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Subtopics to be discussed at Envision Arabia Summit 2011:
1) State-Building - We start by answering the basic question of what a state is and what it entails. State-building is a process of building physical, legal, administrative, and normative institutions by a central authority coordinating with society and in reflection of their needs and aspirations. How can individual citizens effectively partake in state-building? In particular, how can their aspirations be realized and participation ensured? State-building, which includes alterations in constitutions and political institutions, in many instances on a fundamental level, is a difficult endeavor. Arab societies will have to face this challenge, even more so now that they are exhibiting serious activism in making their own future. The workshop aims to discern the institutional weaknesses in Arab states, and discuss what kind of adjustments or new creations would be suitable given the wide array of particulars in these cases.
2) Conceptions of Shari’a Law - While the topic of Shari’a Law has and continues to be hotly debated within the media and within scholarly and religious circles, less spoken of is the multitude of meanings and precedent that Shari’a encompasses. What should Shari’a embody? What role should this legal framework play in contemporary life and state politics? The Workshop will seek to shed light on the conceptions of Shari’a law, as well as promote discussion on its applicability in the Arab World.
3) Women and Gender - The Arab World’s safeguarding and promotion of women’s rights leaves much to be desired. Entrenched in the legal system as well as on a practical level, infringements on the rights of women occur on a daily basis. Crucial to confronting this inequality is accounting for what gender is, and what role conceptions of gender play in differentiating between ‘male’ and ‘female’ individuals. How do these embodiments of sex and gender impinge on individual freedom? The workshop’s goal is to explore the political, social, religious and cultural causes for these inequalities as they currently stand, as well as understanding its negative ramifications on the Arab World and development. Finally it would attempt to find means to overcome certain detrimental attitudes and actions towards women at local, state and judicial levels.
ADI Law and Human Rights Chair: Ayman Kuzbari
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Dr. Imad Mansour – Moderator (State-Building)
Imad Mansour is Faculty Lecturer in the Department of Political Science at McGill University. His forthcoming book is Legacies of Statecraft in the Middle East: How Ruling Regimes Navigated World Politics (1950-2000). His work appeared in MERIP, Middle East Policy, and International Journal. He received Honorable Mention in the Arts Undergraduate Society’s 2008-2009 Excellence in Teaching Award at McGill. Dr. Mansour is also involved in the practice dimensions of governance and policy-making. In 2009 he was senior consultant in designing a policy research institute for research and advocacy in the Arab system; and has practical experience in regional microfinance services.
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Mr. Ibrahim Attar – Moderator (Conceptions of Shari'a Law)
Ibrahim Attar is currently a third year law student at McGill University. He spent the past summer working in a full service law firm in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia which exposed him to many facets of Shari'a law as it was applied in the KSA and has previously written on the interrelationship between Shari'a law and contract law in Syria. He is currently the Executive Managing Editor of the McGill Journal of Law and Health and the Bursary Co-ordinator at the Human Rights Working Group at the McGill Faculty of law. Prior to beginning his legal studies at McGill, Ibrahim graduated with Honours from Concordia University with a degree in Political Science. |
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Ms. Kenza Oumlil – Moderator (Women and Gender)
Kenza Oumlil is a PhD Candidate in Communication at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. Her research interests include gender and critical race studies, alternative media, postcolonial theory, cultural studies, and Arab and Muslim representations in the media. Kenza completed a Bachelor’s and a Master’s of Arts in Communication at San Francisco State University.
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