In search of economic dignity in the Middle East
Bessma Momani explores the link between change and demographics in her new book, Arab Dawn: Arab Youth and the Demographic Dividend They Will Bring. The following is an excerpt.
Bessma Momani / @b_momani
Professor at the University of Waterloo’s Balsillie School of International Affairs and a CIGI senior fellow
Dr. Bessma Momani is a Professor at the University of Waterloo’s Balsillie School of International Affairs and a senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance and Innovation. She has been Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., and a visiting scholar at Georgetown University’s Mortara Center and at the Amman Institute, a research centre to improve local governance in the Middle East.
She has authored and co-edited over six books and of over 50 scholarly, peer reviewed journal articles and book chapters that have examined the IMF, the World Bank, petrodollars, regional trade agreements in the Middle East and economic liberalization throughout the Arab Gulf and the Middle East. Dr. Momani has received a number of Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council awards and prizes for her research on global economic governance and political economy of the Middle East.
More recently, Dr. Momani has been a public commentator and analyst on the Middle East and the Arab Spring. She is a regular contributor to CBC radio and a Middle East analyst on CTV News, CBC The National, Al-Jazeera English, Bloomberg TV, BNN and TVOs the Agenda. She has also published numerous op-ed articles on the Arab Spring in Canadian and international news outlets as well maintaining her own CIGI blog and Huffington Post column.
Most Recent Posts
Erdogan’s Next Move
Will the Turkish Prime Minister run for a forth term against his own party’s rules?
Seeing Syria’s Horrors: A Message for Finance Ministers
Images from Syria are on display at the World Bank. The target audience is the 188 finance ministers there for the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings.
Sisi: Egypt’s Drug of Choice
Egypt is on a high now, but unless the country deals with its economic and social problems, it will crash soon.
Egypt’s Referendum Redux
Once again Egyptians have gone to the polls to vote on a constitution. But what this is really about is legitimizing a coup argues Bessma Momani.
The War in Syria Spills Over
The recent assassination of Mohamad Chatah in Beirut could spur further violence in Lebanon and beyond argues Bessma Momani.
The Cost of Selling Intervention
There is no rhetoric President Obama can deploy that will lower the reputational price America will pay for intervening in Syria, argue Bessma Momani and Claire Schachter.
Is Syria a Terminal Case?
The international community is agonizing over how to ease Syria’s suffering but a cure remains elusive, argues Bessma Momani.
In Egypt, Reconciliation Fades Into the Distance
The ‘us against them’ narratives are hardening on both sides with little room in the middle for moderates says Bessma Momani.
Democracy’s Losing the Streetfight
The global appeal of mass street protests is undeniable, but they don’t offer a shortcut to improving democracy, argues Bessma Momani.
Egypt’s Costly Marriages of Convenience
Bessma Momani on why young Egyptians suffer most when marriages between political parties end in divorce.
From Coup to Chaos
Bessma Momani on the call by General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi for Egyptians to rally in support of the military.
Morsi’s Last, Lonely Days in Power
Bessma Momani on why the West didn’t stand up for Egypt’s first democratically elected president.
The Myth of Political Islam
Bessma Momani on why the hollow slogans of the Islamists will not satisfy the demands of Egyptians for real change.
A Warning to Egyptians
Protests against President Morsi have taken Egypt back to the edge. Bessma Momani on why the opposition is playing a dangerous game.
Turkey’s Summer of Discontent
Bessma Momani on why Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan should prepare for a long summer of protests.
Idling While Syria Implodes
Bessma Momani on why the West won’t intervene in Syria until the regional balance of power is broken.
Our Job Deficiency: A Challenge to the IMF-World Bank
Bessma Momani on what to do about our anemic economic growth path.
Egypt’s Fiscal Cliff
Bessma Momani on why Egypt is on the verge of a real fiscal cliff, and the consequences for the region if it goes over.
The Most Important Lesson
Bessma Momani on why the human cost of the Iraq War outweighs all others.
Why Egypt Needs Space from Morsi
The Egyptian president had only a small window to repair the damage wrought by Mubarak, and Bessma Momani says he failed to use it effectively.
A Crisis of Confidence
The latest round of protests reveal the continuing fragility of post-Mubarak Egypt, and the increasing frustration of Egyptians with the current regime.
Demand for Arab ‘Strongmen’ Weaker Than Ever
The Arab world is looking for effective leaders who can deliver real and lasting change, not new strongmen, argues Bessma Momani.
Egypt’s (False) Choice
Bessma Momani on the country’s upcoming referendum to decide the fate of Morsi’s constitution.
Should Morsi Be Given a Chance? Yes and No.
The Egyptian president was wrong to usurp the judiciary, but his opponents don’t have the right to usurp the general will either argues Bessma Momani.
No Turning Back on Revolution
Political economics scholar Bessma Momani explains Naguib Sawiris’s populist perspective.