Arab Approaches To Conflict Resolution

This book examines Arab approaches to mediation, negotiation and settlement of political disputes. This book proposes that two clusters of independent variables are potentially responsible for the distinctive nature of Arab conflict resolution. Firstly, those linked with Arab political regimes and imperatives, and secondly those linked with Arab and /or Islamic culture. The text also focuses on the Arab League and its history of involvement in crisis and conflict situations, along with the roles of individual leaders, emissaries and extra-regional actors such as IGOs (Inter-Governmental Organisations) in undertaking mediation initiatives. IGO and Arab League activity has taken on new importance since the various intervention attempts in connection with the 'Arab Spring' since 2011. During the negotiation process, most Arab regimes tend to view conflicts within a broad historical context and Islamic culture prioritises the cohesion of the community and internal stability of the state over individual autonomy. This has created an authoritarian style of leadership, and in practice, leaders in the Middle East have had near absolute authority in the decision-making process—a fact which will have a lot of weight in conflict management and whether peace will endure for a long period of time. This book is unique in studying these clusters through comparative systematic case study analysis of events prior to and subsequent to the 'Arab Spring', augmented by a quantitative analysis of sample data on Arab disputes, compiled from a larger and newly augmented study comprising the years 1945-2000. Complementary data from the Uppsala Conflict Data Program’s (UCDP) data base of armed conflicts since 1975 is also utilized. This book will be of much interest to students of conflict resolution, peace and conflict studies, Middle Eastern politics and IR in general.

This is the first study to introduce the subject of Arab-Jewish relations and encounters in Israel from both conflict resolution and educational perspectives. Through a critical examination of Arab and Jewish encounter programs in Israel, the book reviews conflict resolution and intergroup theories and processes which are utilized in dealing with ethnic conflicts and offers a detailed presentation of intervention models applied by various encounter programs to promote dialogue, education for peace, and democracy between Arabs and Jews in Israel. The author investigates how encounter designs and processes can become part of a control system used by the dominant governmental majority's institutes to maintain the status quo and reinforce political taboos. Also discussed are the different conflict perceptions held by Arabs and Jews, the relationship between those perceptions, and both sides' expectations of the encounters. Abu-Nimer explores the impact of the political context (Intifada, Gulf War, and peace process) on the intervention design and process of those encounter groups, and contains a list of recommendations and guidelines to consider when designing and conducting encounters between ethnic groups. He reveals and explains why the Arab and Jewish encounter participants and leaders have different criteria of their encounter's success and failure. The study is also applicable to dialogue and coexistence programs and conflict resolution initiatives in other ethnically divided societies, such as South Africa, Northern Ireland, Bosnia, and Sri Lanka, where the minority and majority have struggled to find peaceful ways to coexist.

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.

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.

Social Work Approaches to Conflict Resolution helps readers understand the nature and causes of conflict and offers suggestions for coping with conflict effectively. It is based on two assumptions: that conflict is a basic part of the life of normal human beings, groups, organizations, communities, and nations, and that resolving conflict is part of the ongoing interventions of all social workers. A practical text for theory-practicum courses for MSW and doctoral students, it is filled with information also useful to therapists, group workers, community workers, administrators, scholars in the social sciences, practitioners in other helping professions, and trainers in the emerging field of conflict resolution itself. Deliberately linking conflict resolution and systems analysis, Social Work Approaches to Conflict Resolution tackles a number of related themes to help you see the connections between topics not normally presented together in social work literature. You’ll see how unmet needs may cause conflict to evolve and escalate and learn about the connections between strongly held feelings and the destructive relations that have developed between diverse ethnic peoples in many parts of our planet. Author Benyamin Chetkow-Yanoov draws on his own background of being a minority as well as his experience in Arab-Jewish reconciliation in Israel as he offers readers thorough explanations of: a systems model for analyzing conflict problem-solving versus resolving conflict how value clashes and victimization are some of the basic causes of conflict escalation 9 professional roles required for resolving conflicts the effectiveness of volunteers in conflict resolution teaching conflict resolution skills to various audiences trends in the evolution of voluntary conflict resolution efforts You can apply much of what you learn in Social Work Approaches to Conflict Resolution not only to your professional life but also to your personal relationships and experiences. Also, since victimized people and groups are major contributors to the perpetuation and escalation of conflict, the book suggests 10 steps for helping victims free themselves from repeated conflict-generating behaviors.

As civil wars become forums for international conflicts and ideological rivalries, their containment and resolution is an increasingly important requisite for international peace. This book explores mediation as a means toward resolving such wars. Dr. Assefa argues that the sovereign sensitivities of incumbent governments, the risk of international

This collection of articles examines mediation in a range of situations including international relations, informal mediation by private individuals and by scholars and practitioners, as well as the superpowers as mediators.

Since the end of the Cold War mediation in international conflict has risen to the top of the international agenda. This book takes a look at the Oslo Accords using recent developments in political and international theory.