Thomas Pietzsch – CARPO e.V.

Author: Thomas Pietzsch

5th CARPO Research Forum: Changing Patterns of Global Politics – The Middle East in a Multipolar World

When: 27 November 2024, 15:00-18:00 (CET)

The current global order is undergoing profound changes towards a multipolar world. This shift is characterized by the increased assertiveness of the countries in the so-called Global South, actively seeking new alliances and partnerships beyond traditional Western allies. This realignment is particularly evident in the Middle East, especially within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), as these countries orient themselves towards other world regions.

This year’s CARPO Research Forum will explore the global relationships of Middle Eastern countries within a shifting world order. The focus is on changes in global governance and the multipolar world, examining their implications for Middle Eastern actors. The discussions will highlight the evolving ties between the Middle East and regions of the so-called Global South, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa and Central Asia. Additionally, the forum will address Middle Eastern activities such as in conflict mediation, development cooperation, investment in sustainable technologies, energy diversification, and cultural and sports engagements, where they increasingly challenge traditional powers

In this context, the impact of these global changes on Europe is especially significant as it seeks greater strategic autonomy and new partnerships. Discussions will explore to what extent Europe must redefine its role in international politics and establish effective, equitable relationships with partners from the so-called Global South.  

The CARPO Research Forum is a public online event for which everyone can register here.

Drivers and strategic puzzles of Saudi modernization

In the Clingendael and CARPO report “Drivers and strategic puzzles of Saudi modernization“, the authors analyze the ongoing challenges and opportunities of Saudi Arabia’s current socio-economic transformation. The envisaged transformation is fully in line with the vested interests of the Saudi monarchy and much of the business elite, as well as some of the country’s younger generations. Despite promising potential for mid- and long-term progress in privatization, investments, job creation and social change, the modernization agenda’s lack of participatory governance modalities, insufficient attention to climate change mitigation and absence of a balanced strategy to promote regional stability represent serious medium-term challenges.

Download des Reports auf Englisch.

Erwin van Veen, Other, Sebastian Sons

Empowering Local Authorities to Lead Economic Development in Yemen

This RYE Policy Brief, which is based on discussions the Development Champions Forum held in Cairo in December 2023, outlines a set of recommendations aimed at empowering local authorities in Yemen to effectively provide services and lead local economic development. The aim is to analyze and draw lessons from three ongoing tracks that seek to empower local authorities in Yemen, while also addressing the challenges and opportunities associated with these efforts.

Download the Policy Brief in English or Ara b ic

Other, Rethinking Yemen's Economy, RYE Publications

Scaling Up Solar Energy Investments in Yemen

Poor electricity services remain a key barrier to sustainable economic development in Yemen, exacerbated by the ongoing conflict and related damages to the electricity sector’s infrastructure. Given Yemen’s high average hours of annual daily sunshine and a significant level of solar irradiation, solar energy is a viable and cost-effective alternative to the currently prevalent fossil fuel-based electricity supply. This Policy Brief provides an introduction to electricity provision in Yemen and explores the viability of specific solar energy applications for the country‘s fragile context. It further considers the feasibility of partnering with the private sector in the solar energy sector, and finally presents recommendations and practical steps to address challenges to scaling up investments in this sector in Yemen.

Download the Policy Brief in English or Arabic

Other, Publications, Rethinking Yemen's Economy, RYE Publications

The Role of the Diaspora in Peacebuilding in Yemen. Potentials and Opportunities, Challenges and Constraints

by Marie-Christine Heinze and Ewa K. Strzelecka

On 12 June 2022, FES Yemen and CARPO, in collaboration with the EU-funded Peace Women project, convened a one-day workshop in Amman, Jordan. The aim of this workshop was to discuss with researchers as well as female and male diaspora representatives challenges and constraints as well as potentials and opportunities of Yemeni diaspora communities to contribute to peace in their home country, and to particularly highlight the role of female members of the diaspora community in such efforts. This publication is a summary of the most important workshop findings.

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Allgemein, CARPO Briefs, Ewa Strzelecka, Marie-Christine Heinze, Peace Women

Annual Report 2020/21

After years of solid growth and development in a reasonable pace for an organization like CARPO, the Corona years of 2020 and 2021 were a challenging time for us. We put our focus on keeping our various projects operational and maintaining the size of our team – successfully so. This Annual Report covers the projects implemented during those two years as well as our efforts of mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on our initiatives, which are often based on bringing people into dialogue in the framework of personal encounters.

