Dr. Imad Salamey speaking on the Decline of Nation-States post-Arab Spring at Baker Institute
Dr. Imad Salamey, Associate Chair and Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at the Lebanese American University, participated in a panel discussion at Rice University’s Baker Institute on the strategies available for the U.S. administration to build inclusive and pluralistic post-Arab Spring societies.
Dr. Salamey presented on his latest publication “The Decline of Nation States After the Arab Spring and the Rise of Communitocracy”. He started by reflecting on the latest incidents in the MENA region ever since the evolution of the Arab Spring. He utilized data, statistics and facts to support his argument.
Dr. Salamey posed the questions: are the nation-state in the Middle East really undergoing a crisis and is it still vital to be revitalized or if not, what is the possible political alternative?
He contended that globalization is the major explanatory variable to why the nation-states in the Middle East have been in decline, he adds, security is no longer a matter of state due to transnational military and armed actors.
Thus, arguing that communitarian groups have been resorting to their own means of self-help.
For the full speech, watch the video below.