THE QUESTION

Are tribal identities becoming stronger as nation states weaken?
What, if anything, should "good" government do about tribes?

Posted by Amar C. Bakshi on September 2, 2006 12:00 PM

FROM THE PANEL

Bashir Goth is a veteran journalist, freelance writer, the first Somali blogger and editor of a leading news website. He is also a regular contributor to major Middle Eastern and African newspapers and online journals.

Respect Tribes: They Do What Weak States Cannot

United Arab Emirates/Somalia - Tribes are the glue that hold the social fabric of developing countries together. Their role, particularly in Africa and Arabia, is most important where government has collapsed....

Bashir Goth Somalia/UAE | 11 COMMENTS
Sep 2, 2006 at 3:00 PM
Saul Singer is Editorial Page Editor and author of the weekly column “Interesting Times” for the Jerusalem Post. He is the author of Confronting Jihad: Israel's Struggle and the World After 9/11. Before moving to Israel from the Washington area in 1994, Mr. Singer served for ten years as an advisor on the personal and committee staffs of the United States Congress, including the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Senate Banking Committee, and Senator Connie Mack.

The "Jewish Tribe," Reconciling With Modernity

Saul Singer Jerusalem, Israel | 19 COMMENTS
William M. Gumede is Associate Editor at Africa Confidential. He is Research Fellow at the School of Public and Development Management, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. He recently released the bestselling book Thabo Mbeki and the Battle for the Soul of the ANC.

Promote Individual Rights to Fight African Tribalism

William M. Gumede South Africa | 98 COMMENTS
Daoud Kuttab is a Palestinian journalist. He was born in Jerusalem in 1955. Presently he is a visiting professor at Princeton University in the United States. Mr. Kuttab is the former director of the Institute of Modern Media at Al Quds University in Ramallah, Palestine and the founder of AmmanNet, the Arab world's first internet radio station. His personal web page is www.daoudkuttab.com

Tribes Won't Work, Neither Will Callous Democracies

Daoud Kuttab Princeton, NJ | 2 COMMENTS
Miklos Vamos   |  Ahmed Rashid   |  Ali Ettefagh
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