Contentious politics in MENA: Cracking the status quo: Lebanon as a case study

Lebanon has been witnessing cycles of contention for almost two decades as citizens mobilize calling for reform, with demands escalating to reform and change of the political system.

The ruling elite in Lebanon have been adept at keeping the political system in place, but there have been significant gains made by nascent independent political parties and civil society.

This panel sheds light on these gains through reflections on the individual experiences of the speakers to show how pro-reform advocates are challenging the political status quo in Lebanon.

Speakers
Laury Haytayan, Middle East and North Africa Director, Natural Resource Governance Institute (via Zoom)
Michel Helou, Secretary General, Lebanese National Bloc
Diana Moukalled, Journalist; Co-founder and Executive Director of Daraj Media
Nizar Saghieh, Executive Director, The Legal Agenda
Chair: Farea Al-Muslimi, Research Fellow, Middle East and North Africa Programme, Chatham
House