Sustaining Alternative Links beyond Arms and the Military
This project is the cornerstone of the PRISME Initiative. It was created to challenge the centrality of militarized approaches to security in and with the Middle East and North Africa, and to support dialogue on alternatives rooted in human dignity, regional cooperation, and inclusive governance.
Through a growing network of scholars, policy voices, and civil society actors from the MENA region, Europe, and North America, SALAM explores how to move beyond the arms trade as the default framework for international engagement. Together, we examine what could be gained by centering different priorities rather than coercive power.
What we do
SALAM consists of a series of thematic workshops, each structured as a roundtable discussion around short memos submitted in advance. Most of these workshops are held online and feature eight authors. Every two years, the series includes an in-person edition, the DAMES Forum (Decentering Arms in Middle East Security), which brings together twelve participants for two days of intensive, collective exchange in Nice, France. All SALAM workshops result in published outputs. Each memo is published individually, followed by a synthesis paper that distills key insights from the group discussion and offers broader analytical and policy reflections.
How to participate
Submit a memo proposal
We regularly publish calls for proposals for upcoming workshops. If you’d like to join the next SALAM roundtable, you can submit a short abstract responding to the theme of the upcoming session. Emerging and established voices are both welcome.
Submit a memo proposal
We now also welcome spontaneous contributions that engage with SALAM themes – from arms trade dynamics to non-militarized security alternatives. Proposals should be 250 words, briefly outlining your main question or argument. If selected, you’ll be invited to submit a 2,000-word memo or short blog. Send your proposal to: office@prismeinitiative.org with the subject line: “SALAM – Voluntary Contribution”
The Debates
Synthesis Paper
Decentering Arms in Middle East Security
Emma Soubrier
Essays
US Arms Transfers to the Middle East: Challenges of Change
Jennifer L. Erickson
Can the UK kick its addiction to Middle East arms sales?
Sam Perlo-Freeman
Synthesis Paper
Essays
Egypt’s Challenge: Balancing Borders and Stability Amid Gaza War
Yara Ahmed & Jaida Aboulfotouh
Synthesis Paper
Essays
Synthesis Paper
Essays
Expert Associates
Framework
The SALAM project was launched as part of the broader project Revitalizing Debate on the Global Arms Trade, in collaboration with the World Peace Foundation at Tufts University. It continues to be supported by Carnegie Corporation of New York. PRISME is now hosted at the Institute for Peace and Development at Université Côte d’Azur.
