“Only war makes it possible to mobilize all of today’s technical resources while maintaining the property system.”

- Walter Benjamin, 1936

About Ayman Ayoub

Ayman Ayoub is regional director of the west Asia and north Africa programme at International IDEA. He is lawyer by training whose work has primarily focused on the provision of specialised assistance services for elections and democratisation processes in transitional and post-conflict countries

Articles by Ayman Ayoub

Syria's revolution, a year on

Ayman Ayoub 22 March 2012

A year of violent repression and suffering leaves Syria's people as far as ever from achieving the freedom millions of them demand. Ayman Ayoub looks back and forward.

Tunisia's elections: consolidating democracy

Ayman Ayoub 25 October 2011

The first democratic elections of the Arab spring are a moment of pride and hope for Tunisia and far beyond, says Ayman Ayoub.

Arab spring: revolution to constitution

Ayman Ayoub 3 October 2011

The Arab uprisings of 2011 can be understood as the striving for a new social contract founded on constitutional and democratic principles, says Ayman Ayoub.

This week's editor

Niki Seth-Smith is a freelance journalist and co-editor of OurKingdom.

Europe from the bottom up

European Union stars in Paris. Flickr/notarim. Some rights reserved.

A new Europe can only come from the bottom up
Etienne Balibar

A social Europe must be a political Europe
Bo Stråth

As Europe is provincialized: a reply to Etienne Balibar
Sandro Mezzadra

European debate

A republican call for a basic income
Daniel Raventos and Julie Wark

Nuclear non-proliferation

oDRussia at journalismfestival .com

Mali - the plot thickens

Remote control war

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Conference coverage from 50.50

Conference. Moving beyond Militarism and War to a Nonviolent World: A Forum Devoted to Sharing Women-Driven Solutions

Articles exploring the themes of the fourth international Nobel Women's Initiative conference May 28-31. Jennifer Allsopp and Heather McRobie will be reporting for 5050

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James Warner Standing Perpendicular, as books do

Markha Valenta Inter Alia: religion, politics, culture

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Can Europe Make It?

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Arab Awakening

In the months following the start of the Arab Revolutions, articles and analysis poured into openDemocracy from contributors across the Middle East and Europe. Gradually, the impact of Tahrir Square began to extend well beyond the Middle East as democratic inspiration travelled from east to west. Arab Awakening tries to capture that inspiration and use it to help us read a rapidly changing world.

"As students of politics is it is vital to study the power of imagination." -Professor Charles Tripp, SOAS

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Columnists | This week's window on the Middle East

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