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Author: Forum Transregionale Studien

A group of women wearing folk attire and headscarves.

Is Folk Music a Flashback to the Past or a Promise for the Future?

By Ganna Goncharenko. Folk music and folklore preserve collective memory, traditions, and values of a people, combining the past, the present, and the potential of the future. Today, folklore includes not only songs and tales, but also ritual practices, urban legends, anecdotes, and even internet memes. Its remarkable ability to preserve historical experience and remain a support for the community will be further examined in this article.

A road in the Saharan desert, a flat building on the right side.

Sahel–North Africa Relations: Addressing Common Threats in a Fragmented Cooperation Landscape

By Ornella Moderan. Shared histories, geographic contiguity, and transnational challenges have long made the Maghreb and the Sahel deeply interdependent. This blog post offers reflections on the complex web of relationships between the Maghreb and the Sahel, focusing in particular on evolving regional security dynamics, the divergent postures of Algeria and Morocco, and the opportunities and risks inherent in current cooperation patterns. Drawing on developments since 2020, it highlights the urgent need for more grounded, politically viable, and locally owned approaches to regional security governance.

Close-up shot of a piece of striped fabric.

Un Tissu Oublié du Passé Colonial Allemand au Kamerun: Le Cas du Tissu de Hina

Par Salomé Soloum. Parmi les nombreux objets violemment arrachés à leur contexte d’origine durant la colonisation allemande du Kamerun (l’actuel Cameroun), un artefact revêt une importance singulière : un textile provenant de Hina, dans la région de l’Extrême-Nord. D’apparence trompeusement modeste, tissé de coton et aujourd’hui patiné par le temps, ce tissu porte une inscription significative : « C.V. Krogh » accompagnée du numéro « 516 ». Ces marques constituent une trace matérielle d’une appropriation contestée, soulevant des interrogations essentielles sur les circonstances de son déplacement. Cet article soutient que de simples fragments textiles, tout autant que les masques ou les regalia emblématiques, constituent un prisme pertinent pour analyser les mécanismes du pillage colonial.

Close-up shot of a piece of striped fabric.

A Forgotten Fabric From German Colonial History in Kamerun: The Case of Hina Fabric

By Salomé Soloum. Among the numerous objects violently uprooted from their original contexts during the German colonization of Kamerun (present-day Cameroon), one artifact holds particular significance: a textile from Hina,in the Far North region. Deceptively modest in appearance, woven from cotton and now faded with time, the cloth bears a crucial inscription: “C.V. Krogh” and the number “516.’’ These markings constitute tangible evidence of a contested appropriation, prompting critical questions about its removal. This article argues that simple textile fragments, no less than iconic masks or regalia, offer a critical lens for analyzing the mechanisms of colonial plunder.

Four women standing in front of the Faculty of Social Sciences of Tartu University.

“Resilience and Adaptation in Difficult Times”: Reflections on the 2025 Tartu Conference on East European and Eurasian Studies

By Olha Haidamachuk, Lidia Kuzemska, Taisiia Ratushna, and Yuliia Soroka. In June 2025, four Fellows of the Prisma Ukraїna: War, Migration, Memory research group at the Forum Transregionale Studien Berlin took part in the 9th annual Tartu Conference on East European and Eurasian Studies dedicated to “Resilience and Adaptation in Difficult Times”. On the second day, the Fellows organised a very well-attended panel entitled “Memories of War: Barriers and Bridges between Past, Present, and Future in the Ukrainian Experience”. They reflect on the different panels and talks and give an insight into the topics discussed.

Illustration of workers protesting in front of a ship.

Solidarity against Empire in a Colonial Port City

By Rim Naguib. In January 1907, days of demonstrations swept through the streets and port of Alexandria and spread to Cairo. They had been provoked by the arrest of three migrant trade unionists from Odessa on accusations of intended sabotage on a Russian ship. Through this little-known event, much is revealed of the nature of colonial governance and the rule of difference. The event sheds light on the possibilities of a movement of anti-authoritarianism and solidarity that cuts across race, communal affiliations and social class, despite the colonial setting that fostered racial hierarchies and communalism, and where internationalist ideas and mobilisations were highly policed.

Picture of the Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt.

Islamocracy and Judicial Review in Egypt

By Mohamed ‘Arafa. In democratic societies, the relationship between democracy and religion can be harmonious, as democracy ensures the freedom to practice religion, while religious diversity can enrich public discourse. This post explores the intersection of democracy, judicial review, and Shārīe‘ā law, focusing on the tensions and possibilities that arise when religious legal principles interact with democratic governance. It discusses how Article 2 of the Egyptian Constitution, which asserts the supremacy of Shārīe‘ā law in certain legal contexts, interacts with democratic ideals and the practice of judicial review.

A green wall in front of a avenue lined by trees and skyscrapers.

Transnational Organized Crime and Hybrid Governance in Latin America. The Case of Forced Disappearance in Mexico

By Marcial A. G. Suarez. The article aims to introduce the concept of hybrid governance as a form of mediation between tri-dimensional political actors: the state; violent non-state actors (VNSAs), and society. Since the 1980s, Latin America has been experiencing the emergence of several VNSAs with governance capacities, originating from distinct factors among which are economic, political, and social crises, as well as intrastate conflicts. We explore the strategies developed in Mexican civil society to confront forced disappearance perpetrated by both organized crime and the state.

Colourfull streetart.

“Is there a Moroccan Thought?”

By Idriss Jebari. The question “Is there a Moroccan Thought?” drives the recent volume Contemporary Moroccan Thought by Mohamed Hashas (University of Rome Tor Vergata), published earlier this year by Brill. This review focusses on Hashas’s introductory essay titled “Rabat School of Thought: Tradition, Modernity, and Critique from the Edge.” At over 120 pages, it could represent a book in its own right. It contains the editor’s original and provocative answer to the above-mentioned question. In the following six points, I explore how it might be received by its different publics, and suggest the volume’s possible aftermaths.

(De)coloniality and EU Legal Studies

By Jennifer Orlando-Salling. In EU legal studies, time, space, place, and knowledge are locations for contestation, deliberation and reconstruction. A departure from methodological avenues ‘traditionally’ used in EU legal studies is not just timely but imperative to equip the field with the ability to engage with a broader array of options, viewpoints, knowledge(s), and strategies. The text shows how decolonial approaches can bridge the gap between history, theory, and action, offering practical and alternative solutions for reconciliation.