This study of conflict management in the Middle East covers general conflict resolution in Islam, sociological roots of conflict resolution in the Arab World and conflict resolution and the Arab state. The Western perspectives presented are then critiqued from a non-Western standpoint.

fills a gap in the market on conflict resolution in the Arab world examines conflict management in the Arab world through comparative case study analysis will be of much interest to students of conflict resolution, Middle Eastern politics, peace and conflict studies, security studies and IR

Political Culture and Conflict Resolution in the Arab MIddle East develops a method for examining the explanatory capacity of political culture in relation to the issues of civil war and conflict resolution in Lebanon and Algeria. How perception, shaped by values and assumptions, affects political behaviour presents scholars with potentially valuable but also dangerous possibilities. Namely, seeking to explore the explanatory capacity of the nebulous concept of political culture can prospectively lead to the cul de sacs of essentialism or relativism. In an attempt to engage with the concept of political culture, this book develops a method for examining the explanatory capacity of political culture in relation to the issues of civil war and conflict resolution in Lebanon and Algeria. Applying strict limits on the implementation of political culture in an explanatory capacity, namely its role as a secondary, relational and comparative concept, this book demonstrates how political culture operates to shape the form and affect the legitimacy of conflict resolution processes. This is applied to two peace agreements, Lebanon's Taef Agreement and Algeria's Civil Concord. Here. the importance of 'contextuality' is emphasised in developing a space where political culture can provide explanatory capacity whilst remaining connected to 'macro' theoretical concepts.

Inter- and intra-clan conflicts in Northern Israel pit hundreds against each other in revenge cycles that take years to resolve and impact the entire community. The Sulha is a Shari’a-based traditional conflict resolution process that works independently of formal legal systems and is widely practiced to manage such conflicts in the north of Israel, as well as throughout the Muslim and Arab worlds. The Sulha process works by effecting a gradual attitudinal transformation, from a desire for revenge to a willingness to forgive, through restoration of the victim’s clan sense of honour. Muslim/Arab Mediation and Conflict Resolution examines the process of Sulha, as practiced by the Arab population of northern Israel, where it plays a central role in the maintenance of peace among Muslims, Christians, and Druze alike. It presents detailed analysis of every stage of this at times protracted process. It uses interviews with victims, perpetrators, Sulha practitioners, community leaders and lawyers, along with statistical analysis to examine how Sulha affects people’s lives, how various sectors of society impact the practice, and how it coexists with Israel’s formal legal system. Furthermore, it examines how Sulha compares to Western dispute resolution processes. This book offers the first comprehensive exploration of the entire Sulha process, and is a valuable resource for students and scholars of Middle East studies, Islamic studies and conflict resolution.

Shortly before the Middle East peace talks began in November 1991, the United States Institute of Peace conducted a four-day simulation of what was about to unfold in the diplomatic dialogue between two enemy countries, Israel and Syria, whose representatives had never before sat together. This volume presents a description of that exercise and its implications for peacemaking and conflict resolution in the Middle East, a discussion of simulations and their utility for diplomats and for the field of conflict resolution, and a discussion among the participants of prospects for the overall Middle East peace negotiations.

This book explores efforts being made to create Russian-American cooperation in managing recurrent conflict in the Middle East. Theoretical, historical, and policy sections provide the framework for chapters that represent the most current, multinational thinking on issues of war prevention, crisis avoidance, and conflict resolution. The contributo

The Middle East and North Africa region has been plagued with civil wars, international interventions, and increasing militarization, making it one of the most war-affected areas in the world today. Despite numerous mediation processes and initiatives for conflict resolution, most have failed to transform conflicts from war to peace. Seeking to learn from these past efforts and apply new research, Fraihat and Svensson present the first comprehensive approach to mediation in the Arab world, taking on cases from Yemen to Sudan, from Qatar to Palestine, Syria, and beyond. Conflict Mediation in the Arab World focuses on mediation at three different levels of analysis: between countries, between governments and armed actors inside single countries, and between different communities. In applying this holistic method, the editors identify similarities and differences in the conditions for conflict resolution and management. Drawing upon the work of experts in the field with a deep understanding of the increasing complexities and changing dynamics of the region, this volume offers a valuable resource for academics, policy makers, and practitioners interested in conflict resolution and management in the Middle East and North Africa.