Importance of research networks: the Reproductive Health Working Group, Arab world and Turkey

Abstract

A meeting of the Reproductive Health Working Group’s Consultative Committee was due to take place at the Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon, on June 17–18, 2013. This Committee plans the activities of the Reproductive Health Working Group, Arab World and Turkey, a 25-year-old capacity-building research network for the Arab countries and Turkey. The Consultative Committee members are based in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, occupied Palestinian territory, Syria, Tunisia, and Turkey, where, with the exception of Oman, confl icts, wars, military occupation, insecurity, and uncertainty seem to be the norm these days.With the exception of the two members who were hosting us in Beirut, and our Omani member who was not able to attend the meeting, we began our journey to Beirut. We had no idea when or whether any of us would arrive at the meeting, unlike in previous years when the political situation was the main restricting factor for individuals travelling from the occupied Palestinian territory and sometimes from Lebanon. The Turkish committee member had informed us on the previous day that she might have trouble getting to the airport because the prime minister of Turkey had called for a support rally in Istanbul. Demon strations, spearheaded initially by young people, had erupted in central Istanbul and other urban areas against police violence, and an increasingly authoritarian stance of government. Watch-ing the news from Turkey of people camping out in Taksim Square and Gezi Park, despite the hazards—including tear gas and water cannons—we felt like we were in Ramallah, West Bank, occupied Palestinian territory, or Cairo, Egypt, but not Istanbul.The Tunisian member also was not sure about whether she would be able to get to Beirut. Tunisian security was continuing its operations in various parts of the country and there was the possibility of protests and strikes erupting suddenly. The unstable situation in Tunisia, where the Arab uprisings began, could make travel out of the country impossible. As for the Syrian member, she feared travelling through the checkpoint-ridden road from Damascus to Beirut; although it was possible to travel, no one could guarantee a safe journey. Although the Egyptian committee member seemed to have no diffi culty with her journey to Beirut, she was constantly updated with news of possible serious protests by opponents and supporters of the Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi—which led to him being ousted from offi ce on July 3, 2013. Of course, Beirut itself was not exactly a safe haven, with rockets hitting some districts a couple of weeks before our arrival, and the fears of a spill over from the war in Syria, which materialised in Sidon a few days after we arrived. Lebanon is unstable, security is unpredictable, and, so far, silently overwhelmed by hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees. For once, it felt as if the West Bank was the safest place in the region.After arriving, we fi rst exchanged stories with each other, and then began working on planning for the next meeting in Oman in January, 2014; locations for previous meetings included Tunis (Tunisia), Beirut (Lebanon), Aleppo (Syria), Tyre (Lebanon), Istanbul (Turkey), Amman (Jordan), and Cairo (Egypt). The group remin-isced bitter sweetly about their 2009 meeting in Aleppo, with the frequent visits we made to the old souk, now destroyed, and the evening discussions at cafes and restaurants near the citadel, now a scene of intense fi ghting and devastation. There were many stories to tell, including horror stories from Damascus, which touch the heart and make you feel sick, such as enduring severe explosions very close to home and worrying about how to protect the elderly mother at home, or eye witnessing pieces of bodies thrown around all over after an attack. There was the unusual story from Turkey about the standing man, an artist who challenged the violence of the authority by standing passively for many hours in Taksim Square despite orders to clear the place, and inspired hundreds of people to do the same; these events were described by the international media as Turks “giving the government the silent treatment”.