Join Columbia Global Center | Nairobi for an evening conversation with renown Prof. Safwan Masri for his book talk cum launch over free cocktails
Date: June 25, 2018
Venue: Colombia Global Center, Nairobi
Location: Westcom Point, 8th Floor, Block A, Mahiga Mairu Avenue, Off Waiyaki Way – Westlands
Time: from 6-7:30 PM
Entry: Free
About Tunisia: An Arab Anomaly
The Arab Spring began and ended with Tunisia. In a region beset by brutal repression, humanitarian disasters, and civil war, Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution alone gave way to a peaceful transition to a functioning democracy. Within four short years, Tunisians passed a progressive constitution, held fair parliamentary elections, and ushered in the country’s first-ever democratically elected president. But did Tunisia simply avoid the misfortunes that befell its neighbors, or were there particular features that set the country apart and made it a special case?In Tunisia: An Arab Anomaly, Safwan M. Masri explores the factors that have shaped the country’s exceptional experience. He traces Tunisia’s history of reform in the realms of education, religion, and women’s rights, arguing that the seeds for today’s relatively liberal and democratic society were planted as far back as the middle of the nineteenth century. Masri argues that Tunisia stands out not as a model that can be replicated in other Arab countries, but rather as an anomaly, as its history of reformism set it on a separate trajectory from the rest of the region.
About the Author
Professor Safwan M. Masri is Executive Vice President for Global Centers and Global Development at Columbia University. He holds a senior research scholar appointment at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). A scholar of the contemporary Arab world, Masri’s work focuses on understanding postcolonial dynamics among religion, education, society, and politics. His writings on education and current affairs have been featured in the Financial Times, Huffington Post, and Times Higher Education.