Historical Dictionary of International Organizations in Africa and the Middle East: (Historical Dictionaries of International Organizations)

The Historical Dictionary of International Organizations in Africa and the Middle East focuses on international organizations in Africa. And the Middle East. This makes sense for political, cultural, and geographical reasons. North African countries, and many located in the Sahel region, are members of not only African but also Middle Eastern international organizations due to their cultural and religious heritage as well as geographic location between Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. A limited number of global organizations are also included in this book when they have major programs focusing on Africa and/or the Middle East. This volume emphasizes intergovernmental organizations but many non-governmental organizations are also included. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 700 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, thematic topics, and major international issues affecting the region. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about this subject.

Table of Contents:
Editor’s Foreword, Jon Woronoff Acknowledgments Acronyms and Abbreviations Selected Chronology of African and Middle Eastern International Organizations Introduction The Dictionary Appendices Appendix I Charter of the African Union Appendix II Charter of the Arab League Appendix III African and Middle Eastern Organizations Classified by Field of Activity Bibliography About the Author

About the Author :
Terry M. Mays is professor of political science at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, where he teaches in the field of international relations, including specialized courses on international organizations and multinational peacekeeping. He has conducted research or assisted government officials across Africa and the Middle East including Nigeria, Senegal, Niger, Egypt, Israel, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

Review :
The Historical Dictionary of International Organizations in Africa and the Middle East, by political scientist Mays complements and updates his coauthored earlier work with Mark W. DeLancey on sub-Sharan Africa. The author teaches courses on international politics and has published widely in the field, including producing other historical dictionaries on multinational peacekeeping and the American Revolution Similar in format to other titles in the publisher's series, the work begins with a chronology of major political events and actions taken by international organizations. An introduction contextualizes the dictionary and provides a broad overview of trends in the work of international organizations in the Middle East and Africa. The alphabetical listing of approximately 700 entries consists of organizations, important events, and key figures in the politics of the region. Within the entries, cross-references appear as bolded text to help readers understand the context of the organization and the relationships among groups, people, and events. Although the assembly of topics and treatments show the author is well versed in African and Middle Eastern politics, and each entry provides adequate detail and enough information to help students get started with a research project, the main audience for this particular specialized dictionary will likely be those with expertise who are already working in the field. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-level undergraduates through researchers/faculty; professionals/practitioners.