Political role of tribe in Yemen to be discussed
The Source: www.sabanews.net - 29/9/2008
Home \
Culture News
The Yemeni Observatory for Human Rights (YOHR) is going to organize
next Saturday a workshop on the results of its recent survey on the
political role of tribe in Yemen.
The workshop to be held in
Aden will be attended by 20 researches and representatives of local
authorities in Abyan, Taiz, and Aden.
In cooperation with of
International Development Research Centre (IDRC) in Canada, the YOHR
started one year ago implementing the survey project in the framework
of a program had been carried out also in Iraq and Jordan.
The
survey showed that tribal relations are deeply intertwined with state
and political relations, with tribal sheikhs and other notable figures
wielding considerable influence over political decisions.
As a
result, ruling regimes in Jordan, Yemen and Iraq are keen to win and
maintain the tribes’ support, including by enabling the political
representation of larger and influential tribes.
"The role of
the tribe in Yemen constitutes a formidable challenge to the state, and
at times even appears stronger than the state. This has been
exemplified by the abduction of foreigners by Yemeni tribesmen", said
the YOHR.
"When Yemen began to adopt political pluralism and
organize presidential and parliamentary elections, the political
parties that emerged reflected the significant influence of tribes in
these countries".
The project tackles questions including:
what are the experiences of the different tribes in influencing policy?
Which of their strategies have worked, and why? Have tribes impeded or
supported the development of good governance and active citizenries?
What is the relationship between tribes and Islamism? What is the
impact of tribes on the participation of women in policy process?
|