Noref Report 14 - Darfur and Arab Public Opinion
Strategies for Engagement
11 August 2009
Western public debate about Darfur, which has centered on the concepts of 'responsibility to protect' and 'international justice', fails to engage Arab public opinion. Instead, policy makers should facilitate the flow of credible information, emphasize the Islamic identity of Darfur, and pay more attention to Arab concerns about development and security in the region.
More generally, Arab debate about Darfur reveals the need for fundamental Western policy changes in the Middle East and North Africa. American and European attempts at engaging the Arab world on the question of Darfur are, currently, seriously compromised by Western governments' own selective application of justice and protection. 2 pages
