Orienting our sights on the future
The uprisings and ensuing political changes taking place throughout the Middle East and North Africa are reshaping the political and social landscape of the region. As this environment evolves, the United States Marine Corps, as the Nation's force in readiness, must stay current on the emerging realities in the Middle East to ensure they stand ready to respond to the Nation's needs. The wave of uprisings which began in December of 2010 in Tunisia, now generally referred to as the Arab Spring or Arab Revolts, has had varied results throughout the region and mixed responses from the international community. Not only has the rule of long-standing regimes been challenged, but also the relationships of leaders throughout the region and beyond have been redefined. This collection, number three in the series of monographs published by MES that began in 2011, brings together five short pieces representing some of the lectures presented in the MES 2011-2012 Lecture Series entitled, "Orienting our sights on the future : the opportunities and challenges of the Arab revolts." While time has passed since the lectures were presented and the rapidly changing dynamics in the region are presenting new challenges and opportunities beyond what had been discussed a year ago, the analysis of underlying causes of the unexpected turn of events in the Arab world beginning in December 2010 as well as the predictions and policy recommendations offered by our speakers in their writings remain of value to both students and researchers trying to understand the events in question and the policy community. The questions of democracy, political participation, and the roles of Islam, the military, and international relations as well as a myriad other topics stemming from or related to the Arab Spring continue to be relevant today.
