Posts Tagged ‘tribalism’
Tribes and clans in Afghanistan
There is a short but thoughtful article in The Atlantic about the current U.S. engagement with Afghanistan and the story contains some useful pieces of information about Afghan culture. Specifically, it speaks about the tremendous importance of tribes and clans in the nation’s social structure, while suggesting that the U.S. strategy is on the wrong track [...]
Clan-based government in Somalia?
The best designed governments are those that build upon the culture of a country, rather than those that try to impose foreign ideas and systems on a people. So I read with interest this recent story in the International Herald Tribune about a movement to re-design the government of Somalia in a way that would emphasize the traditional [...]
The role of tribal identity in Kenya
A few weeks ago, I had some posts (here and here) about the Kenyan elections and the influence of tribalism in that country’s politics. Now, the Washington Post has an excellent article that explores that topic in more depth and examines the role of tribal identity in shaping the political and world views of many Kenyans. A key [...]
Tribalism and democracy in Kenya
Tribalism is an inescapable undercurrent of life throughout much of Africa and the Middle East. And, as this Washington Post article notes, one’s tribal loyalties have also played a significant role in democratic elections in Kenya, even though many voters deny it is an issue. Although many issues are at stake in Kenya’s presidential election Thursday [...]
Nomadic traditions influence politics
It’s easy to dismiss ancient nomadic traditions as quaint relics of the past. But researchers are now discovering that these tribal traditions are not only the building blocks of Central Asian cultures but are also representative of values that continue to influence contemporary politics. Some of these insights were discussed in a recent article in the International [...]
Ethiopia turns to elders
Sometimes a crisis really can be defused by a few wise elders. At least in cultures that have a tradition of respect for such individuals. That’s what happened in Ethiopia recently when a political crisis was solved through mediation by a newly formed Council of Elders. The Christian Science Monitor has the story: As the gray-haired man [...]
The challenges posed by clans and tribalism
I’ve previously written about clans and tribalism as it relates to Iraq and the Middle East. But this cultural topic is of course also an issue in other regions of the world, as shown by this recent article about Somalia. … whether Somalia pulls itself together now or explodes into bloodshed again depends not on American [...]
The tribal culture of Iraq
There are many people who would have us believe that the challenges of Iraq are all about politics and terrorism. And, of course, those obstacles are very real and are difficult enough to overcome. But the hurdles involved in putting that country back together actually go much deeper, since a solution to the Iraqi quagmire isn’t really possible without taking into account [...]
Honor and tribalism in the Middle East
Anyone who is interested in knowing how culture influences the conflicts in the Middle East would enjoy an op-ed piece by John Tierney in yesterday’s New York Times . Tierney describes the importance of honor in that region of the world and how it can affect everything from tribal and family loyalties to communication styles. In the [...]
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