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

A New Egypt for all Egyptians?

In those past twelve months, I have often written that those 'revolutions', 'revolts' or 'uprisings' spell out a nascent form of Arab revivalism that has awakened ordinary peoples' thirst for dignity, citizenship rights and economic as well as social justice in the whole MENA region. (read more...)

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...)