RSS: Viewpoints

“Silent Tsunami” — The Global Food Crisis: Practitioners’ Views from the Region

Gian Carlo Cirri, Rick Corsino, Christine van Nieuwenhuyse — Mon, 1 Dec 2008 13:24:30 -0500

Hunger and malnutrition are the number one risk to health worldwide. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 907 million people in developing countries alone are hungry.

Rising food prices have made basic staples such as rice, wheat, milk, and corn unaffordable for many people. The spike in the cost of food and other basic commodities has imposed upon those with the most meager resources — the poor and hungry — further economic hardship. World Bank President Robert Zoellick warned that rising food costs could drive 100 million people into poverty and hunger who previously did not need help to buy food.

At an April 22, 2008 “food summit” held in London, UN World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director Josette Sheeran described the soaring food prices as “a silent tsunami, one that’s virtually hitting every developing nation on the earth.” British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who hosted the conference at 10 Downing Street, stated: “Hunger is a moral challenge to each one of us as global citizens, but it is also a threat to the political and economic stability of poor nations around the world.”

The World Bank has identified 36 countries that are struggling to cope with food insecurity. Although 22 of these countries lie in Africa, the global food crisis is affecting countries across the Middle East as well. This special edition of Viewpoints deals with the food crisis in Mauritania, the Palestinian Territories, and Afghanistan. The authors, each of whom has served as a Country Director for WFP, discuss the sources, the impact, and the responses taken and needed not just to mitigate the current food crisis but to avert the next one.

Selected Bibliography: General Works on Forced Migration, Refugees, and IDPs

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:18:27 -0400

"Iraq's Refugee and IDP Crisis: Human Toll and Implications" is a wide-ranging collection of essays that explore the challenges facing Iraq, the international community, and the refugees themselves. Fifteen leading experts and practitioners from around the world provide thought-provoking commentaries on a wide range of issues, including the factors that triggered the refugee flow; the response of the US, Iraq, and the international community; the prospects for the refugees' return; the impact on Iraq's neighbors, and much more. This special edition of MEI's prestigious Viewpoints series also includes maps and statistics about the state of Iraq’s millions of refugees and IDPs as well as a comprehensive bibliography and the testimonies of refugees themselves.

In this section:

Selected Bibliography: General Works on Forced Migration, Refugees, and IDPs

Refugee Testimonies

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:17:09 -0400

In this section:

Refugee Testimoniess

Statistics

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:10:42 -0400

In this section:

Statistics
IDPs in Iraq since April 2003 68
Total Number of IDPs by Region of Current Residence (April 2007) 68
Refugees and Asylum Seekers (Cumulative) 69
Number of Iraqi Asylum Applicants by Country,
2 006 and January to June 2007 69
Iraqi Refugees in Europe, 1970-2006 70
Iraqi Refugees in the Middle East, 1970-2006 71
Iraqi Refugees in the Americas, 1980-2006 71
Iraqi Refugees in Oceania, 1990-2006 72
Iraqi Refugee Flows in the Middle East, 1988-2006 72
Governorate IDP Profiles 74
Iraqi Refugees in Jordan: An In-Depth Look 110

Maps

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:58:01 -0400

In this section:
Maps:

Major Towns and Cities in Iraq 60

IDP and Returnee Locations (June 2008) 61

Displaced Iraqis (in thousands, March 2008) 62

Number of IDP Families Displaced out and within Baghdad Governorate (Feb. 2008) 62

Internally Displaced Religious Minorities (February 2008) 63

IDPs by District and Returnee Location (March 2008) 63

IDPs Locations (March 2008) 64

IDPs by District (March 2008) 65

Iraqi Population in the Middle East: Demographic Breakdown by Age Group (September 2007) 66

The Echoes of Experience and History

Nomi Stone, Orit Bashkin — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:35:16 -0400

In this section:

V. The Echoes of Experience and History

Arrival,
by Nomi Stone

A Note from the Jewish Past — A Comparison between Iraqi Refugees in Arab States Today and Jewish Iraqi Migrants in Israel,
by Orit Bashkin

Return, Relief, and Redress?

