Civil Society And Political Reform In Lebanon And Libya

Download or read book Civil Society and Political Reform in Lebanon and Libya written by Carmen Geha and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-02-12 with total page 215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lebanon and Libya have undergone critical political events in recent years. However, demands for reform from civic institutions during these transitions have not led to concrete political decisions. Civil Society and Political Reform in Lebanon and Libya reveals the deeply-entrenched historical patterns and elements of continuity that have led to path dependent outcomes in the political transitions of both countries. Motivated by personal experiences as an activist in Lebanon, the author draws together a wide range of data from participant observations, nation-wide surveys, interviews and focus groups in a careful analysis of these two civil society-led reform campaigns. The study demonstrates how the combination of weak states and power-sharing agreements marginalizes civic organisations and poses institutional constraints on the likelihood of reform. Written by an active participant in the political events discussed, this book offers new insight into two countries which present comparable and informative case studies. As such, it is a valuable resource for students, scholars and policymakers interested in civil society, politics and reform in the Middle East and North Africa.

Download or read book Reproducing Sectarianism written by Paul W. T. Kingston and published by State University of New York Press. This book was released on 2013-06-20 with total page 355 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Arab Spring in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and elsewhere has highlighted the growing importance of the politics of civil society in the contemporary Middle East. In Reproducing Sectarianism, Paul W. T. Kingston examines rights-oriented advocacy networks within Lebanon's postwar civil society, focusing on movements and political campaigns based on gender relations, the environment, and disability. Set within Lebanon's postwar sectarian democracy, whose factionalizing dynamics have long penetrated the country's civil society, Kingston's fascinating study provides an in-depth analysis of the successes and challenges that ensued in promoting rights-oriented social policies. Drawing on extensive field research, including interviews and a wealth of primary documents, Kingston has produced a groundbreaking work that will be of interest to Middle East experts and nonexperts alike.

Download or read book Civil Society and Political Reform in Lebanon and Libya written by Carmen Geha and published by Routledge, is. This book was released on 2016 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Civil Society and Political Reform in Lebanon and Libya reveals the deeply-entrenched historical patterns and elements of continuity that have led to path dependent outcomes in the political transitions of both countries. Motivated by personal experiences as an activist in Lebanon, the author draws together a wide range of data from participant observations, nation-wide surveys, interviews and focus groups in a careful analysis of these two civil society-led reform campaigns. The study demonstrates how the combination of weak states and power-sharing agreements marginalizes civic organisations and poses institutional constraints on the likelihood of reform.

Download or read book When Blame Backfires written by Anne Marie Baylouny and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2020-09-15 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The recent influx of Syrian refugees into Jordan and Lebanon has stimulated domestic political action against these countries' governments. This is the dramatic argument at the heart of Anne Marie Baylouny's When Blame Backfires. Baylouny examines the effects on Jordan and Lebanon of hosting huge numbers of Syrian refugees. How has the populace reacted to the real and perceived negative effects of the refugees? In thought-provoking analysis, Baylouny shows how the demographic changes that result from mass immigration put stress on existing problems in these two countries, worsening them to the point of affecting daily lives. One might expect that, as a result, refugees and minorities would become the focus of citizen anger. But as When Blame Backfires demonstrates, this is not always the case. What Baylouny exposes, instead, is that many of the problems that might be associated with refugees are in fact endemic to the normal routine of citizens' lives. The refugee crisis exacerbated an already dire situation rather than created it, and Jordanians and Lebanese started to protest not only against the presence of refugees but against the incompetence and corruption of their own governments as well. From small-scale protests about goods and public services, citizens progressed to organized and formal national movements calling for economic change and rights to public services not previously provided. This dramatic shift in protest and political discontent was, Baylouny shows, the direct result of the arrival of Syrian refugees.

Download or read book Migrations in the Mediterranean written by Ricard Zapata-Barrero and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2023 with total page 419 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This open access Regional Reader describes population movement circulating within the Mediterranean area, for any reason or from any region, be them European, African, Asian or originating from any of the Mediterranean shores. It showcases a plurality of approaches to and applications of Mediterranean migration, contributing to a regional approach to migration, thereby defending this regional approach by scaling Mediterranean migration issues. This book covers a large set of questions related to the migration research agenda, such as: market and economy, politics and policies, super-diversity and intersectionality, media, society, welfare and the environment through five main parts: Geo-political Mediterranean Relations, Governance, Policies and Politics, Mobility drivers and Agency, Cities, History and Social Transformations, and Economy and Labour Markets. This Regional Reader provides an interesting read to scholars, researchers, but also policy makers and civil society organizations’ high representatives, international foundations and institutions interested in linking the Mediterranean and migration.

Download or read book Salafism in the Maghreb written by Frederic Wehrey and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2019 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The conservative, literalist Islamist current known as Salafism is often synonymous with extremism and militancy. In fact, Salafism is an adaptive, diverse and dynamic outlook that has emerged as a major social and political force across the Middle East, especially in the countries of the Arab Maghreb--Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya--a vitally important region that impacts the security and politics of Europe, sub-Saharan Africa and the broader Middle East. Through extensive interviews and fieldwork, Middle East scholars Frederic Wehrey and Anouar Boukhars explore the many roles and manifestations of Salafism in the Maghreb, to include its relationship with the Maghreb's ruling regimes, with competing Islamist currents, increasingly youthful populations, and communal groups like tribes and ethno-linguistic minorities. Particular attention is paid to how the boundaries between different Salafi currents--pro-regime "quietists," politically active "politicos" who participate in elections, and militant jihadists like al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, is increasingly blurred, demonstrating how seemingly immutable Salafi ideology is often shaped by local contexts and opportunities. Similarly, the authors show how Maghrebi Salafism is uniquely reflective of each country's political institutions, history, and social makeup and how the much-touted notion of Salafism as a monolithic Saudi or Gulf "export" is undermined by local realities. Informed by rigorous research, deep empathy, and unparalleled access to Salafi adherents, clerics, politicians, and militants, Salafism in the Maghreb offers a definitive account of this important Islamist current that is at once granular and accessible.

Download or read book Life as Politics written by Asef Bayat and published by Stanford University Press. This book was released on 2013-05-01 with total page 391 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Prior to 2011, popular imagination perceived the Muslim Middle East as unchanging and unchangeable, frozen in its own traditions and history. In Life as Politics, Asef Bayat argues that such presumptions fail to recognize the routine, yet important, ways in which ordinary people make meaningful change through everyday actions. First published just months before the Arab Spring swept across the region, this timely and prophetic book sheds light on the ongoing acts of protest, practice, and direct daily action. The second edition includes three new chapters on the Arab Spring and Iran's Green Movement and is fully updated to reflect recent events. At heart, the book remains a study of agency in times of constraint. In addition to ongoing protests, millions of people across the Middle East are effecting transformation through the discovery and creation of new social spaces within which to make their claims heard. This eye-opening book makes an important contribution to global debates over the meaning of social movements and the dynamics of social change.