Profile

Dr.
Mudar
Kassis

Faculty member at department of Philosophy and Cultural Studies at Birzeit University (Palestine), director of the Dignity Initiative. He served as director of Muwatin Institute for Democracy and Human Rights, director of the MA Programme in Democracy and Human Rights, co-Director of the Initiative on Judicial Independence and Human Dignity (a joint project with the University of Windsor – Canada), director of the Institute of Law, acting dean of the Faculty of Law and Public Administration (led its establishment), and chairperson for the Department of Philosophy and Cultural Studies.

His current research interests, embedded in the tradition of praxis, include democratisation, decolonisation and emancipation, the concept of dignity, the everyday, research ethics, political corruption, and populism.

Publications: 
  1. “The Post-Pandemic Bifurcation: Democratisation vs Oligarchy Radicalisation in the Arab World”, In Larbi Sadiki and Layla Saleh (eds.), Covid-19 and Risk Society Across the MENA Region: Assessing Governance, Democracy, and Inequality, IB Tauris. (Forthcoming November 2022)
  2. Normalization: A Discussion of Context and Causes, Arab Forum for Alternatives, 31 March 2022. (Arabic). https://bit.ly/NormalizationContextCausesAr
  3. (with Rita Giacaman and Maher Hashweh) “Decolonizing Knowledge Production: A Perspective on Promotion and tenure Regulations in Palestine and beyond”, In Middle East Critique, Vol 31 #2 2022, Pp. 105-124. Doi: 10.1080/19436149.2022.2052466 https://bit.ly/Decolonizing_Knowledge_Production
  4. (with Maher Hashweh and Rita Giacaman) “Research Ethics Review: Its Need and Ethical Limitations in the Arab Context”, In Tabayyun, Vol 10 #38 2021, Pp. 79-105. (Arabic). Doi: 10.31430/OJWG4533 https://bit.ly/ResearchEthicsReview-Ar
  5. “The Future of Human Rights and the Human Right to a Future in Palestine”, In Soft Power, Vol 8 #15, 2021, Pp. 128-145. https://bit.ly/The_Future_of_Human_Rights__in_Palestine  
  6. “Self-Determination”, In Palestinian Emancipatory Alphabets, Muwatin – Birzeit University, 23 August 2021. (Arabic). http://muwatin.birzeit.edu/ar/pea/self-determination
  7. “Emancipating the Concept of Political Corruption”, In Basim Izbidi (ed.), Political Corruption: Revisiting the Concept, Muwatin Institute for Democracy and Human Rights, Birzeit, 2021, Pp. 97-147. (Arabic). https://bit.ly/Emancipating_the_Concept_of_Political_Corruption  
  8. “Introduction”, In Mudar Kassis et al. Democratisation of Palestinian Politics as a Basis to Rebuilding the National Project, Muwatin – Birzeit University, Birzeit, 2021, Pp. 1-8. (Arabic)
  9. (with Reem Bahdi) “Mastery and Gratitude: Development Aid and the Colonial Condition in Palestine”, In Sujith Xavier, Beverley Jacobs, Valarie Waboose, Jeffery G. Hewitt, Amar Bhatia (eds.) Decolonizing Law: Indigenous, Third World and Settler Perspectives, Routledge, 2021, Pp. 89-113.
  10. “On the Impossibility of Left Populism”, In Interfere: Journal for Critical Thought and Radical Politics, Blog post, 16 April 2021. https://bit.ly/On_the_Impossibility_of_Left_Populism
  11. “Adolescence and Maturity of NGOs: Knowledge Production in the New World Order”, In Dina Khawaja (ed.), Observing and Documenting Experiences of Teaching and Knowledge Production about Civil Society in Arab Universities and Research Centres, Asfari Institute – American University of Beirut, Beirut, 2020, P.p. 21-31. (Arabic). https://bit.ly/Adolescence_and_Maturity_of_NGOs
  12. (with Reem Bahdi) “Institutional Trustworthiness, Transformative Judicial Education and Transitional Justice: A Palestinian Experience”, In Samar El-Masri, Tammy Lambert, Joanna R. Quinn (eds.), Transitional Justice in Comparative Perspective – Preconditions for Success, Palgrave Macmillan, 2020, Pp. 185-215. Doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-34917-2_8
  13. “The Compilation of Colonial Projects on Palestine”, In Maher al-Sharif (ed.), One Hundred Years on the Belfour Declaration, Institute of Palestine Studies, Beirut, 2019, P.p. 169—194. (Arabic)
  14. “Introduction”, In Mudar Kassis et al. Seven Decades since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: The History and Future of Human Rights and Palestine, Muwatin – Birzeit University, Birzeit, 2018, Pp. 1-13. (Arabic)
  15. “Introduction”, In Mudar Kassis et al. Democracy in the Public Square, Muwatin – Birzeit University, Birzeit, 2018. Pp. 1-11.
