Human Rights & Accountability in the Arab World: 15 Years After the Uprisings | Mai El-Sadany, TIMEP Executive Director

Reimagining the future of policy and human rights across the Middle East and North Africa requires moving past broken international systems and broadening our collective imagination. Executive Director of the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP), Mai El-Sadany, explores how centering those most impacted can drive meaningful legal advocacy, creative accountability, and systemic change. Grounded in the enduring legacy of the 2011 Arab uprisings, the discussion addresses the evolution of civil society organizations, navigating global funding crises, and overcoming systemic inertia.

00:00 Introduction

01:55 Decentering the Old Guard in Policy Advocacy

08:44 Finding Your Strategic Space

13:30 15 Years of Tectonic Shifts

17:46 Operationalizing Ethical Policy and Community Building

21:40 Navigating Systemic Inertia and Regional Realignment

28:44 Bending the Arc: Mobilization Beyond Complacency

33:37 Pluralistic Justice and Strategic Legal Alliances

38:14 Strategic Resilience Amid Non-Profit Funding Shifts

44:13 Differentiating Core Values from Institutional Decay

50:10 Constructing Alternate Frameworks