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Allgemein, Annual Report

CARPO Podcast Folge 8: Der Umgang mit der WM in Qatar – zwischen Medien und Zivilgesellschaft

mit Nicole Selmer und Danyel Reiche 

In der 8. und letzten Folge beschäftigen wir uns damit, wie die WM in Katar im Land selbst und in den deutschen Medien diskutiert, debattiert, gelobt und verurteilt wird. Dafür sprechen wir mit dem Politikwissenschaftler Dr. Danyel Reiche, der seit zwei Jahren in Katar an der Georgetown University zur Rolle des Fußballs in der katarischen Politik forscht. In dem Gespräch geht es um den Vorwurf aus Katar, die Kritik aus dem Westen sei unfair und doppelmoralisch sowie die Situation der Wissenschaft in Katar.

Außerdem erläutert die Sportjournalistin Nicole Selmer, wie sie die deutschsprachige Berichterstattung über die WM wahrnimmt, die mediale Kritik an Katar bewertet und warum ein Boykott für sie und ihre Kolleg*innen beim Fußballmagazin Ballesterer keine Option war.

Das Buch von Danyel Reiche “Qatar and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Politics, Controversy, Change” findet Ihr hier.

Allgemein

CARPO Podcast Folge 7: Menschenrechte und Realpolitik – eine politische Antwort auf die WM

mit Lamya Kaddor

Der russische Angriffskrieg gegen die Ukraine hat in Deutschland die Frage, wie die deutsche Außenpolitik mit autoritären Regimen umgehen sollte, zu einem zentralen Thema der öffentlichen und politischen Debatte werden lassen. Vor dem Hintergrund der notwendigen Energiediversifizierung wurden mit Katar und anderen Golfmonarchien Energiepartnerschaften geschlossen, um sich aus der Abhängigkeit von russischen Gaslieferungen zu lösen. Dabei steht die Frage im Zentrum, wie Deutschland seine werteorientierten Prämissen mit realpolitischen Interessen in der Zusammenarbeit mit Katar und anderen Golfstaaten vereinbaren und eine nachhaltige Strategie im Umgang mit diesen Systemen entwickeln kann. Wie ein solcher Balanceakt aussehen könnte, diskutieren wir mit Lamya Kaddor von Bündnis 90/Die Grünen.
Die 11 Forderungen für die FIFA Fußball- Weltmeisterschaft 2022 in Katar vom Bündnis 90/Die Grünen findet ihr hier.

Außerdem könnt ihr mehr zu dieser Frage in Sebastian Sons Buch „Menschenrechte sind nicht käuflich“ lesen.

Allgemein, CARPO Podcast

CARPO Podcast Folge 5: Eine “grüne” WM? Katar und die Nachhaltigkeit

mit Tobias Zumbrägel

In der 5. Folge sprechen wir mit CARPO-Researcher Tobias Zumbrägel, der sich intensiv mit der Umweltpolitik der Golfstaaten und der WM in Katar beschäftigt.
Katar gewann auch deswegen die Bewerbung um die Fußball-WM, weil der Staat das erste klimaneutrale Turnier der Geschichte ausrichten wollte. Diese ehrgeizigen Ambitionen werden jedoch in Frage gestellt.

Wir diskutieren folgende Fragen: Was ist wirklich dran an der „grünen Wende“ am Golf? Wie realistisch sind die Ziele von Katar und der anderen Golfmonarchien in der Umweltpolitik? Und was hat der Klimawandel mit der WM zu tun?

Sein neues Buch findet Ihr hier.

CARPO Podcast

CARPO Podcast Folge 3: Die WM und die Menschenrechte

mit Katja Müller-Fahlbusch

In der dritten Folge sprechen wir mit Katja Müller-Fahlbusch über die Situation der Menschenrechte in Katar. Keine andere internationale Sportveranstaltung hat die ausbeuterischen Verhältnisse von Arbeitsmigrant:innen so stark in den Mittelpunkt gerückt wie die Weltmeisterschaft in Katar. Katja Müller-Fahlbusch ordnet diese als Vertreterin von Amnesty International für uns ein.

