Two Gulf wars and the continuing Arab-Israeli conflict have highlighted the salience of military factors in the Middle East. This book argues, however, that many of the most serious 'security' challenges to Arab states and societies are rooted not in external military threats but in the imperatives of socio-economic development. Contributors examine the regional security environment; the social and political impact of regional militarization; and underdevelopment as a source of regional insecurity.

This textbook analyzes eight crucial foreign policy decisions of the 1970s and 1980s, emphasizing how decision-making is influenced by the social characteristics of Third World states and their position in the global system. Chapter 1 situates the Third World in the global system and traces the evolu

With its emphasis on the primacy of change, this study arrives at a particularly auspicious moment, as the Middle East continues to be convulsed by the greatest upheavals in generations, which have come to be known as the Arab Spring. Originally prepared as the tenth-anniversary volume of the UNDP's Arab Human Development Report, Arab Human Development in the Twenty-firstCentury places empowerment at the center of human development in the Arab world, viewing it not only from the vantage point of a more equitable distribution of economic resources but also of fundamental legal, educational, and political reform.
The ten chapters in this book follow closely this political economy framework. They look back at what Arab countries have achieved since the early 2000s and forward to what remains to be done to reach full development. Supported by a wealth of statistical material, they cover the rule of law, the evolution of media, the persistence of corruption, the draining of resources through armed conflict, the dominance and increase of poverty, the environment, and religious education. The concluding chapter attempts an inventory of the world literature and different experiences on democratic transition to explore where the region could be heading.
This critical and timely study is indispensable reading to development specialists and to Middle East scholars and students alike, as well as to anyone with an interest in the future trajectory of the region.

Two Gulf wars and the on-going Arab-Israeli conflict have highlighted the salience of military factors in the region. This book argues that many of the most serious "security" challenges to Arab states and societies are rooted not in external military threats, but in the imperatives of socio-economic development. Contributors examine the regional security environment, the social and political impact of regional militarization, and underdevelopment as a source of regional insecurity. Bhagat Korany is author and co-author of "The Foreign Policies of Arab States", "Regimes Politiques Arabes" and "How Foreign Policy Decisions are Made in the Third World". Paul Noble has also written "The Foreign Policies of Arab States", "Echoes of the Intifada" and "Canada and the Arab World". Rex Brynen is the author of "Sanctuary and Survival: the PLO in Lebanon" and editor of "Echoes of the Intifada: Regional Repercussions of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict".

In the era of globalization, change is the order of the day, but the conventional view of the Arab Middle East is that of a rigid and even stagnant region. This book counters the static perception and focuses instead on regional dynamics. The international team of contributors evaluate the development of Arab civil society; examine the opportunities and challenges facing the Arab media; link the debates concerning Arab political thought to the evolving regional and international context; look at the transformation of armed Islamist movements into deradicalized factions; assess how and to what extent women's empowerment is breaking down patriarchy; and analyze the rise of non-state actors such as Hizbollah and Hamas that rival central political authority.