Once again this year, the seminar offers a wide-ranging overview of the latest political dynamics in the Arab world over the long term. Unprecedented insights are provided on specific geographical areas or sequences, thanks to the contributions of leading specialists in these issues.
Several types of presentation are offered. First, there are national and contemporary approaches. Three sessions focus on Saudi Arabia - society, succession issues and power games -, Palestine - political forces in the history of the Palestinian national movement and its current situation - and Lebanon - access to electricity in cities. A second set focuses on the historical dimensions of the phenomena. A first intervention dealt with colonial Algeria and the status of Catholics in Algerian society. The second retraced the construction of knowledge about the region, through the trajectory of the orientalist and sociologist of the Arab world, Robert Montagne. Finally, an innovation this year, a session is devoted to the testimony of a diplomat whose professional career has been marked by turning points in the Arab world. Through three experiences, this session highlights the story behind the experience, complementing the previous approaches.
Each of these varied presentations gives rise to a discussion with the speakers, focusing on the research presented or the most immediate current events.
The seminar - and the fact that it is now held in the Marguerite de Navarre amphitheatre bears witness to this - thus confirms its position as a meeting place of excellence on the Arab world.