Weitere Informationen zur Arbeit von Amnesty International findet ihr hier: Amnesty International

Allgemein, CARPO Podcast

The Road Transport Sector in Yemen. Critical Issues and Priority Policies

Yemen is predominantly a rural country, with over 70% of the population living in 140,000 settlements in impoverished rural areas. Road transport is thus essential for the country’s development and overall economic growth. With only about 3,744km of paved rural roads, representing approximately 6.4% of all roads in the country, Yemen’s neglected road network poses significant development challenges. Next to an overview of the road transport sector in Yemen and of the repercussions of the war on the sector, this RYE White Paper offers recommendations on alleviating these impacts; infrastructure policies for rural and urban roads; policies for road maintenance and repairs that impact commercial traffic; and updating the institutional structure of the sector.

Download the White Paper in English or Arabic

Other, Publications, Rethinking Yemen's Economy, RYE Publications

The Role of the Environment in Peacebuilding in Yemen

by Bilkis Zabara and Tobias Zumbrägel

This Report addresses the relationship between violent conflict and environmental governance in Yemen. It translates the concept of environmental peacebuilding to the case of Yemen, where it has not received broader attention in terms of post-conflict reconstruction and reconciliation efforts. The study compares six different governorates, namely Sana’a, Dhamar, Ibb, Ta‘iz, Aden and Hadhramawt and finds that all governorates face specific threats. If these challenges are not addressed adequately and in a sustainable manner, they can accelerate social conflict and ultimately threaten long-term solutions for peace and stability in the country. To promote the concept of environmental peacebuilding, the Report provides several suggestions for concrete action by international actors working on Yemen.

view CARPO Report in English or Arabic

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Allgemein, Bilkis Zabara, CARPO Reports, CARPO Sustainability Series, Publications, Research Cooperation on Peacebuilding in Yemen, Tobias Zumbrägel

Local Economic Councils: A Tool to Improve Business Productivity in Yemen

From 25-27 January 2021, the seventh Development Champions Forum, held virtually, focused on the dire business environment in Yemen. To help address local economic challenges, the Development Champions discussed the possibility of establishing Local Economic Councils. According to their analysis, between the community-level local development committees and the Supreme Economic Council on the national level, a space exists for a governorate-level body to drive development by guiding investment to serve local needs and strengthen ties between the governorates and the private sector.

Download the Policy Brief in English or Arabic

Other, Publications, Rethinking Yemen's Economy, RYE Publications

‘Broken People Can’t Heal a Nation.’ The Role of Arts in Peacebuilding in Yemen

by Yazeed al-Jeddawy, Maged al-Kholidy and Kate Nevens

This Report looks at how the arts and peacebuilding have historically intersected in Yemen, and how traditional arts are alive today and are being used to promote peace and war. It demonstrates the variety of ways in which the arts promote and educate on the values of peace, equality and cultural diversity while also being a tool for documenting life during war, telling untold stories and preserving collective memory. It also highlights the use of art for advocating against violence and human rights violations, for supporting the psychosocial wellbeing of traumatized people, and for rebuilding relationships in communities torn apart by the war. The Report concludes with recommendations for a number of different ways in which the arts can make a direct and indirect contribution to peacebuilding in Yemen.

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Allgemein, CARPO Reports, Kate Nevens, Maged al-Kholidy, Publications, Yazeed al-Jeddawy

Economic Priorities for a Sustainable Peace Agreement in Yemen

The Development Champions Forum stresses that the sustainability of a peace agreement in Yemen will, amongst others, depend on two critical insights: First, in a conflict that is largely over access to resources, the issues of distribution and control of those resources can make or break peace. Second, where peace agreements lack provisions that create overall economic stability, warfare can resume during the fragile implementation period. This infographic summarizes the Development Champions’ key recommendations on economic provisions that need to be included in the peace agreement.

This infographic is based on RYE Policy Brief 20.

