Sexual and Gender-Based Violence constitutes one of the major protection concerns in displacement settings, being the current Syrian crisis in Lebanon no exception. This has led international and Lebanese humanitarian actors to design and implement prevention and response programmes country-wide to ensure the protection of persons of concern. Yet, gender-related programmes seem to maintain a traditional approach which focuses disproportionately on women and girls. As for SGBV programmes, while women and girls do constitute the bulk of SGBV survivors, such traditional approach overlooks the need of other groups concerned by any gender and SGBV-related interventions. This holds especially true to men and boys, whose engagement in SGBV programming is still conceived in silos, usually included in prevention programmes in their role as perpetrators. Working with men and boys survivors is not widespread and there is no consistent attempt to involve men across all stages in programmes. With no aim to compromise the much needed interventions with women and girls, this Master’s thesis aims at exploring an enhanced men-inclusive approach to SGBV programmes through the exploration of a tool called the men’s lens. By analyzing how Syrian refugee men’s own masculinities and manhood and their linkages to their social positioning influence the emergence of SGBV, this Master’s thesis explores the feasibility of such approach through interviews and a set of recommendations to humanitarian actors in Lebanon. As such, the thesis contributes to bringing together academia and the humanitarian realm, contextualising the men’s lens to the reality on the ground. This includes the adoption of a practical focus on the intertwinement between SGBV, masculinities and intersectionality among Syrian refugees in Lebanon, with the ultimate goal of contributing to improving current SGBV programmes in the Syria crisis.

This paper examines the possible future of chemical weapons through an exploration of the origins and history of legal proscriptions on their use and the practical utility of their procurement and use. Past public misunderstanding of the extent of the chemical weapons threat, exacerbated by propaganda, as well as fears of retaliatory use motivated efforts to ban the use of chemical weapons. These prohibitions have had and continue to have weaknesses and loopholes that prevent their intentions from being fully realized. While chemical agents have a wide variety of applications and have several unique advantages, including psychological effects on victims, their use is limited by several drawbacks. The accessibility of some agents is also limited for actors who are not major powers. Recent developments in chemical weapons use, especially their use in the Syrian civil war, inform present understanding of international resolve to prevent chemical weapons use and the continued advantages chemical weapons provide. These findings provide a framework to understand future opportunities for actors to produce chemical weapons and the likelihood that these actors will actually use chemical weapons.

The Syrian de facto occupation of Lebanon since 1976 is usually interpreted as the expression of the Syrian regime's adherence to traditional power considerations, rather than to the ideology of the ruling Ba'th party. In particular since Syria originally intervened on the side of the pro-status quo Lebanese Christians, and helped them defeat the anti-status quo Lebanese Muslims and Palestinians. In other words, they intervened against its traditional allies. The central question posed in this study is: Why is Lebanon so important to Syria that it is willing to make large human and material sacrifices in order to retain its grip on this small strip of territory? The traditional answers to this question are not satisfactory; the need for an alternative approach is apparent. While not refuting the description of Syrian policies as being based on pragmatic considerations, this analysis attempts to show that Syrian policies toward Lebanon in fact originate in the fundamental values promoted by Ba'th ideology. By employing a cognitive theoretical approach, the perceptions held by the Syrian leadership at the time of Syrian intervention are taken into account. This approach allows a number of key images to emerge, notably the image of an external plot against the Arab nation; one of the cornerstones of Ba'th ideology. When studying the modern day relationship between Syria and Lebanon, the same focus on Arab unity and the historical brotherly ties between the two countries can be identified. Hafez al-Asad's death and the rise to power of his son, Bashar al-Asad, has not lead to a radical change in Syrian policy, rather it is apparent that the same considerations and the same underlying images still guide the Syrian decision-makers. The result is that although pragmatism guides Syrian policies, the ideology of the Ba'th party sets the frames for this pragmatism and that a traditional two-state model cannot be applied on the relationship between Syria and Lebanon. The central finding in this study is that the Syrian leadership will go to great lengths to ensure Lebanon stays Arab and preserve the last remains of Arab unity in the face of the Zionist enemy. In the struggle against Israel, Syria and Lebanon are to remain Brothers in Arms.

The purpose of this study is to investigate why democracy has failed in Syria and which democratic theories that is appropriate to stop the starvation and misery in Syria. The country has been ruled by the Baath Party and the al-Assad family during four decades. The opposition could not create a common platform and they had lack of mutual trust, and no popular support. The weakness divided opposition because there are many ideologies, various ethnic and religious groups. The main theme of this study is democracy. I examine democracy from two theorists, Dahl and Putnam. I have investigated which of Dahl's democratic criteria can fulfill Syria and Putnam’s concept of social capital can explain and support Dahl's democratic criteria. Democracy is not just to remove a tyranny and by that I have investigated if there are weaknesses in the theory or difficult for people to apply the theory in reality if democracy fails. My thesis is a case study thus I see Syria as a unique case. The results have revealed that Dahl's theory for democracy is difficult to implement in Syria. There are no conditions for Dahl's theory.  Putnam's social capital revealed that there is a threat to democracy in Syria. The norms and social networks in Putnam theory can support tribal and minority. But in Syria there are the numbers of minorities and with this theory can hate and conflict increase between groups .That can create nationalism values. The results also have revealed that people do not have the will to democracy.

