The MENASP Network is pleased to share a collection of 22 Research Briefing Notes (RBNs) produced within the framework of the Strengthening Social Protection, Security and Welfare in the Middle East and North Africa Region project. This initiative, funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) under the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), has been undertaken in partnership with the University of Birmingham, the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and a broad network of regional and international collaborators.
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The RBNs reflect five years of sustained research engagement and policy analysis on the interlinkages between social protection systems and conflict dynamics across the MENA region. They draw on field-based and comparative studies in diverse national contexts, including Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Lebanon, Algeria, as well as contributions from scholars and practitioners based in the UK, Canada, South Africa, the USA and Sri Lanka.
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Collectively, the notes examine the political, institutional and socioeconomic conditions under which social policy is formulated and implemented in conflict-affected or fragile settings. They address issues such as displacement, informality, exclusion, service delivery, political legitimacy and donor interventions, shedding light on how these intersect with the risks and patterns of organised violence. The work illustrates the multiple and sometimes contradictory roles of social protection: as a mechanism for inclusion and stability, but also as a site of contestation and fragmentation.
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This series of RBNs aims to support policy actors, researchers and civil society stakeholders working to strengthen evidence-based, inclusive and context-sensitive social policies. They contribute to the MENASP Network’s ongoing effort to articulate the role of social policy not only as a response to poverty and inequality, but as a structural component of peacebuilding and state-citizen relations in the region.
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- The full list of Research Briefing Notes is available in the MENASP Network Virtual Library: Browse the collection
- For more information about the project: Project Overview
- For a synthesis of findings and further outputs, see the: End-of-Project Report
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We invite readers to engage with the material, reflect on the findings and explore how social protection can serve as a meaningful tool for inclusive development and sustainable peace in the MENA region.