Society

Youth unemployment in the Arab world

MENA's generation jobless

A lack of jobs and bleak social prospects for young people in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are undermining the political stability of what is already a deeply troubled region. The problem cannot be solved by simply modernising education and labour markets. By Nassir Djafari
By Nassir Djafari
Women's self-help project "Amal" in Morocco

The single mothers of Marrakesh

Single mothers in Morocco still experience social discrimination today. They upset the traditional image of the nuclear family, although that has long since become outdated. The "Amal" project in Marrakesh supports theses mothers, who are often among the poorest members of society. By Claudia Mende
By Claudia Mende
Interview with extremism researcher Dalia Ghanem-Yazbeck

"Being part of a ʹcommunityʹ transcends everything"

Attending this yearʹs Vienna International Christian University, Algerian extremism researcher Dr. Dalia Ghanem-Yazbeck, resident scholar at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, talked to Zahra Nedjabat about the role of women in jihadism, the roots of violent radicalisation and possible antidotes
By Zahra Nedjabat
Mr. Erbil Gentlemanʹs Club

The Kurdish hipsters are in town

The fashion bloggers of "Mr. Erbil Gentlemenʹs Club" from Kurdistan are a worldwide success. They wish to tell the true story of life in their homeland. At the invitation of the German Foreign Office, they came to Berlin for a visit. By Annette Walter
By Annette Walter
More humanity post-Chemnitz

#WirSindMehr: "Hostility is the failure of identity"

Insults, violence, attacks on refugee centres. Is this the answer of an enlightened, democratic society, shaped by human and humane values? Fereshta Ludin, high school teacher and former refugee, calls us all to account
By Fereshta Ludin
Bushra al-Maqtariʹs "Voices from a forgotten war-torn country"

Yemenʹs chronicles of death and destruction untold

Bushra al-Maqtariʹs "What you left behind? Voices from a forgotten war-torn country" is a poignant record of the ongoing war in Yemen, woven with excruciatingly painful accounts of its hapless victims. By Muhammed Nafih Wafy
By Muhammed Nafih Wafy
Egyptʹs generation gap

Not following in their parentsʹ footsteps!

Egyptian young people are rebelling not only against their parents, but against centuries-old social norms. That's perfectly normal. Education today should be based on mutual respect and empathy, says 20-year-old student Engy Ashraf from Alexandria
By Engy Ashraf
Aicha 'Lella Saida' Manoubiya

Tunisia's feminist icon

A free spirit who did not abide by the constraints imposed on women in the thirteenth century, Sufi saint Aicha Manoubiya, known as Saida or Lella Saida, holds a special place in the memories and hearts of the people of Tunis. By Safa Belghith
By Safa Belghith
The annual pilgrimage to Mecca

High summer hajj

Millions of believers, heat and loud prayers: the hajj in Mecca. Once a year, the Saudi city becomes a pilgrimage hot spot and the site of the largest gathering of people in the world. Nermin Ismail was in Mecca
By Nermin Ismail
Fighting forced marriage in Kyrgyzstan

Bride abduction is not cool

"Ala kachuu" is Kyrgyz and translates as "Grab her and run". What sounds like an entertaining popular sport is actually the widespread practice of kidnapping women and forcing them into marriage. With her initiative "Ala kachuu is no cool!" Kyrgyz Svetlana Dzardanova is taking a stand against the alleged custom. By Wolfgang Kuhnle
By Wolfgang Kuhnle
Interview with Islam scholar Riem Spielhaus

#MeTwo: "Itʹs a topic for German textbooks"

Mesut Ozil's withdrawal from the German national football team sparked a wide-ranging debate on racism. In an interview with Yalda Zarbakhch, Islam scholar Riem Spielhaus explains where discrimination comes from and how to combat it
By Yalda Zarbakhch
Civil society in Africa

Sudan′s young people roll up their sleeves

Sudan′s younger generation has already faced all manner of crises, from the conflicts and struggles of a country in the process of breaking apart, economic crises, to problems in health and education. It′s a generation that anticipates the worst and has no concept of peace. But idle? Hardly. By Abdul Salam al-Haj
By Abdul Salam al-Haj