  16. “Introduction”, In Mudar Kassis et al. Democracy in the Public Square, Muwatin – Birzeit University, Birzeit, 2018, Pp. 1-12. (Arabic)
  17. (with Francisco Astudillo, Razane Boustany, Henriette Gentil, and Nora Taha) “Securitisation in the Arab Region: A New Form of Kinship Relations?” In Global Campus Human Rights Journal, Vol 1 #2 (2017), Pp.435-462. https://bit.ly/Securitisation_in_the_Arab_Region  
  18. (With Reem Bahdi) “Decolonization, Dignity and Development Aid: A judicial Education Experience in Palestine”, In Bhatia, Amar et al. (eds.), Third World Approaches to International Law: On Praxis and the Intellectual, Routledge, New York, 2017.
  19. Co-editor (with Kh. Shikaki and J. Harb) The State of Reform in the Arab World 2015: The Arab Democracy Index V. The Arab Reform Initiative and the Palestine Centre for Policy and Survey Research, June 2017. (Arabic).
  20. (With Reem Bahdi) “Decolonization, Dignity and Development Aid: A judicial Education Experience in Palestine”, In Third World Quarterly, Vol 37 #11 (2016), Pp.2010-2027. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2016.1181521
  21. “Attributes of Success for the Palestinian Resistance”, In The Journal of Palestine Studies, Vol. 25 #100 (autumn 2014), Pp. 18-24. (Arabic)
  22. Co-editor (with Kh. Shikaki and J. Harb) The State of Reform in the Arab World 2014: The Arab Democracy Index IV, The Arab Reform Initiative and the Palestine Centre for Policy and Survey Research, August 2014. (Arabic).
  23. “Arab Dignity Revolutions and the Concept of Dignity”, In Mudar Kassis et al. Arab Dignity Revolutions – Ideas beyond Neoliberalism, Rawafed, Cairo, 2012, Pp. 13-25. (Arabic)
  24. “Promoting Human Rights in Colonial and Post-colonial Contexts”, In M. K. Al-Sayyid (ed.), Human Rights Debates: Perspectives from the South, Partners in Development, SUR, Cairo, 2011, Pp. 75-91. (Arabic).
  25. Co-editor (with Kh. Shikaki and J. Harb) The State of Reform in the Arab World 2011: The Arab Democracy Index III, The Arab Reform Initiative and the Palestine Centre for Policy and Survey Research, March 2011. (Arabic and English).
  26. “Meeting the Requirements of the Modern Times through the Development of Interdisciplinary Programmes in Social Sciences: The Experience of the Masters Programme in Democracy and Human Rights at Birzeit University”. In Bechir Lamine (ed.), Towards an Arab Higher Education Space: International Challenges and Social Responsibilities, UNESCO, Beirut, 2010, Pp. 641-656.
  27. “Meeting the Requirements of the Modern Times through the Development of Interdisciplinary Programmes in Social Sciences: The Experience of the Masters Programme in Democracy and Human Rights at Birzeit University”, In Adnan Al-Amine (ed.), Towards an Arab Higher Education Space: International Challenges and Social Responsibilities, UNESCO, Beirut, 2010, Pp. 727-744. (Arabic).
  28. Co-editor (with Kh. Shikaki and J. Harb) The State of Reform in the Arab World 2009-2010: The Arab Democracy Index II, The Arab Reform Initiative and the Palestine Centre for Policy and Survey Research, March 2010. (Arabic and English).