Publications, Rethinking Yemen's Economy, Videos/Infographics

Yemen’s Accelerating Economic Woes during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Since early 2015, Yemen has been almost completely dependent on three external sources to secure foreign currency inflows and stimulate economic activity: foreign humanitarian aid, Saudi financial support to the internationally recognized government, and – by far the most significant – remittances from Yemeni expatriates, most working in Saudi Arabia. All three of these foreign currency sources have dramatically declined in 2020 because of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The current acute shortage of foreign currency has profound implications for the value of Yemen’s domestic currency, and the country’s ability to finance fuel and basic commodity imports. This is likely to lead to the rapid intensification of the humanitarian crisis. This White Paper presents policy recommendations to address this situation for relevant national and international stakeholders.

Download the White Paper in English or Arabic

Other, Publications, Rethinking Yemen's Economy, RYE Publications

Generating New Employment Opportunities in Yemen

This Policy Brief brings forward crucial recommendations to address Yemen’s worsening economic and humanitarian crises. These recommendations result from the third Development Champions Forum, which took place in Amman, Jordan, between 14–16 July 2018 as part of the “Rethinking Yemen’s Economy” initiative. Amongst others, the Development Champions recommend that policy makers seek to create jobs by investing in sectors that have historically been neglected in favor of oil and gas activities. This includes investing in agriculture, developing the fishing industry, expanding mining operations, and linking reconstruction efforts to the local construction sector. In the medium term, policy makers should look to new initiatives, such as constructing a free zone on the Yemen-Saudi border.

Download the Policy Brief in English or Arabic

Other, Publications, Rethinking Yemen's Economy, RYE Publications

Rivals or Partners? Interdependencies between the EU and China in the Middle East

by Julia Gurol

Geopolitical occurrences and the changing role of the United States in the Middle East have led to an increased interdependence between the EU and China in the Middle East, a region where the economic and security interests of each meet, compete and converge. While the main drivers of EU-China relations remain economic, the security dimension of their relationship is steadily increasing. It is therefore timely to undertake a preliminary mapping of EU-China security relations in the Middle East, in order to assess the potential drivers towards cooperation and explore possibilities to turn the greater interdependence into increased cooperation rather than expanding competition.

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CARPO Studies, Julia Gurol, Publications

RYE: An open letter regarding Hudaydah

The Yemen Development Champions discussed the latest developments in Hudaydah governorate while convening for the latest Development Champions Forum. The Champions are concerned by the impact of escalating military operations on the humanitarian situation in Yemen as a whole and Hudaydah governorate in specific; in addition to the damage that would be caused to vital economic infrastructure. The effect on the economic situation in the country would be catastrophic. Hudaydah governorate is the third most densely populated governorate in Yemen and has more than 36,000 economic facilities. It is home to the most important port in the country, through which the majority of goods and humanitarian aid are brought into Yemen.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place. Recognizing the Primacy of Politics in UN Peacebuilding

by Andrea Warnecke

This CARPO Study scrutinizes the dichotomy between the political and non-political parts of the UN system and asks whether the UN system can conduct peacebuilding in contested intra-state settings irrespective of Security Council backing. It argues that the UN’s perennial pre-occupation with improving peacebuilding coherence across its bodies is bound up with the attempt to project greater political leverage vis-à-vis host state governments. The quest for peacebuilding reform has recently come full circle by acknowledging the fundamental dilemma of conducting intra-state peacebuilding in ‘non-cooperative’ environments as a challenge to be addressed at the political level of inter-governmental cooperation rather than through the non-political parts of the UN.

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Andrea Warnecke, CARPO Studies, Peacebuilding and State building in Yemen, Publications

Increasing the Effectiveness of the Humanitarian Response in Yemen

This Policy Brief brings forward recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of the humanitarian response in Yemen. These recommendations result from the second Development Champions Forum, which took place in Amman, Jordan, between 14–16 January 2018 as part of the “Rethinking Yemen’s Economy” initiative. Among the key topics of discussion among the Development Champions were the need for international humanitarian actors to increase their coordination with local authorities, civil society actors, and the Yemeni private sector; the importance of decentralizing the humanitarian response; and the importance of prioritizing assistance to the most vulnerable members of Yemeni society.