La Néolithisation au Proche-Orient est une période phare de l’histoire de l’humanité : c’est en effet à ce moment qu’interviennent de grands changements dans l’économie de subsistance, apportés par l’invention de l’agriculture et de l’élevage. D’autres changements dans le mode de vie sont également engendrés par la sédentarisation et, en dernier lieu, par l’invention de la céramique en tant que récipient. Ces bouleversements que connaissent les populations néolithiques s’observent aussi bien dans l’état sanitaire que dans les pratiques funéraires. Le travail entrepris a donc consisté à étudier les sépultures et les restes humains provenant de sept sites syriens répartis sur toute la période de la Néolithisation. Les pratiques funéraires se complexifient tout au long de la période, bien que les sépultures primaires et individuelles, avec un dépôt des corps en position fléchie sur le côté, soient longtemps restées la norme. Dès le PPNA, des sépultures sont directement associées à certains bâtiments, avant que des lieux d’inhumations spécifiques apparaissent à la fin du PPNB. L’étude anthropologique s’est concentrée sur les pathologies infectieuses osseuses et dentaires ainsi que sur les indicateurs de stress, selectionnés parmi les marqueurs les plus pertinents. Ainsi la tuberculose, la périostite, les caries, les abcès, la perte de dents ante-mortem, la maladie parodontale, les hypoplasies de l’émail dentaire, la Cribra orbitalia et l’hyperostose poreuse ont été systématiquement recherchés sur les squelettes. Après une étude des changements dans l’état de santé des populations site par site, les individus ont été regroupés par périodes afin de mettre en évidence l’impact de la Néolithisation dans une étude diachronique. L’avènement de l’agriculture semble avoir entrainé une augmentation des pathologies dentaires et des indicateurs de stress à la période du PPNB ancien, tandis qu’un pic de stress, enregistré au PPNB moyen, pourrait être relié à l’introduction de l’élevage, qui a pu entrainer des carences alimentaires et peut-être l’apparition de nouvelles maladies infectieuses. De même, la plupart des indicateurs laissent entrevoir une certaine dégradation de l’état sanitaire lors de la dernière période étudiée, le Néolithique céramique. Ce travail a permis de mettre en évidence que les changements intervenus dans l’état de santé sont loin d’être linéaires ; des fluctuations se produisent entre les périodes selon les différents indicateurs, et c’est au PPNB qu’apparaissent les bouleversements les plus importants. Il semblerait en outre que le degré de gravité des pathologies évolue de façon non linéaire tout au long de la Néolithisation. / The Neolithisation of the Near-East is a key period in the history of humanity, when huge changes occur in subsistence economy, triggered by agriculture and animal husbandry. Other changes in lifestyle are generated by sedentarization and eventually by the invention of pottery as container. The disruptions known by the Neolithic populations are to be found both in their health status and funerary practices. The sepultures and human remains from seven Syrian archaeological sites are studied in this work over the entire period of Neolithisation. The funerary practices become more complex over time, although the primary individual sepultures, with the corpse laid in a flexed position on one side, remain the standard for a long time. From the PPNA, some sepultures are directly associated with particular buildings, until specific burial areas appear towards the end of the PPNB. The bioanthropological study focuses on infectious diseases affecting bones and teeth and on stress indicators, with a selection of the most relevant features. The skeletons were thus systematically examined for signs of tuberculosis, periostitis, dental caries and abcesses, ante-mortem tooth loss, periodontal disease, dental hypoplasia, Cribra orbitalia and porotic hyperostosis. A site by site study of health status changes was carried out first, then the individuals were gathered by period in order to bring to light the impact of the Neolithisation processes in a diachronic study. The advent of agriculture seems to have entailed an increase in dental pathologies and stress indicators in the early PPNB, and a peak of stress registered in the middle PPNB could be related to the introduction of animal husbandry, creating dietary deficiency and new infectious diseases. Most of the markers indicate a deterioration in health status during the last studied period, the Pottery Neolithic. This work establishes that changes in health status were far from linear; the different indicators pointing to fluctuations between the periods, with the most important changes featuring in the PPNB. Furthermore, it suggests that the severity of the pathologies evolved in a non linear way throughout the Neolithisation.

