On 2 December 2013, Legal Agenda launched its English online edition. In its early launching stage, the English edition will feature, on a weekly basis, selected translations of studies and articles published in its sister Arabic edition. Our aim is to make original and informative research work produced in the Arab world accessible to a wider global audience. Original contributions in English relevant to our field of interest will also be published as we expand our operations. Individuals who wish to contribute to the English edition as paid translators or writers are welcome to contact The Legal Agenda at englishinfo@legal-agenda.com
The Legal Agenda is a Beirut-based non-governmental non-profit organization that addresses issues of legal activism, reform, and transformation in the context of social and political change in the Arab world. We aim to challenge conventional wisdom that the law is a ‘technical’ matter of little social influence. This ‘technical’ definition hinders public accountability, undermines a rights-based discourse of change, and dismisses legal activism as a tool for advancing the interests of disadvantaged groups in society.
We, on the other hand, argue that law is a primary tool of shaping society and establishing different forms of hegemony and control over marginalized groups. By monitoring legal developments and public policy in Lebanon and the rest of the Arab world, we aim to eliminate this ideological barrier between law and society. We hope to turn legal activism from an abusive tool of authority into an emancipatory one for disadvantaged groups including women, laborers, refugees, and LGBT.
In addition to holding conferences and regular seminars, our Arabic publication provides an in-depth analysis of legal developments from a critical and multi-disciplinary perspective. We publish essays, studies, and news updates that serve as a much-needed source for scholars, researchers, journalists, and activists around the world. The online platform provides an interactive space for debate and discussion.
You can read the English Online Edition here.