Welcome to epektasis.net

what is epektasis? It is primarily about politics. But it is also about human rights, democracy, good governance, peace, justice and reconciliation. Epektasis.net deals with issues impacting the peoples of the Middle East - conflict backgrounds, symptoms, realities, fears and possible solutions - that are viewed through a dual Middle Eastern-European lens.

Inasmuch as possible, my copyrighted articles in epektasis - posted also on different websites or published in different magazines - adhere to the overarching Christian ethos of striving to 'stretch forward' (epekteinomenos in Greek, from St Paul in Phil 3:13) - politically, ecumenically and legally - the elements of peace, justice, reconciliation, dignity, non-violence and security. Recent Articles

From Vietnam to Palestine: A Crime of Silence?

After all, over the past year, we have been witnessing popular uprisings in the MENA region where the people are also seeking to reclaim their dignity, citizenship rights as well as economic and social justice. Yet, Palestine remains politically inert despite the artificial fireworks of a UN application for statehood or its membership of the UNESCO. (read more...)

The first anniversary of an unsure MENA region!

However, what remains clear for me is that we have entered new territory where the old imposed truths are no longer the only tradable commodity and where the rules of the game have changed drastically. (read more...)

UNESCO: Education, Science, Culture & Politics!

Given this sense of political déjà-vu and brinkmanship, what are some cursory observations one might highlight today? (read more...)

Interplay between God and Caesar in the MENA region?

With the overthrow of the Tunisian, Egyptian and Libyan presidents, and with the sustained challenges against other unreformed regimes, we in effect are witnessing perceptible shifts in the political paradigms of this region. (read more...)