The Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship and the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs, in consultation with the International Labour Organization, are issuing a call for research papers on labor movements and unions and the quest for social justice in the Arab region.
In light of the social and economic problems that the Arab intifadas have highlighted after decades of neoliberal policies, unemployment, corruption and social inequalities under Arab regimes, economic and social reform has become central to the demand of Arab citizens. What role have unions played in the struggle for social justice in the region? How autonomous and representative are these labor organizations? What challenges — imposed by national, regional, and international frameworks — face labor movements, and what opportunities exist – or could exist for them?
Research papers should include:
– A historical overview of labor movements and their progress, impact, and challenges in the past ten years;
– The legal, structural, and financial frameworks of unions;
– The local, regional and international environments’ influence on labor movements, and analytical recommendations for the future.
Each research paper should focus on one particular Arab country, with priority given to: Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Sudan, Oman, Bahrain, Yemen, Occupied Palestine, Iraq, Lebanon, and Jordan.
Submissions can be in either Arabic or English and are due by August 28, 2015. See detailed application instructions here
Researchers will be notified by September 25, 2015, and will be paid for the study. All researchers will be invited to a methodology workshop in Beirut, Lebanon in October or November. First drafts of the study are expected by February 2016, when they will be presented in a closed workshop for discussion.