Alternative democratic spaces: environmentalism and Algerian youth politics
| Dates: | 29 April 2026 |
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| Times: | 16:30 - 16:30 |
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| What is it: | Seminar |
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| Organiser: | School of Arts, Languages and Cultures |
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| Who is it for: | University staff, Adults, Alumni, Current University students, General public |
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Dr Jessica Northey, Coventry University
Host: Dr Ikram Bennai
Abstract: The uprisings in the Arab world since 2011 brought profound changes. The Algerian hirak of 2019 constituted a massive political and social movement affecting popular consciousness that change was possible. While youth participation in formal politics remains low, new spaces of participation emerged. Environmental activism in the public space, as well as deeper challenges to extractivist development ideology, inspired new practices of youth politics. From the disruption of the hirak to active citizenship, Algerian youth have proposed alternative development models. The Youth Futures project was a participatory research initiative working with a network of Algerian youth. Drawing on interviews with young people, associations and entrepreneurs, the research explored how practices of participating in a mass movement consolidated and amplified the everyday activism of Algerian civil society. Organizing environmental protests and action, Algerian youth have created new political spaces and inspired deeper reflections about the future of their country.
Bio: Dr Jessica Northey is Assistant Professor at the Centre for Peace and Security at Coventry University and Visiting Fellow at the LSE Middle East Centre. She is the author of the book Civil Society in Algeria: Activism, Identity and the Democratic Process (Bloomsbury, 2023).
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Samuel Alexander Building
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