The challenges to peace and democracy in the Middle East
Speakers
This conversation is part of AFSEE's programme of events to celebrate our tenth anniversary.
Peace and democracy are facing growing challenges across the Middle East, raising urgent questions about the future of the region. From violent armed conflicts to escalating political polarisation and pressures on democratic institutions and civic participation, people across the Middle East are confronting complex and interconnected challenges. Several speakers on the panel are experts in context of the Israel -Palestine conflict. They will reflect on the political developments following the Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023 and the subsequent Israeli military campaign that has resulted in the genocide of the Palestinian population in Gaza. The panel will explore the obstacles to building peaceful and democratic societies in the region, examining how political movements, civil society organisations, and grassroots initiatives are responding to these challenges. Bringing together perspectives from academia and activism, the discussion will consider the challenges but also to the possible pathways to peace and democracy in a rapidly changing region.
Meet our speakers and chair
Rula Daood is co-leader of Place for Us All, an Arab-Jewish political party fighting for peace and equality in Israel and Palestine. As co-leader of Place for Us All, Rula is the only woman in Israel to be named as a leader of a political party. A Palestinian citizen of Israel from Kfar Yasif, she began her career as a speech pathologist before becoming a political organiser. She co-founded Standing Together in 2015 and, alongside Alon-Lee Green, was named one of TIME magazine’s 100 emerging global leaders in 2024.
Alon-Lee Green is co-leader of Place for Us All, an Arab-Jewish political party fighting for peace and equality in Israel and Palestine. A lifelong activist, he founded Israel’s first National Waiters’ Union as a teenager and played a leading role in the 2011 social protest movement in Israel. He co-founded Standing Together in 2015 and, alongside Rula Daood, was named one of TIME magazine’s 100 emerging global leaders in 2024.
Mary Kaldor is Professor Emeritus of Global Governance and Director of the Conflict Research Programme at LSE IDEAS. She has pioneered the concepts of “new wars” and global civil society. Her work on human security has influenced European and national governments, and she is the author of numerous books and articles, including New and Old Wars: Organised Violence in a Global Era, International Law and New Wars (with Christine Chinkin), and Global Security Cultures.
Yonatan Levi is a political scientist studying democratic backsliding in Israel and abroad – and the civic movements fighting against it. One of his key research interests is the relationship between the rise of right-wing populism in Israel and the Arab–Israeli conflict. He teaches at Reichman University and is a research fellow at Molad – the Centre for the Renewal of Israeli Democracy. Yonatan received his PhD from LSE’s European Institute earlier this year.
Armine Ishkanian is the Executive Director of the Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity (AFSEE) programme at the International Inequalities Institute and Professor in the Department of Social Policy at LSE. Her research focuses on the relationship between civil society, democracy, development, and social transformation.
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The Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity programme, based at the International Inequalities Institute at the London School of Economics and Political Science, is a fellowship programme building a catalytic values-led global community of people who are committed to using collective leadership to work towards social and economic justice for all.
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