Julius Dihstelhoff / Rachid Ouaissa / Thomas Richter

Reimagining the Maghreb: Navigating an Autonomous Region in Motion

MECAM Papers English | 2024


  • The Maghreb has been shaped and influenced by external powers and forces in most phases of its recent history. As a vibrant space in motion, this world region is only at the beginning of a long process of carving out its own future autonomous role.

    • Historically, the Maghreb has faced internal tensions in straddling acute disparities as well as complex external interlinkages with surrounding regions. These tensions are crucial for understanding contemporary transformation processes and future dynamics.

    • While the countries of the Maghreb have distinct historical particularities, commonalities such as language, religion, and historical experiences abound. Since the Arab Uprisings of 2010–2011, Maghrebi societies have encountered common challenges such as transitioning from rentier economies and authoritarianism, justice and equality issues, and managing identity crises.

    • The dynamics in the Maghreb region – and particularly in Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia – subsequent to the Arab Uprisings follow key trajectories: social and political transformations, economic challenges and a “New Deal,” visions of unity and mobility, geopolitical challenges, and regional foreign policy outlooks.

    • These changes are reflected in academics now adopting a more critical approach. Contemporary scholarship seeks to enrich dialogue by incorporating diverse perspectives and challenging Western-centric paradigms, while also promoting epistemic justice.

    Context Based on its guiding theme “Imagining Futures – Dealing with Disparity,” MECAM, the Merian Centre for Advanced Studies in the Maghreb in Tunis, aims to play a notable role in advancing both current and future knowledge production in the Humanities and Social Sciences within, from, and about the Maghreb.


    English version: Reimagining the Maghreb: navigating an autonomous region in motion

    French version: Réimaginer le Maghreb: a la rencontre d’une région autonome en mouvement

    Arab version: رؤية جديدة للمغرب العربي: قراءة في ملمح منطقة مستقلة ومتحولة


    Prof. Dr. Rachid Ouaissa

    Prof. Dr. Rachid Ouaissa

    Centrum für Nah- und Mittelost-Studien, Philipps-Universität Marburg



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