In 2011, the Arab Spring raised great hopes of change among the predominantly young populations of the Middle East. Yet the democratising effect anticipated by the West and the European Union did not materialise. Instead, various regimes were overthrown, with contrasting outcomes. These events were accompanied by increased repression. Today the region is divided, and even the EU is trying to determine its own role there.
A new special issue published by the German Federal Agency for Civic Education thus focuses on the volatile nature of the conflicts in the Middle East and the countries of North Africa. In Informationen zur politischen Bildung (izpb) – Naher Osten (Information for Civic Education – the Middle East), the agency draws on the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA)’ many years of academic expertise. The GIGA-based Institute for Middle East Studies is the only German institute that systematically studies current social-science-related issues in North Africa and the Middle East.
In detailed thematic contributions, GIGA researchers discuss the region’s religious and cultural diversity, history, economic relationships, and societal challenges. Brief informational texts explain, for example, the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamic State, Wahhabism, and the Arab League. The publication also includes numerous diagrams, tables, and statistics on political, social, and economic questions.
The special issue, which has a print run of 500,000 copies, can be ordered free of charge on the Federal Agency for Civic Education website.
Informationen zur politischen Bildung (Heft 331): Naher Osten Publisher: Federal Agency for Civic Education Pages: 84 Publication date: December 2016 Place of publication: Bonn Order number: 4331.
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