Cette thèse consiste en une étude historique et archéologique de la ville de Masyaf (Syrie) et de son château durant les XIIe et XIIIe siècles, alors qu’elle se trouvait sous l'autorité de la communauté ismaʿilienne nizârite. Cette ville, qui se situe sur le versant oriental de la montagne côtière de la Syrie occidentale, est connue comme siège et capitale de cette communauté. La présente recherche porte sur le développement de cette minorité religieuse syrienne, connue en Occident durant les Croisades comme celle des Assassins (ou Hachchachines en arabe). L’Etat qu’elle a fondé a joué un rôle important dans le conflit politique et militaire qui a opposé Croisés et Musulmans. Le travail offre pour la première fois une étude archéologique approfondie des bâtiments et des complexes architecturaux qui forment le tissu de la ville de Masyaf et participent à sa configuration ; il analyse le rempart et ses portes, les rues principales qui dessinent le plan urbain, les monuments importants, en particulier la grande mosquée, le bain, le souq, les mausolées de plusieurs personnages historiques. Les résultats préliminaires de l'étude du château y sont également exposés de manière détaillée. Ils révèlent deux phases principales de construction : la première comprise entre le Xe siècle et le milieu du XIIe siècle, la deuxième comprise entre le milieu du XIIe siècle et la fin du XIIIe siècle, qui correspond à la période des Ismaʿiliens nizarites. Grâce à l’apport de la céramique, de la numismatique et de l’épigraphie, l’archéologie permet de mettre en évidence, pour la première fois, l'activité édilitaire de Rašid al-Din Sinan, le « Vieux de la montagne », entre 1162 à 1192 / This thesis is a historical and archaeological study of the city of Masyaf (Syria) and its castle during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, when it was under the authority of the Ismā'īlī.Nizari community. This city, which lies on the eastern slopes of the coastal mountains of Western Syria, is known as the seat and capital of this community. This research focuses on the development of a Syrian religious minority, known in the West during the Crusades as the Assassins (or Hachchachines in Arabic). The State she founded has played an important role in the political and military conflict between Crusaders and Muslims. The work provides for the first time a thorough archaeological survey of buildings and architectural complexes that form the fabric of the city of Masyaf and participate in its configuration; it analyzes the ramparts and gates, the main streets that draw the urban plan, important monuments, especially the great mosque, the bath, the suq, the mausoleums of several historical figures. Preliminary results of the study of the castle are also exposed in detail. They reveal two main phases of construction: the first between the tenth century and the mid-twelfth century, the second between the mid-twelfth century and the late thirteenth century, which is the period of Nizari Isma'ilis. Thanks to the contribution of ceramics, numismatics and epigraphy, archeology helps to reveal, for the first time, the building activity of Rasid al-Din Sinan, the "Old Man of the Mountain", between 1162-1192.

This paper has two purposes. The first one is to explain the rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia by analyzing four cases which has brought about and consolidated their power struggle. This gives the reader a historic background of the two countries relations, underlying reasons for their rivalry and a greater picture of their interests in the Middle East. It also leads up to the second purpose, which is to in depth examine Iran and Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy in Yemen, the latest conflict between the two countries. The papers research design is a qualitative case study with realism as its theoretical framework. The paper concludes that the Iranian revolution set off the rivalry due to Iran’s willingness to export its revolution and its Shia ideology to neighboring countries in the region. Saudi Arabia’s support to Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War helped contain Iran’s hegemonic ambitions and made Saudi Arabia the most dominant power in the Middle East. In Syria, Iran has a lot at stake if the regime falls, which is why Saudi Arabia is trying to topple Bashar Al-Assad. The execution of Nimr al-Nimr further deteriorated tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia. in Yemen, Iran seeks to expand its power to the Arabian Peninsula, whereas Saudi Arabia seeks to push out Iranian influence and regain its dominance.

