I'm honoured to be serving on the committee for the Lee Ann Fujii Article Award for Innovation in the Interpretive Study of Political Violence as part of the @apsa.bsky.social Interpretive Methodologies and Methods group. Send us your articles! The deadline is March 30. Full details here:

What a month it has been for the region! New piece out in @foreignpolicy.com with Reva Dhingra on the implications of the fall of the Assad regime for Syrian refugees around the world.

I spoke to @mehlerpaperny.bsky.social @reuters.com last week about how much of the focus on the US-Canada border right now is mostly about *showing* that we (i.e. Canada) take the border issue seriously (& much less so about whether or not the policies themselves are effective). @npsia.bsky.social

Ceasefire, the view from #Lebanon soon after it came into effect at 4am

Civilians in Beirut are heading to seek shelter at the American University of Beirut Hospital amid Israeli evacuation orders in central Beirut. 🇱🇧 (Photo sent by local residents to L'Orient Today)

While all are focused on the "imminent" ceasefire, Israel is threatening and waging its largest assault on central Beirut yet. This is absolute horror.

Thoroughly disgusting that bombs are dropping as a public relations manoeuvre

The non-stop pounding of Beirut in recent hours is most likely an attempt by Netanyahu to sell the ceasefire agreement that falls far short of what he promised Israelis.

My Memorial Uni students and I are so excited to host @stephrschwartz.bsky.social @lmourad.bsky.social, Yvonne Su and Megan Bradley for a virtual conversation on Forced Migration & International security on November 25, 2pm EST. #wiis-canada members also invited to join! Contact me to register.

As the Biden administration continues to call the war in Lebanon a “limited incursion," entire villages in the South are being blown up, and just today the city of Baalbek and surrounding areas are being threatened with shelling and forced to evacuate - forcing tens of thousands to flee again.

Our Fall 2024 Newsletter is out! This is the last issue with our wonderful editorial team @nerminallam.bsky.social@seanyom.bsky.social & Gamze Çavdar, before we welcome a new dynamic trio of editors: @dbgreenwald.bsky.social@sebnemgumuscu.bsky.social & Samer Shehata #menasky

"The large-scale destruction of villages, such as the border town of Yaroun, as well as of critical infrastructure such as hospitals, raises fears that those displaced may not have viable paths to return home when the fighting stops" Written with the incomparable Lama Mourad. Gift link. menasky

These last weeks, adding to this horrible year, have been beyond imaginable for Lebanon and its people. I feel like I've been screaming into the void but at least, with this, I hope that @separkinson.bsky.social and I's screams get out a bit louder.

There are times when words really fail you & @warghetti.bsky.social is still able to write with such force. I have not been posting much, but this is one of the most powerful pieces of writing I have read in a while. Even its rhythm so powerfully expresses how I'm feeling.

After all the death and destruction today, Israel is still conducting airstrikes on Lebanon at this moment.

This is the single deadliest day in Lebanon since the end of the civil war. Just the reported numbers so far (as always in a situation of this scale, we know these are underreported) places today's death toll at nearly 1/3 of total deaths in the entire 2006 war (which was 33 days).

I've been away from here for a little bit but just in case this reminder hasn't reached folks! Still time to apply - deadline today for APSA Migration & Citizenship awards.

The latest BattleRhythm episode with Anessa Kimball on Kissinger, toxic CSIS workplace, the new P-8 decision plus interview with Lama Mourad about tomorrow's Evacuation panel at the Year Ahead conference (still a few tickets left) soundcloud.com/cdsnpodcasts... #cdndef @cdsn.bsky.social #cdndef

There is a lot going on right now, and some small signs of hope too. @lmourad.bsky.social & I share our thoughts on the dangers of advocating for displacement as a humanitarian solution. www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...

I'll be joining colleagues this year for @cdsn.bsky.social The Year Ahead conference, and moderating a sadly ever-more-relevant conversation around evacuations. More info & ticket details below.

The @cdsn.bsky.social ends most years with a big event. This year: two of them! --The book launch of the second volume on Canadian Defence Policy featuring CDS Wayne Eyre as our keynote speaker --The Year Ahead conference. New location, heaps of insights, tickets are starting to sell.

There are so many things to be worried about amid the ongoing horror we're seeing in Gaza, @stephrschwartz.bsky.social & I take up why we think it's so dangerous to advocate for the right to flee when politicians are openly discussing an intent to expel. In @globeandmail.bsky.social today

“We worry that systematic displacement is passing as a humanitarian remedy. We must remember that at a minimum, forcibly displacing civilians is a human rights violation; at the extreme, systematic population transfer is a crime against humanity.” @lmourad.bsky.social & @stephrschwartz.bsky.social

The APSA MENA Politics Section's Fall newsletter is out! Editors @seanyom.bsky.social Nermin Allam & Gamze Çavdar (Bluesky-less, is that what we're calling it?) & board put together a fantastic issue. See the full issue below, & follow along here for more on this packed issue! polisky menasky

Scholars in MENA region encouraged to apply for 2024 ICPSR Summer Program scholarship umich.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?... #Econsky menasky polisky

👋 blue skies! Follow and tag us so we can share your news with the section 📣📣📣

& now for the depressing stuff: Attacks on LGBTQ+ in Lebanon have escalated rapidly, in what is clearly an effort to displace people's attention away from the absolute failure of authorities to address the real issues in the country & their continued collusion and corruption with the banking sector.

First post here, and since I'm here thanks to @leahwest-nsl.bsky.social, I'll start off similarly by saying: follow me for Middle East politics (& lots of Lebanon) and refugee issues, but since all of that is pretty depressing at the moment - here's a pic of the wonderful Basha.