Download the Policy Brief in English or Arabic

Other, Publications, Rethinking Yemen's Economy, RYE Publications

International Organizations and the Yemeni Private Sector

This Policy Brief addresses the role of the Yemeni private sector in mitigating the humanitarian crisis in Yemen as well as its relationship to international humanitarian organizations. It finds that a large number of Yemeni business owners have been engaged in trying to alleviate the suffering of Yemenis out of their own volition, but also in service of and cooperation with international humanitarian agencies. Despite this successful cooperation relationship, this Policy Brief also finds that there remains significant room for improvement particularly what communication and coordination measures are concerned. To this end, it is recommended – amongst others – that international humanitarian actors form a joint coordination platform with the Yemeni private sector, local authorities and civil society.

Download the Policy Brief in English or Arabic

Ali Azaki, Other, Publications, Rethinking Yemen's Economy, RYE Publications

Restoring Central Bank Capacity and Stabilizing the Rial

This Policy Brief brings forward crucial recommendations to address Yemen’s current challenges in the financial sector. These recommendations result from the second Development Champions Forum, which took place in Amman, Jordan, between 14–16 January 2018 as part of the “Rethinking Yemen’s Economy” initiative. Here, among the urgent topics of discussion was the deterioration of the value of the Yemeni rial (YR), the magnifying impact this is having on the humanitarian crisis, and the need to re-empower the Central Bank of Yemen (CBY) as the steward of the rial and the economy in general. The recommendations collectively underline the need for the CBY to function in a more coherent, assertive manner – whereby its various branches operate as a united bank that is able to draft and implement economic and monetary policies for Yemen as a whole.

Download the Policy Brief in English or Arabic

Other, Publications, Rethinking Yemen's Economy, RYE Publications

Working Paper: Knowledge in Peacebuilding: Elements, Production, Dissemination

edited by Marie-Christine Heinze and Bilkis Zabara

This publication is the result of a summer school entitled “Academic Approaches to Peacebuilding in Yemen” held in Amman, Jordan, in September 2016, which brought together advanced academics from the University of Bonn and the Gender-Development Research & Studies Center at Sanaa University as well as MA and PhD students from Yemen and Germany. In an exercise over the course of two mornings, the student participants, led by the editors of this paper, developed recommendations for researchers and policy-makers on how best to approach, implement and present research on peacebuilding in societies in conflict. The exercise aimed to achieve two objectives: a) to develop a guide for young researchers, NGOs and policy-makers involved in generating knowledge on and for peace-building processes; and b) to subject the summer school participants to a intercultural / inter-academic writing and learning process in which a German and a Yemeni student teamed up to produce one recommendation. This paper is the result of this exercise.

Download in English or Arabic.

Bilkis Zabara, Marie-Christine Heinze, Other, Peacebuilding and State building in Yemen, Publications

“Women Nowadays Do Anything.” Women’s Role in Conflict, Peace and Security in Yemen

by Marie-Christine Heinze and Marwa Baabbad

This Study brings together the findings of qualitative research conducted in Ibb and Aden by the Yemen Polling Center (YPC) in cooperation with CARPO and Saferworld. It looks at the impact of the war on women and their families in these two regions, particularly in terms of security-related issues, and the roles women play or have played in the conflict as well as in the building of security and peace.

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Enhancing Women's Role in Peace and Security, Marie-Christine Heinze, Marwa Baabbad, Other, Publications

Addressing Yemen’s Most Critical Challenges. Practical Short-term Recommendations

This Policy Brief summarizes the short-term recommendations to address Yemen’s current most critical challenges in development and economy which resulted from the first Development Champions Forum. This Forum took place in Amman, Jordan, between April 29 and May 1, 2017 as part of the “Rethinking Yemen’s Economy” initiative. The challenges addressed in this Policy Brief were identified within three main, if overlapping, categories: the food security crisis, the problems faced by the banking industry, and the collapse of basic service delivery.

Download the Policy Brief in English or Arabic

Other, Publications, Rethinking Yemen's Economy, RYE Publications

Women’s Role in Peace and Security in Yemen. Literature Review

by Marie-Christine Heinze

This literature review provides an overview of women’s interactions with peacebuilding efforts in Yemen, in view to informing current strategies on how to enhance their role. In doing so, it considers questions in regard to women’s political participation in the past; the impact of conflict on women’s lives; the social norms governing women’s activism; and examples of women’s involvement in peacebuilding processes.