  29. Co-editor (with Kh. Nakhleh) and co-author Legislative Reform in Palestine: Decolonization and State Building, Institute of Law – Birzeit University, Birzeit, 2009. (Arabic).
  30. “The Impact of Learning Democracy and Human Rights on the Nature of Political Involvement: The Case of the Program in Democracy and Human Rights in Birzeit University”. In M. K. Al-Sayyid (ed.), University Education of Human Rights and the Political Movement in the Arab World, Partners in Development, Cairo, 2009, Pp. 209-298. (Arabic).
  31. (With Kh. Shikaki et al.) The Democracy Index of Palestine: 2008, The Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research, Ramallah, 2009 (Arabic).
  32. Co-editor (with Kh. Shikaki and J. Harb) The State of Reform in the Arab World 2008: The Arab Democracy Index, The Arab Reform Initiative and the Palestine Centre for Policy and Survey Research, April 2008. (Arabic and English).
  33. (With J. Salem) [Section] 3.8. [on] Palestine, In K. Grabow et al. (eds), Rule of Law (KAF Democracy Report 2006.), Bouvier,  Bonn, 2006, Pp. 173-193.
  34. “A Commentary”, In B. Ezbidi Reform: Its Roots, Meanings, and Utility “The Palestinian Case as an Example”, Birzeit, 2005. (Arabic).
  35. “Democratization and Social Justice”, In Mudar Kassis (ed.), Challenges of the New Millennium and the Prospects of Cultural Development in the Arab World, Birzeit University, Birzeit, 2005, Pp. 216-227. (Arabic).
  36. « Réflexions sur la Possibilité de Construire une Démocratie Participative en Palestine », In Les Annales de L’Autre Islam, No 8,  (La Palestine en Transition), Paris, 2001. (French)
  37. (Ed.) An Arab dialog on the Second Intifada, Birzeit, 2001. (Arabic).
  38. “Civil Society Organizations and the Transition to Democracy in Palestine”, In Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, V.12 #1 (March 2001), Pp. 35-48.
  39. (With F. Awartani and Kh. Shikaki) The Democracy Index of Palestine: 1997-1998, CPRS, Nablus, 1999 (Arabic).
  40. The Role of Civil Society in Transition to Democracy in Palestine, CPRS, Nablus, 1999 (Arabic).
  41. (With Awartani F. and Shikaki Kh.) The Democracy Index of Palestine: 1996-1997, CPRS, Nablus, 1999 (Arabic).
  42. “Problematic of the Human Development Measurement in Palestine”, In N. Said (ed.) Human Development in Palestine, Birzeit, 1998.
  43. (Chief Editor) A Reader in Modern and Contemporary European Thought [a Birzeit University Textbook], Birzeit, 1997. (Arabic).
  44. (with Shikaki Kh.) “The Palestinian Election's Law”, In Kh. Shikaki (ed,), The First Palestinian Elections, CPRS, Nablus, 1997. (Arabic).
  45. (with Kh. Shikaki) “The Political Environment of the First Palestinian Elections”, In Kh. Shikaki (ed,), The First Palestinian Elections, CPRS, Nablus, 1997. (Arabic).
  46. “Relations between Society and Individuals: Some Reflections on Palestinian Civil Society”, In N. Said and R. Hamami (eds), Analytical Studies on the Social-Political Trends in Palestine,  CPRS, Nablus, 1997. (Arabic).
  47. (Chief Editor) Civics: Democracy, Citizenship, and Human Rights in Palestine [a schoolbook], CPRS, Nablus, 1997, Second edition – 1999 (Arabic).
  48. “Palestinian Elections: A Step towards Self-Determination”, In The Journal of Palestine Studies, Vol. 6 #23, (Summer 1995), Pp. 20-34. (Arabic)
  49. “The Methodological Background of Exaggerated Reactions towards Western Dominance on Arab Culture”, In M. A. El-Alem (ed.), Arab Thought on the Verge of the Twentieth Century, Cairo, 1995. (Arabic)
  50. (With A. Chusov) “On the Logical Apparatus of the Materialist Understanding of History”, In Titov, Mironov, Kolmeitsa (eds.), The Great October, and its Effects on Social Progress and Modernity, Moscow State University, Moscow, 1988, (Russian).