Bien que le SCN 1993 ait été mis en place depuis plus de quinze ans, certains pays ne l'ont toujours pas mis en application, tandis que d'autres affirment l'appliquer sans qu'en réalité il ne le soit parfaitement.Les difficultés de la mise en œuvre du SCN 1993 s'expliquent par plusieurs raisons parmi lesquelles nous pouvons répertorier la disponibilité des sources de données et les bases de données.La Syrie n'a pas adapté le SCN 1993, et les comptes nationaux syriens sont aujourd'hui encore établis selon le SCN 1968.Dans notre recherche, nous avons analysé la qualité des données des comptes nationaux pour réaliser une application complète du SCN 1993 au département des comptes nationaux de Syrie.Ce système n'est certes pas en cours, mais l'application complète donnerait une réelle image de l'économie syrienne. Afin de réaliser cet objectif, et en profitant des expériences que nous offrent les autres pays, il était indispensable d'analyser la qualité des données de la comptabilité nationale produites au sein du département de la comptabilité nationale. Ce travail doit nous permettre de connaître la capacité de la Syrie à répondre aux recommandations du SCN 1993.Le SCN 2008 publié récemment, ne fait qu'approfondir le besoin d'adapter le système syrien au SCN. .Il est essentiel de garder à l'esprit que l'objectif n'est pas d'annoncer avec précipitation appliquer le système, mais il est urgent de produire et d'être capable de faire de vraies données et ainsi d'appliquer sainement le SCN.Cette recherche n'est pas un aboutissement mais se veut au contraire être le point de départ de d'une réflexion approfondie sur la refonte complète de la comptabilité nationale syrienne qui permettra de produire des données saines qui reflètent la réalité économique et permettent d'établir des stratégies économiques et de permettre le développement économique de la Syrie. / Although the SNA 1993 has been established for over fifteen years, some countries have still not yet implemented, while others pretend implementing it, without it being correctly applied.The difficulties in the implementation of the SNA 1993 are explained by a few main reasons among which we can identify the availability of data sources and databases.Syria has still not adopted the SNA 1993, and the Syrian national accounts are still set according to the 1968 SNA.In our research, we analyzed the quality of national accounts data to make a good applicability of the 1993 SNA of national accounts department of Syria.To achieve this goal, and taking advantage of the experiences that other countries offer us, it was necessary to analyze the quality of national accounts data produced in the department of the national accounts.The work should enable us to know our ability to respond to the recommendations of the system 93.The SNA 2008 has recently been published, however, we believe that when we are able to generate sound data, we will also be able to practice any developed system.It is essential to keep in mind that the goal is not to announce has only the implementation of the system. But it is urgent to produce and be able to do real data and to apply reasonably well the SNA.This research is not an end but will instead be the starting point of the national accounts, in order to produce sound data that reflect the reality of the economic in the future, for the establishment of economic strategies and economic development of Syria.

The diploma thesis deals with the regime change in the context of the Arab Spring 2011 with focus on Tunisia, Egypt and Syria. The aim of the thesis is to determine factors causing different progress towards political reforms in each country. Theoretical framework is provided by characteristics of undemocratic regimes, transitions to democracy and democracy itself. Each country is introduced from the historical point of view with focus on the 20th century, especially current methods of the governance. Several conclusions are made based on analytical -- synthetical method of reviewing historical, political and socioeconomical factors determining the domestic situation in compared countries and explaining their influence on different transition progress towards the new political system.

Cette thèse établit un corpus de plus de quatre cents voyageurs et auteurs européens, passés ou non par Alep pendant la période ottomane (1516-1918), dont les œuvres évoquant la métropole syrienne relèvent de la littérature de voyage. Centre économique, religieux et culturel, situé à la croisée des routes entre l’Europe, l’Asie et l’Afrique, Alep est un lieu de séjour ou de passage pour de nombreux voyageurs aux motivations diverses. La mise en texte de leur expérience viatique peut prendre des formes variées et subit l’influence des modèles rhétoriques classiques, en particulier celui de l’éloge de la cité à l’origine d’un certain nombre de topoi : la ville est propre et bien bâtie, son air est pur, ses jardins agréables, ses habitants tolérants et raffinés. Ces clichés sont répandus dans le temps, dans l’espace et à travers plusieurs genres littéraires. Leur diffusion est favorisée par les pratiques intertextuelles, mais ils ne sont pas constitutifs d’un regard européen spécifique, les sources orientales orales et écrites intervenant dans la construction du savoir sur la ville. L’originalité d’Alep repose dans la rareté des souvenirs chrétiens, gréco-romains et croisés, qui entraîne une faible fréquentation au XIXe siècle malgré l’importance de la métropole. Ce paradoxe révèle ainsi ce que recherchent principalement les voyageurs européens : eux-mêmes à travers leur propre passé. / The thesis establishes a corpus of more than four hundred European travellers and authors, passed or not through Aleppo during the Ottoman period (1516-1918), whose works evoke the Syrian metropolis within travel literature. As economic, cultural and religious centre located at the crossroads between Europe, Asia and Africa, Aleppo is a place of transit or residence for many travellers coming for different motivations. Their travel accounts can take many forms and are influenced by classical rhetorical models, particularly the praise of the city generating some topoi: the city is clean and well built, its air is pure and its gardens pleasant, the inhabitants are refined and tolerant. These topoi are scattered in time, space as well as in many literary genres. Their diffusion is favoured by the intertextual practices, but they do not reflect a specific European perspective, as Eastern sources – oral and written – take part in constructing knowledge about the city. The originality of Aleppo lies in scarcity of Christian, Greco-Roman and Crusaders recollections, which leads to low presence in the nineteenth century despite the importance of the city. This paradox reveals what European travellers look mainly for: themselves through their own history.