Joshua Levkowitz
Former Research Associate
Joshua Levkowitz is a former research associate at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. Prior to joining AGSIW, Joshua worked with the National Democratic Institute, where he supported the citizen participation team’s inclusion portfolio. He has previously conducted research for the Centre for Mediation in Africa at the University of Pretoria, the Middle East Institute, and the National Defense University. He has also worked as a freelance journalist in Ethiopia, Iraq, and Egypt.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Boston University and a Master of Arts in International Affairs and Economics from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). Joshua has conducted fieldwork in Kenya, Sudan, Lebanon, and Colombia with a focus on conflict management, disarmament, and peacebuilding.
Analysis
Street Art in Yemen: Artists Fight War through Graffiti
Yemen’s ongoing war has left millions of people displaced, hungry, and hopeless. The fluid authority of local factions, the lack of news sources, and pervasive illiteracy all work to stifle public discussion within Yemen. But street graffiti, presented in local context, is a way to slip past those obstacles: to promote citizens’ involvement and provide...
Looking Beyond the Mountains: Saudi-Iranian Interests in Iraqi Kurdistan
Iraq is a key battleground for Iran and Saudi Arabia as they compete for dominance in the Gulf region. Iran has emerged from the past decade with an apparent upper hand in many areas, such as in the self-governed Kurdistan Regional Government territory of northern Iraq. It is said that “The Kurds have no friends...
Dec 8, 2015
Kings of the Road: The Politicization of Saudi Drifting
The Saudi phenomenon known as tafhit, or joyriding, is both a youth-driven pastime and an urban menace. As argued in a groundbreaking study, “Joyriding in Riyadh: Oil, Urbanism, and Road Revolt” by the scholar Pascal Menoret, the use and deliberate misuse of driving at high speeds gives power, voice, and attention to those challenging the...
Jan 19, 2016
Shoot Film, Not Bullets: Yemenis Turn to Art to Cope with Conflict
Yemen’s war is a forgotten catastrophe. Peter Maurer, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, stated in August: “Yemen after five months looks like Syria after five years.” All too commonly, civilians are bearing the brunt of the violence in Yemen. According to the United Nations, more than 2,700 people have been...
8 min read