Albrecht Schnabel Boeken

There has now been more than a decade of conceptual work, policy development, and operational activity in the field of security sector reform (SSR). To what extent has its original aim, to support and facilitate development, been met? The various contributions to this book address this question, offering a range of insights on the theoretical and practical relevance of the security-development nexus in SSR. They examine claims of how and whether SSR effectively contributes to achieving both security and development objectives. In particular, the analyses presented in the book provide a salutary lesson that development and security communities need to take each other's concerns into account when planning, implementing, and evaluating their activities. The book offers academics, policy-makers, and practitioners within the development and security communities relevant lessons, suggestions, and practical advice for approaching SSR as an instrument that serves both security and development objectives. (Series: Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces [DCAF])

Democratization in the Middle East addresses a number of key issues determining the success or failure of sustainable democratization in the region. With the exception of Israel, the constituent states cannot yet guarantee a path toward sustainable democracy. If anything, movement toward political, economic, and cultural liberalization has thus far brought instability and violence to the region, as traditional and religious values conflict with secular ethics, norms, and practices. Drawing on analyses of Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria—as well as the North African nations of Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia—this book examines patterns of democratization; the relationship between civil society and the state; the impact of Islam and Islamic movements; and the interdependence of development, peace and democratization, and political and economic transition. The contributors conclude that, in order to advance democratization processes throughout the region, reforms must be gradual and must be organized and monitored from the top, while supplemented by a similarly gradual process toward the establishment of a broad-based and broadly supported civil society. Only such gradual reform processes will be successful in creating participatory, just, peaceful, and stable societies in the Middle East. Contributors include Kamel S. Abu Jaber, Tom Pierre Najem, Etel Solingen, Gerald Steinberg, Majid Tehranian, and Mark Tessler.