Download

Enhancing Women's Role in Peace and Security, Marie-Christine Heinze, Other, Publications

Grey-scales. Negotiating the Civil State in Post-Revolutionary Egypt

by Sarah Wessel

As a slogan, dawla madaniyya (civil state) was one of the most often heard during the 2011 ‘Arab Spring’ uprisings across the Arab World. In this CARPO Study, Sarah Wessel explores the changing state-society relations in Egypt, following the so-called 25 January Revolution until the ousting of Muhammad Mursi. By investigating the complex assumptions, perceptions and circumstances expressed in support of the civil state, the authors shows that the diverse notions indicate a deeper shared concern: whether the emerging political and social extremes can be reunified in order to rehabilitate the disintegration of the national collective.

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CARPO Studies, Completed Projects, Dawla Madaniyya, Publications, Sarah Wessel

Aden 1986 – The Forgotten Evacuation [in German]

by Hans Jürgen Wendler

In the final phase of the Cold War, as Moscow is losing its grip on the world-wide socialist community of states, a civil war in socialist southern Yemen forces thousands of foreigners to flee to the beaches of Aden. They are brought to safety in a joint rescue mission across Cold War frontiers, including ships from East and West. For the first time in the history of sea evacuations since 1945, a German freighter – the MS “Müggelsee” – is part of the mission. Despite the positive role the GDR played in the rescue mission, it subsequently increases the control of its merchant marine. Thirty years later, contemporary witnesses share their memories and the foreign ministries of both Germanies open their archives. Available only in German.

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CARPO Studies, Hans Jürgen Wendler, Publications

The GDR, Honecker and the South Yemen Crisis of 1986 [in German]

by Miriam Müller

In January 1986, a internal conflict in the Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP) escalates into a bloody civil war. After a few days, Aden lies in ruins and with it the international credibility of a significantly decimated YSP – a fact that soon took a heavy toll on the erstwhile close relations with the German Democratic Republic (GDR) and its governing party, the Marxist-Leninist Socialist Unity Party. This CARPO Study provides an overview of this special friendship between the GDR and the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY) and analyses the consequences of the 1986 conflict in the context of the last phase of the Cold War. It concluded with a view towards a possible trajectory the GDR-PDRY relationship could have taken had not both states dissolved. Only available in German.

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CARPO Studies, Miriam Müller, Publications

Know Your Enemy – Iranian and Saudi Perspectives on ISIL

by Adnan Tabatabai und Kawa Hassan

CARPO and the EastWest Institute have established a confidential track 2 format for Iranian-Saudi dialogue. The first dialogue meeting took place In the fall of 2015 in Brussels. Current and former diplomats, analysts and security experts from both countries met alongside European policy-makers and experts to discuss “Iranian and Saudi Perspectives on ISIL”. During the 2-day conference, root-causes of the rise of ISIL were outlined along four key dimensions, and comprehensive strategies against violent extremist organizations such as ISIL proposed. CARPO Brief 03 summarizes the most important insights and presents tangible policy recommendations.

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Adnan Tabatabai, CARPO Briefs, Iran-Saudi-Dialogue, Kawa Hassan, Publications

Turkey’s Parliamentary Elections and the Quest for Stability

by Şafak Baş

Turkey is set to hold its parliamentary elections on November 1 in an atmosphere marked by political violence, polarization and insecurity. Regardless of the election outcome, Ankara will need to focus on national reconciliation and the reduction of sociopolitical tensions. Peace talks with the Kurdish PKK must resume. Even as its Western partners should substantially support Turkey in handling the influx of refugees into Turkey and Europe, the West must also urge Ankara to foster national reconciliation and to respect the democratic principles that are deeply rooted in the history of the republic.

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CARPO Briefs, Publications, Şafak Baş

Making Sense of Iran’s Iraq Policy

by Mohammad Ali Shabani

Iran’s relationship with Iraq has come into the limelight amid the onslaught of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Iranian policy is geared towards maintaining Iraq’s territorial integrity, secure qualified stability and expand Iran’s economic sphere. To maximize its influence in Iraq, Tehran has been playing the long game, exploited the mistakes of other foreign actors, diversified its relationships with Iraqi factions, seized on Baghdad’s limited alliance options and sought a constructive relationship with Grand Ayatollah al-Sistani.

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CARPO Briefs, Mohammad Ali Shabani, Publications

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