Completed Projects
Impact of Oil Extraction Industries on Local Communities and the Environment in Hadhramawt, Yemen
Duration: April 2022 – April 2023
Over the past years, the oil extraction industry and climatic disasters played an important role in environmental degradation and socio-political instability in Yemen. Against the backdrop of these problems, Ettifaq, MMF and CARPO explore the impact of oil extraction in the governorate of Hadhramawt. Livelihoods and the health of local communities are at the focus, as well as the ways environmental pressures exacerbate tensions and hinder coexistence. The overall goal of this project, which will result in workshops, trainings, briefings and a publication, is to raise awareness about Yemen’s environmental stress, addressing of which constitutes a key prerequisite for sustainable peace in the country.
Global Autocratic Collaboration in Times of COVID-19: Game Changer or Business as usual in Sino-Gulf Relations
Duration: February 2021 – July 2022
There is strong empirical evidence that COVID-19 acts as a booster for processes of global autocratization in which autocratic protagonists present themselves as more effective role modelsin fighting the pandemic than the ‘liberal script’ of Western societies. This project aims at explaining these corridors of autocratic collaboration based on the example of Sino-Gulf relations that challenge Europe’s and Germany’s international alliances andpartnerships. The project consists of two research blocs: Firstly, it deals with the traveling of autocratic practices and asks how global autocratic collaboration manifests itself in times of crises. Secondly, the project addresses questions of competition for China’s favor:How are regional actors competing in terms of their ‘special relations’ with China?
Energy Transition and the Upcoming Hydrogen Economy in Saudi Arabia
Duration: January – September 2023
This project aims to provide background information and an analytical overview about Saudi Arabia’s current key industries as well as products of relevance for its energy transition and its national hydrogen economy. In this context, the project team also explores what additional industrial sectors might be expanded or added to enhance the establishment of the energy transition’s supply chains at a domestic level. By focusing on Saudi Arabia’s current industrial production and its main industrial targets within the energy transition, the project sheds light on the kingdom’s untapped industrial potential within the energy transition’s supply chains and future perspectives for hydrogen production.
Enhancing the Capacities and Capabilities of Iraq’s Institutional Landscape
Duration: December 2021 – June 2022
Severe economic challenges impose enduring hardship on the livelihoods of the Iraqi populations. To help bridge the divide between the state and society and to support the process of socioeconomic development and reform, this project aims to develop capacities of relevant Iraqi government stakeholders, private research institutions, think tanks, and NGOs to act as an intermediary between state and society. It further assists project participants to work jointly on a sustainability strategy for the promotion of dialogue and participation in Iraq that would contribute to policy reforms. After a thorough mapping and needs assessment, the implementing organizations will define tailored capacity development measures and activities for Iraqi partners.
Enhancing Science Communication for Gender and Development
Duration: September 2022 – December 2022
The Gender-Development Research & Studies Center (GDRSC) at Sana’a University, Yemen, and CARPO are co-implementing this short-term project on science communication for gender and development funded by the German Academic Exchange Service in the framework of its Ta’ziz Partnership funding line. The objectives of this project are: a) to initiate and/or intensify the networks and cooperation between higher education partners (GDRSC), German and Yemeni students and civil society stakeholders in the fields of gender and development in Yemen; b) to contribute to the acquisition of new knowledge and methodological expertise in regard to effective and impactful science communication in the fields of gender and development; and c) to discuss how such knowledge and expertise can best be integrated into the master course on gender and development taught at GDRSC.
kull:tour – Enhancing Cultural Dialogue between the Gulf States and Germany
Duration: Oktober – Dezember 2021
In order to enhance the Gulf-German cultural dialogue, CARPO is organizing a workshop in December 2021 that will take place in the Gulf region and brings together artists from the Gulf Arab States and Germany. The workshop offers the participants the opportunity to exchange ideas about their cultural commitment in the areas of culture and realities of life, culture and sustainability and culture in everyday life. As a result of this workshop, concrete ideas for joint cultural projects should be developed that bring together German and Gulf Arabian perspectives and insights. It is intended to realize these ideas in a later phase of the project and to present them to a wider public.