Joseph Sassoon, Elizabeth Ferris, Rhodri C. Williams, Kristele Younes — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:29:26 -0400

In this section:

IV. Return, Relief, and Redress?

Brain Drain and Return,
by Joseph Sassoon 41

Alternative Scenarios for Iraq’s Displaced,
by Elizabeth Ferris 44

Iraq’s Displaced at the Crossroads of Partition and Restitution,
by Rhodri C. Williams 47

Progress and Shortfalls of the International Response,
by Kristele Younes 50

Internally Displaced Persons: Status and Future

Dana Graber Ladek, Joseph Logan — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:27:17 -0400

In this section:

III. Internally Displaced Persons: Status and Future

Iraq’s Internally Displaced Persons: Scale, Plight, and Prospects,
by Dana Graber Ladek 30

From Exile to Peril at Home: Returned Refugees and Iraq’s Displacement Crisis
by Joseph Logan

Uprooted Populations and Their Reluctant Hosts

Géraldine Chatelard, Didem Daniş Elizabeth H. Campbell — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:22:29 -0400

In this section:

Jordan’s Transient Iraqi Guests: Transnational Dynamics and National Agenda,
by Géraldine Chatelard 20

Re-communitarization en route: Iraqi Christian Transit Migrants in Istanbul,
by Didem Daniş 23

Palestinian Refugees from Iraq in Critical Need of Protection,
by Elizabeth H. Campbell 26

Contours and Context

Nasir Ahmed Al-Samaraie, Nabil Al-Tikriti — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:18:15 -0400

In this section:

I. Contours and Context

Forcible Eviction in Iraq: Past Practices and Current Crisis,
by Nasir Ahmed Al-Samaraie

US Policy and the Creation of a Sectarian Iraq,
by Nabil Al-Tikriti

Preface & Introduction

Wendy Chamberlin, Phebe Marr — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:05:58 -0400

In this section:

Preface by Wendy Chamberlin
Introduction by Phebe Marr

Water and Conflict in the Middle East

Fri, 6 Jun 2008 16:03:19 -0400

Discussions of transboundary water issues in regions of the developing world other than the Middle East have tended to focus on development potential and poverty reduction. However, with respect to the Middle East, much of the media coverage and a sizable portion of scholarly writing have been devoted to “water conflicts.” Given the current amount of water available per capita, the high rate of population growth, and the high levels of interstate tension and conflict in the region, images of “water wars” do not seem far-fetched.

Israel: Growing Pains at 60 - Bibliography

Mon, 12 May 2008 12:26:16 -0400

General Historical Studies and Reference Works
141

Intellectual Origins of the State
143

British Mandate to Independence
145

Struggle for Statehood: The Early Years
148

National Security Affairs and Civil-Military Relations
150

Israel and the Arabs in War and Peace
156

The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
162

The Pursuit of Peace: Dialogue and Diplomacy
167

Israel’s Foreign Relations: States and Diaspora
172

Israel’s Relations with the United States
174

Israel’s Law, Government, and Politics
178

Economic Conditions and Development Policies
183

Society and Culture: Memory and Identity
187

Literature and the Arts
195

Religion in Society and Politics
198

Biography, Autobiography, and Memoirs
201

Women of Israel
203

Water Resources
205

Israel: Growing Pains at 60 - Selected Works of Contributors

Mon, 12 May 2008 12:23:44 -0400

Selected works from the authors contributing to this Viewpoints Special Edition.

Israel: Growing Pains at 60 - Statistics

Mon, 12 May 2008 12:20:51 -0400

Demographics 108

Economics 111

Education 114

Environment 115

Technology 116

Women 117

Freedom House Rankings 118

Israel: Growing Pains at 60 - Maps

Mon, 12 May 2008 12:18:47 -0400

The maps on pages 96-103 are copyright The Foundation for Middle East Peace. Our thanks to the Foundation for graciously allowing the inclusion of the maps in this publication.

UN Partition Plan, 1947
96

The Armistice Lines of 1949
97

Territories Occupied by Israel since June 1967
98

Staged Israeli Transfers of West Bank Territory to
Palestinian Self-Rule During the Interim Period, 1994-2000
99

The West Bank after Oslo:
Control and Separation — June 2002
100

Facilitating Disengagement — Israel’s West Bank
Road Plan — 2004
101

West Bank Separation Barrier — April 2007
102

Golan Heights 1923-2000
103

Golan Heights — Israel Withdrawal Options
104

Israeli Settlement in and around the Old City of
Jerusalem — August 2006
105

Containing Palestinian Neighborhoods in and around
Jerusalem’s Old City — 2008
106

Israel: Growing Pains at 60 - Religion and Society

Mon, 12 May 2008 12:09:55 -0400

Challenges on the Road to Tranquility
by Raphael Cohen-Almagor 77

The Intergenerational Split between Secular and Religious
Jews
by Eva Etzioni-Halevy 80

Israeli Civil Society at 60
by Tamar S. Hermann 83

Israel and the Jews from Arab Countries
by Avi Picard 86

Ba-Tipul [In Treatment]
by Donna Robinson Divine 89

Religious Thought as a Promoter of War or Driver of Peace
by Avinoam Rosenak 92

Israel: Growing Pains at 60 - Domestic & International Affairs

Mon, 12 May 2008 12:03:14 -0400

A Society in Denial?
by Galia Golan 51

The Rise and Possible Fall of Partition West of the Jordan, 1948-2008
by Motti Golani 54

