Hard-Fought Iraqi Presidential Contest Signals Fraught Government Formation Ahead

The Iraqi presidency is effectively reserved for a Kurdish leader, but Salih and Zebari may point the country in very different directions.

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Arab Shia Communities in Transition: A Peacemaking Opportunity for the International Community?

This report is based on the discussions held during a workshop co-hosted with the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung on Shia communities in Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.

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Old Playbook for New Kuwaiti Government Signals Further Stasis

An addictive recourse to the same political class and governance scheme suggests Kuwait’s new government, like its predecessors, will prove unable to effectively confront the country’s many challenges.

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Iraq Protest Movement Defies Odds, Outperforms in Elections

Results from Iraq’s elections show that a determined young generation can organize and win seats, no matter the obstacles placed in the way by a political system most Iraqis lost faith in long ago. 

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Low Turnout, But Glimmer of Hope in Iraq's Elections

AGSIW's Geneive Abdo spoke with Akeel Abbas, an expert on Iraqi politics and sectarian identities, to discuss the results of Iraq's October 10 parliamentary elections.

Are Iran and Egypt on a Path to Entente?

A thaw with Egypt may help an economically besieged Iranian government rattled by popular protests boost its regional standing.

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Through its careful examination of the forces shaping the evolution of Gulf societies and the new generation of emerging leaders, AGSIW facilitates a richer understanding of the role the countries in this key geostrategic region can be expected to play in the 21st century.

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