On 1 November Arab Reform Initiative in cooperation with the IEMed organised a workshop “Minorities in the MENA region”. The event was hosted by the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs.

The workshop aimed at presenting and discussing the initial research results of the Joint Policy Study. During the first session, Paolo Maggiolini (ISPI) examined the origin and development of the concept of “minorities”. The second session, with George Fahmi (EUI), focused on the political attitudes of Syrian Christians after 2011. The third session with Said Bennis (CRESS) analysed the situation of Amazigh in Morocco and related public policies. Last session, with Maha Abdelhamid (ARI), explored the topic of black population in Tunisia before and after the revolution.

The present report is a summary of main points raised in workshop discussions.