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Articles by Hussein Baoumi
Europe’s Balancing Act in the Mediterranean Region
Security and containment instead of cooperation And the wave of Islamist terrorism that has struck Europe for over a decade, coupled with the mass arrival of Arab and Muslim refugees in 2015, has made EU policies toward the region focused more on security and containment than on cooperation. These realities have rightfully led the EU to understand that it needs more partners.
The EU Needs Values-Based Engagement in the Southern Mediterranean
by Hussein Baoumi This fall, the European Commission is set to present a new pact for the Mediterranean. Meanwhile, pro-democracy movements in the EU’s Southern neighborhood are watching with unease as the union abandons the democratic principles and human rights that underpinned the Barcelona Declaration, which created the framework for the bloc’s relations with the region thirty years ago.
EU Reset in Syria: A Second Chance for Stability in the Middle East
On March 17, Syria’s foreign minister Asaad al-Shibani shook hands with EU leaders in Brussels, becoming the first Syrian official to do so since 2007. On the same day, international donors, including European countries, pledged €5.8 billion ($6.2 billion) to support Syria’s transition. The moment, and the reactions surrounding the event, underscored the challenging yet hopeful road ahead of Syria. “Cautious optimism” was the most common sentiment I encountered during my visit to Syria in January.
Last chance: why EU cannot afford to be silent ahead of Tunisian election
When I started as a researcher with Amnesty International in 2017, I had just moved to Tunisia, a country that had inspired and given hope to millions of people across the Middle East and North Africa for its transformation after the Arab Spring protests. Tunisia’s story contrasted sharply to Egypt, where I witnessed firsthand how rule of law backsliding under a repressive government devastates almost every aspect of life.
Endless Aid? The EU’s Costly Choices in Egypt
In March 2024, European leaders traveled to Cairo to announce a $8.2 billion deal to bolster Egypt’s economy, marking a “golden age” for relations between the bloc and the North African nation, according to the EU’s neighborhood commissioner. The deal involved the EU providing Cairo with loans and grants to support the economy, along with inviting European investments to the country.
The Victims of Urban Development in Egypt
It only took a few hours for bulldozers to turn the homes in Ein El-Seirah, a poor neighborhood in southern Cairo, into rubble. Along the roadside, women stood holding their children’s hands, helpless, as a dealer haggled with some residents over the purchase of their discarded furniture at a pittance.
After giving Egypt €7.4bn, Brussels must abide by its own rules and insist on human rights reforms
As EU leaders are giving a further €7.4 billion in aid and loans to Egyptian President Abdelfattah al-Sisi, they should ask themselves a question: what do the owner of Egypt’s largest dairy products and juice producer, Egypt’s former top auditor and anti-corruption official and a dozen peaceful protesters holding up a sign saying “you made us hungry, Sisi”, have in common? The answer is that all have been imprisoned merely for disagreeing with the Egyptian government’s economic policies.
New approach to refugee protection must prioritize self-sufficiency
A new approach to refugee protection needs to draw on the principles of self-sufficiency to prevent aid dependency and let refugees work so that they contribute to host communities. Traditional approaches to refugee protection commonly distinguish between an immediate, humanitarian response—providing for basic needs—and the more long-term, developmental approach that ought to be applied to protracted refugee situations where refugees live for years in a host country.
The end of the grant era
Asking donors for money and then implementing programs is an old model from which civil society must break free. The changes in the funding landscape are fast and furious, especially for organizations that promote equality, human rights, and climate justice. We are increasingly witnessing efforts by governments and big corporations to silence dissent or clamp down on foreign funding.
Naming crimes: genocide and public opinion in the United States
Debates about the label “genocide” distract from the substantive discussion about whether and how to stop the killing. On August 24, 1941, two months after Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union, Winston Churchill addressed the British people in a live radio broadcast.
Local funding is not always the answer
In some countries, relying on local funding gives human rights defenders even less freedom. As authoritarian regimes crack down on local human rights organizations (LHROs), these restrictions have led to calls for more variety and sustainability in financing strategies for the global South. One of the strategies that has gained the most traction is a shift toward local funding, as outlined by Jenny Hodgson.
Local funding is not always the answer
As authoritarian regimes crack down on local human rights organizations (LHROs), these restrictions have led to calls for more variety and sustainability in financing strategies for the global South. One of the strategies that has gained the most traction is a shift toward local funding, as outlined by Jenny Hodgson. In addition, Annika Poppe and Jonas Wolff have argued that we must take governments seriously in their normative arguments against foreign funding and thus, foreign interference.
From funding projects to funding struggles: Reimagining the role of donors
While donors partner with civil society to counter shrinking civic space, their rigid funding systems can undermine progress. A contribution to the openGlobalRights debate on new business models for human rights . Español Bilateral and multilateral donors occupy a critical position in the prevailing human rights business model. Their funding is essential for advancing human rights, yet with their current approaches, they may also be inadvertently accelerating the process of closing civic space.
Local funding is not always the answer
As authoritarian regimes crack down on local human rights organizations (LHROs), these restrictions have led to calls for more variety and sustainability in financing strategies for the global South. One of the strategies that has gained the most traction is a shift toward local funding, as outlined by Jenny Hodgson. In addition, Annika Poppe and Jonas Wolff have argued that we must take governments seriously in their normative arguments against foreign funding and thus, foreign interference.
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