Lebanon Between Past and Future

In the midst of Lebanon’s chronic crises, Nawaf Salam’s book not only diagnoses their deep causes but also offers a set of practical policy proposals for their resolution.

from Past to Future first addresses the origins of the Lebanese sectarian domination, unfulfilled citizenship, and an unfinished state. It then moves to consider the roots and trajectories of the Lebanese war which commenced in 1975 and concluded with the Taif Accord in 1989. The author observes that while this accord succeeded in ending the armed conflict, the peace it brought about has remained fragile.

In response, Salam calls for the establishment of a “Third Republic”, founded on the precept of upholding the “Reason of institutions” over and above any other consideration. With inclusive citizenship and the rule of law as its cornerstones, he contends that this republic would enable the emergence of a civil, just, and effective state. At the forefront of the reforms that he advocates for is the implementation of the still outstanding provisions of the Taif Accord, in addition to filling the accord’s gaps and redressing its imbalances.

The author’s academic background and his long political and diplomatic experience greatly inform this book’s sober quest for means to save Lebanon from its current plight.