Ten Years under King Hamad:

Rights, Freedoms and Development in Bahrain

The book, published in a bilingual volume combining both English and Arabic, explores the developments which have taken place in the Kingdom of Bahrain over the past decade. The subjects discussed include democracy, human rights, human development, civil society, freedom of speech, and women's issues.

The book offers an overview and analysis of events which have occurred in Bahrain since 1999, when the King came to power and launched a programme of reform described by Amnesty International as producing an “historic period for human rights".

The book notes that the reforms in Bahrain preceded the terror attacks of September 11^th 2001 and the resulting Western pressures for change in the Middle East. It also places them in the context of Bahraini history, arguing that they have built on a long tradition of progress and development since Bahrain gained independence in 1971. As a result, the reforms are emerging from within Bahrain itself, as part of an independent initiative by Bahraini leaders aiming to build a modern state.

The issues addressed by the book are significant not only in their immediate implications, but also for the framework they offer of political, economic and social development. Further efforts are, of course, needed in order to build on the progress made so far, and the Gulf Centre hopes through this study to analyse both the changes witnessed by Bahrain and the areas that require further reform and modernisation.

CONTENTS

Introduction

Democracy, human rights, and the judiciary

1- Restructuring the municipal councils

2- Legislative changes in the political field

3- Promoting transparency in government departments

4- Parliamentary elections

5- Beyond elections: promoting democracy in a wider arena

6-Promoting and protecting human rights

7- Developing judicial authority

Civil society

1- Building a legal environment for a flourishing civil society

2- The advancement of civil/non-governmental work

Women

1- Legal and constitutional measures

2- Institutional measures

3- The political empowerment of women

4- The economic empowerment of women

5- The social empowerment of women

Freedom of speech and the media

1- Freedom of speech and opinion

2- The print media

3- Audio-visual media: radio and television

4- Online press

5- Media organizations and centres

6- Introducing a new media strategy

Youth and sports

1- The National Strategy for Youth

2- Establishing youth organizations

3-Youth programmes and training courses

4- Cooperation and participation

Human development

1- Introducing human development

2- Human development in Bahrain: experiences and methodology

3- Infrastructural progress

4- Social services and the citizens of Bahrain

5- A focus on the labour market and the welfare of core sectors

Conclusion

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Publishing Year: 2009

No. of Pages: 264

Hard copy Price: 45 £

Soft copy Price: 90 £

To place an order please contact the Gulf Centre for Strategic Studies:

Tel +44 207 490 7101

Fax +44 207 490 7102

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