#DD

Al Munathara is the Initiative’s flagship regional debate program that has been running for more than eight years and 26 episodes. Al Munathara debates are open for all Arabic speakers and have been broadcasted on at least 10 television stations across the Arab region under the hashtag #DD.

Al Munathara is a series of TV debates with a regional focus on major issues affecting Arabic speaking citizens in the MENA region. From its humble beginnings in 2012, Al Munathara has sought to harness the powerful nexus between broadcast television and social media to empower citizens to voice their opinions, constructively engage those they disagree with, and learn from the experiences of fellow MENA citizens in other countries. 

Leading up to each live debate, The Munathara Initiative launches Al Munathara Musabaqa in the form of an online competition which will be disseminated on our social media pages and official website. Arabic speakers from across the world are then invited to upload a 99-second video to either support or oppose a given motion. 

At the same time, The Munathara Initiative organizes training sessions across 15 different countries both in the Arab world and in Europe in order to support marginalized Arab speaking communities and provide them with the opportunity to be equally heard. Our trainers provide debate skills training to these communities and encourage as well as facilitate the participation of youth and women in the online competition.

The videos gathered from both Munathara’s online campaign and outreach program then pass to a public voting stage, where Arab speakers from across the world vote for the arguments and participants they find most persuasive.

The winners with the most votes move to participate in the Live #DD debates, each teaming up with an established opinion leader with equal speaking time to debate for or against the presented motion.

During the main event, the audience votes before and after the debate. The winning team is then chosen based on their ability to sway more votes to their side, making Al Munathara #DD debates audience-centred.  

The debate series deals with core issues facing citizens in all MENA societies, including human rights, regional conflicts, authoritarianism, economic challenges, the refugee crisis, womens’ role in public life, social justice, minority rights, freedom of speech, and the prospect for democracy in the region.

#DD

Sep, 30 2016

Islamist parties should be banned

Islamist movements have long been a central force on the Arab political scene. In recent years, especially with the success of Islamist political parties in elections in several Arab countries, the divide has widened and intensified between these movements’ supporters and opponents.

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#DD

Jun, 04 2016

Constitutions must protect minority rights

"I have a dream that my children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." -- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr."

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#DD

May, 17 2016

Social media does more harm than good

Attitudes to social media vary greatly on the role played in our daily life; this role is amplified each passing day as social media becomes one of the most effective ways to communicate with individuals all over the world.

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#DD

Nov, 19 2015

The Ouster of the Assad Regime will End the Refugee Crisis

The crisis in Syria has affected not only Syria, but the entire Middle East.

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#DD

Oct, 18 2015

ISIS Saved the Arab Regimes

As the Middle East and North Africa has faced a time of turmoil - with revolutions, transitions, and wars - a new and fierce battle is being waged between Arab states and the Islamic State (ISIS).

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#DD

Oct, 04 2015

There is No Western Conspiracy Against the Arab World

After the high expectations brought by the "Arab Spring", the Arab world is divided: there are those who believe that the region is at the mercy of Western conspiracies and those who no longer doubt that the problems plaguing the Arab world are caused by the Arabs themselves.

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