Hicham Ben Abdallah: Cultural Dynamics in the Contemporary Arab World

All too frequently, students of democracy and democratization view the politics they analyze exclusively through the prism of constitutions, elections, and political actors, argues Hicham Ben Abdallah, in Le Monde Diplomatique. In the case of the Middle East, this involves worn out questions of religious fundamentalism, neo-colonialism, entrenched autocracy, the politics of oil and Israel, etc. While all of these are relevant to understanding the perseverance of authoritarian political structures, he says, it is equally crucial to understand the dynamics of culture, and the ways in which forms of cultural expression are developing, channeled, and managed.

• » No Picnic: The Dynamics of Culture in the Contemporary Arab World
• » Printed in Le Monde Diplomatique as "The Arab world's cultural challenge" in English

PESD "Climate Policy Instruments in the Real World" conference

On September 7, 2010, FSI's Program on Energy and Sustainable Development (PESD) in collaboration with Stanford University's Graduate School of Business and Stanford Law School will host an all-day conference on "Climate Policy Instruments in the Real World" in the Bechtel Conference Center. This conference will feature presentations by leading researchers on the political, economic, and regulatory challenges associated with major climate policy instruments. Read more »