A Success Story
by Efraim Inbar 57

Historical Success in Danger
by Menachem Klein 60

Between Samson and Jeremiah
by Ian S. Lustick 62

Globalization and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
by Uri Ram 65

Transformations in Israeli Politics since the 1990s
by Doron Shultziner 67

Debating the Failure of the 2000 Camp David Summit
by Mark Tessler 70

Israel and the Arab World between War and Peace
by Eyal Zisser 73

Israel: Growing Pains at 60 - Identity

Mon, 12 May 2008 11:57:07 -0400

Why Celebrate
by Mark A. Heller 28

Majoritarian Despotism and the Hollowing out of Citizenship
in Israel
by Amal Jamal 30

Israeli Citizenship
by Yoav Peled 32

Majority-Minority Relations in the Jewish Republic
by Ilan Peleg 35

Is Israel in the Middle East?
by Elie Podeh 38

Russian/Soviet Jews in Israel
by Larissa Remennick 41

Israeli-Jewish Diaspora Relations
by Gabriel (Gabi) Sheffer 44

Demography and Environment
by Arnon Soffer 47

Israel: Growing Pains at 60 - Economy

Paul Rivlin, Avia Spivak — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:40:36 -0400

The Israeli Economy: Past Achievements, Future Prospects
by Paul Rivlin 22

Much Accomplished, Much More to Be Done,
by Avia Spivak 24

Israel: Growing Pains at 60 - Culture & Media

Glenda Abramson, Gabriel Weimann, Ronald W. Zweig — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:34:23 -0400

Reflections on Israeli Literature
by Glenda Abramson 13

The Israeli Media: Future Challenges
by Gabriel Weimann 16

Green Lines of Imagination
by Ronald W. Zweig 19

Israel: Growing Pains at 60 - Preface & Introduction

Don Peretz — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:27:12 -0400

Within a mere few years after World War II the Middle East was remade. The creation of the State of Israel in 1948 and its consequences helped propel that part of the world to what seems to be a permanent and unenviable spot on any list of world crises . . .

Western Sahara

Tue, 8 Apr 2008 11:18:13 -0400

Western Sahara (formerly Spanish Sahara) is the territory in northwestern Africa between Morocco and Mauritania bordering the Atlantic Ocean. The territory is also host to Africa’s longest-running territorial dispute. In April 2007, Morocco presented an autonomy plan for the territory to the United Nations. On the first anniversary of the proposal, this issue of Viewpoints critically examines the plan and its prospects for success.

Jacques Roussellier, an Adjunct Scholar at the Middle East Institute, serves as moderator of this discussion in his piece, “How Autonomous is Autonomy? The Western Sahara Dispute in a Bind.” Several experts on the subject have provided thoughtful, incisive analyses of this crucial conflict as discussants. These include Robert Holley of the Moroccan American Center for Policy (“Meeting International Norms for Self-Determination through Autonomy”); James N. Sater is Assistant Professor at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco - he is the author of Civil Society and Political Change in Morocco (Routledge, Abingdon and New York, 2007), and Morocco: Challenges to Modernity and Tradition (Routledge, forthcoming); and Stephen Zunes of the University of San Francisco (“Western Sahara: Self-Determination and International Law”).

Iran's March 14, 2008 Majlis Elections

Dr. Mehrzad Boroujerdi, Dr. Farideh Farhi, Dr. Fatemeh Haghighatjoo — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 17:10:16 -0400

Speaking of the need for an opposition party, Kemal Ataturk once said: “I do not want to be recorded in history as the man who bequeathed a tyranny.” These words could also be uttered by Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah ‘Ali Khamene’i. Yet, the legacy that ‘Ali Khamene’i will leave behind can perhaps best be described as a promenade of contradictory truths. Such contradictions are emblematic of the 8th round of Iranian parliamentary (Majlis) elections that are now upon us. It is true that the Iranian state employs a prodigious style of electoral engineering to regiment outcomes. But it is also true that the circulation of elites happens mainly at the bottom of the Iranian political pyramid. Therefore, it is important to follow closely the process of elite maneuvering and circulation at the level of parliamentarians.

Lebanon Is Not Two Camps

Rima Merhi, Kamal Chaitou, Thaer Ghandour, Lynn Zovighian — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 16:40:21 -0400

The Bush Administration steadfastly supported Israel in the July 2006 war in Lebanon and a year later congratulated the Lebanese army for its “victory” following the 105-day battle in the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp. The United States must now manage the “aftershocks” of these misguided policies. This requires above all a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the complex dynamics of Lebanese politics.