Tafahum
Duration: September 2018 – September 2021
This project has started in September 2018 and is set up as a 3-year initiative that seeks to develop a roadmap for regional security in West Asia and the Arabian Peninsula – a region that includes the GCC states, Iran, Iraq and Yemen. The project aims at generating an overall “understanding” (or tafahum) among regional stakeholders on a joined process towards regional security in West Asia and the Arabian Peninsula.
Iraq and its Neighbours
Duration: June 2019 – August 2021
In June 2019, CARPO and the Stimson Center have started their new EU-funded project “Iraq and its Neighbours – Enhancing Dialogue and Regional Integration in West Asia”. The project envisions Iraq as the center-point for regional dialogue and cooperation, rather than as a theater of regional proxy wars and conflict. It envisages a series of bilateral and multilateral workshops to facilitate dialogue between civil society advisors from Iraq and its immediate neighbours Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Kuwait, with the aim of identifying and operationalising tangible avenues for cooperation and coordination on issues of shared interest and concern. They will also discuss the current and future role of the European Union both in Iraq and the region as a whole.
Teaching and Advising on Post-conflict Reconstruction
Duration: May 2019 – December 2021
CARPO is a partner in this project, which is implemented by the Institute for Oriental and Asian Studies at the University of Bonn together with the Gender-Development Research & Studies Center (GDRSC) at the University of Sanaa. The project is funded by the German Academic Exchange Service in the framework of its Transformation Partnership. The project’s objective is to contribute to post-conflict reconstruction in Yemen, amongst others by developing, publishing and teaching a syllabus on post-conflict reconstruction for the master course on gender and development taught at GDRSC. Additionally, German and Yemeni students and researchers will come together at a winter and a summer school in Amman (where they will meet with policy makers working on Yemen), two workshops and a conference.
Mapping Security Governance in Yemen
Duration: April 2020 – May 2021
The objective of this research project is to map local security structures in al-Hudayda, Ta’iz and Aden with the goal of formulating recommendations on transitional security governance in support of the efforts of the UN Special Envoy to Yemen. We seek to determine whether and how existing institutions can contribute to the implementation of both local agreements as well as a comprehensive peace or ceasefire agreement. This project is implemented in partnership with the Yemen Polling Center (YPC) and funded through the Peace and Stabilization Operations Program (PSOPS) of the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development.
Academic Approaches to Peacebuilding and State Building in Yemen
Duration: March 2016 – December 2018
CARPO is partner in a project on ‘Academic Approaches to Peacebuilding and Statebuilding in Yemen’ at the University of Bonn, together with the Gender-Development Research & Studies Center at the University of Sanaa. The project is funded by the German Academic Exchange Service in the framework of its Transformation Partnership.
Addressing Security Sector Reform in Yemen – Challenges and Opportunities for Intervention during and post-Conflict
Duration: December 2016 – November 2017
The Regional Office Gulf States of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and CARPO are jointly organizing the conference ‘Addressing Security Sector Reform in Yemen. Challenges and Opportunities for Intervention during and post-Conflict’ from April 03-05 2017 at the Dead Sea in Jordan. The aim of this conference is to bring together distinguished experts and practitioners from Yemen and the region as well as from Europe and the United States in order to discuss lessons learned from previous attempts at SSR in Yemen.
Enhancing Women’s Role in Peace and Security
Duration: July 2016 – June 2017
From July 2016 to June 2017, CARPO implemented the research project ‘Enhancing Women’s Role in Peace and Security’ in Yemen in cooperation with Saferworld and the Yemen Polling Center. The aim of the research, was to provide sound knowledge on issues around women and peace-building in Yemen during conflict.
Dawla Madaniyya – A Future for the Civil State in the Arab World?
Academic Workshop at the University of Cologne, 19 – 20 January 2015
CARPO organized this workshop in cooperation with Laila Al-Zwaini (Re:Orient) and Prof. Dr. Sabine Damir-Geilsdorf (Seminar for Oriental Studies, University of Cologne) in order to discuss with accepted participants the historical roots, notions and visions, as well as future prospects of and for the concept dawla madaniyya (usually translated as ‘civil state’ or ‘civic state’) in the Arab world.
