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Compiled by faculty members at the German University in Cairo, this working paper series addresses the effect that watsa has on competence and morality in Middle Eastern economics and society. The authors define watsa as, "the intervention of a patron in favor of a client to obtain benefits and/or resources from a third party." In simpler terms it is a system of social networking in Arab culture in which family and social ties play a significant role in the attainment of economic advantages and resources, largely in the hiring process in businesses and organizations. A person applying for a job seeks out watsa to increase their chances of getting hired. Comparable to nepotism and cronyism, but is not restricted to friends and associates, watsa can also involve strangers linked through some social web of people. Watsa runs somewhat parallel to a Chinese concept of guanxi, based on Confucian ethics and focusing on strong collective ties. While guanxi is a part of Chinese ethics it actually defies Muslim ethical values, which advocates hiring the person most capable. In a Jordanian survey, 87% of respondents want watsa eradicated. While we know that unemployment in the Arab region is widespread, we can assume that this motivates people to do anything they can to improve their chances of obtaining a job. However, the practice of watsa as a whole is actually degrading the economic systems in the Arab sates even further. The article explains the linkage between watsa and poor job performance, economic decline, and the festering of injustice and frustration among the masses in Arab countries.

This looks super interesting, but I can't get the link to open. Thanks for writing a thorough summary of it!

Algeria is a country of origin and transit for trafficking in persons, women men and children, for forced labor, sexual exploitation and organ harvesting. Victims from Sub-Sahara Africa enter Algeria voluntarily and are trafficked to Europe. Men are primarily subjected to forced labor while women become part of the prostitution chain, paying off their smuggling debts.

This dissertation written by United Nations Commissioner for Refugees Laura Waas, provides some more academic insight into what exactly constitutes as stateless peoples in the Middle East and North African regions as well as the underlying conditions and legislation these stateless persons have developed. Waas points to the lack of nationality as the primary concern.

This article discusses the measures put into place to monitor the media in Egypt during the 2015 election. Such rules include not asking people who they are voting for outside of the polls, and not including personal views into reports.

This article discusses the measures put into place to monitor the media in Egypt during the 2015 election. Such rules include not asking people who they are voting for outside of the polls, and not including personal views into reports.

Both the current Egyptian authorities and the Muslim Brotherhood have failed to attract the support of the youth, while women participated in the recent referendum to support stability. The youth see the remnants of Mubarak's administration through the government structure. The revolution wouldn't be important without changes to the government. Many political groups are trying to coax the youth to being on "their side," and meanwhile, the Egyptian youth are struggling to find any positives. Gaining the vote of the youth generally means a win or loss for the politicians.

Both the current Egyptian authorities and the Muslim Brotherhood have failed to attract the support of the youth, while women participated in the recent referendum to support stability. The youth see the remnants of Mubarak's administration through the government structure. The revolution wouldn't be important without changes to the government. Many political groups are trying to coax the youth to being on "their side," and meanwhile, the Egyptian youth are struggling to find any positives. Gaining the vote of the youth generally means a win or loss for the politicians.

10 media personalities cancelled or quit since Jan. 2011.

Hamas shows its ruthlessness in this story and video showing that any suspicious persons who may be informants or any kind of threat to their way of life

This article illuminates the aftermath of Gaddafi's reign from a first person perspective of a citizen fleeing the country due to its devastating chaos. He offers a short version of the conflict and the rise in militant groups. The root of the issue is the fact that when the GNC took power, the factions funded the militant groups for their own insurance rather than working towards their disbandment. The Islamist coalition dominated parliament, and as chaos deepened when they realized they would loose the election so they just delayed having one. This is where General Khalifa Haftar chimed in, launching his offense against islamic insurgency by storming the capitol in Tripoli leading the country to slip into civil war. The Author says "We are like a class of kids where the bad teacher is suddenly dead," he said. "Now we all fight each other." When the light finally comes to a country that was for so long in the dark, its blinding. 

Princess Reema talks about her efforts to train women to join the workforce. She was recently interviewed on her thoughts of social media. She feels it is a strong driving force. What people say is heard immediately. It is making a very positive impact. She wants to teach women skills they need for work such as personal communication and what HR is.

This is a nice video that shows the journey of a young female in Egypt. She escaped her own personal hell of what would have been arranged marriage after years of abuse.

This link provides information regarding President Bashar al-Assad of Syria. There is a summary of his ruling which has been since 2000, as well as many more facts pertaining to personal life, public life, human rights role, foreign relations and much more.

One of the things I personally didn't know about Al Qaeda was that some of the people involved are very smart people. The way they use their intelligence is different from how we would use them. I found this interesting because being an explosives expert sounds like it involves a lot of skill and knowledge.

In Saudi Arabia if workers file a complaint against their employers about abuse they are usually returned to their employers or pressured to drop the charges. Typically, the employers will file a false counter-argument against the workers for theft, witchcraft, and adultery in retaliation. This country is also accused of failing to take action to reduce the demand of prostitution or child sex tourism. 

Article is about Women's right groups putting forward a number of drafts for new laws. These laws consist of personal status, domestic violence and human trafficking, municipal elections, child, and labour.

Manola is now only 20 years old, but a few years ago she heard about a program in Lebanon. Next thing she knew she was on a plane with 11 other girls on their way to their personal nightmare. In Lebanon, Manola was a housekeeper who was abused, raped, and beaten regularly.

The Algerian government does not recognize human trafficking an illegal offense. Instead Algerian authorities use the offenses of "hiding and exchange of children", "abuse of job authority to sexually exploit others", "forced prostitution" and others to prosecute some forms of trafficking in persons.

Here is a personal account of an innocent civilian family affected by the daily and ongoing fight between the PKK and the Turkish Republic. A two-year ceasefire has been broke, as Turkey has increased its bombing campaign against the Kurds in the mountains.

This article was ignited after Obama's nomination of Garland to the Supreme Court. Garland is a Jewish which makes the Supreme Court 4 Catholics and 3 Jews. This article goes deeper into Government and looks at the statistics of Jews, WASPS, and Catholics in the Government. There is a distinct lack of Islamic or Muslim persons in the government. This article is based on how this could hurt U.S. chances with all foreign policy in the MIddle East.

This article is based on some of the research that Nicola Pratt conducted over the past two years on women's activism in Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan, from independence until the Arab uprisings. Nicola collected over one hundred personal narratives from middle class women activists of different generations. The article includes the rise of radical movements after 1967, the counter-revolution (post-1967), and re-popularizing and de-popularizing women's rights after 2011.

This article is based on some of the research that I have conducted over the past two years on women's activism in Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan, from independence until the Arab uprisings. I collected over one hundred personal narratives from middle class women activists of different generations.