Middle East Perspectives on the Achievability of Peace

This chapter focuses on Middle Eastern perspectives regarding the achievability of world peace. The Middle Eastern region, although rife with national and transnational conflict, has undertaken many peacebuilding efforts, such as the Madrid-Oslo process, as outlined in this chapter. This chapter also briefly discusses conflicts in this area that have hampered peace. A sample of 398 respondents from Middle Eastern countries responded to two survey questions regarding the achievability of world peace. Responses were coded for agency, disengagement, and humanitarian engagement, as well as prerequisites for peace. Despite living in an area that has been conflict laden for thousands of years, respondents to the survey were largely optimistic regarding the achievability of world peace, offering many solutions they believed could bring about peace. Perhaps not surprisingly, there was also considerable recognition that war, hate, and violence are barriers to the achievement of peace. This chapter ends by discussing the region’s future in relation to the recent Arab Spring, mentioning important steps necessary to achieve peace and factors that must be taken into consideration in peace efforts.