This collection written in the midst of the uprisings in West Asia and North Africa (WANA) from 2011 to 2013 offers insights into their causes and attempts to explain why they failed to achieve their goals.

After three years we can attempt a tentative assessment, bearing in mind that it is too short a time to arrive at any firm conclusion. The uprisings and their effects continue to create ripples, even waves, throughout WANA and beyond. Their full impact will only be known decades from now.

We shall first review the present situation. We shall then try to analyse the situation from different angles. In the final part of our overview we shall see if there are some glimmers of hope for the future.

JUST

President of NGO, the International Movement for a Just World (JUST), Dr CHANDRA MUZAFFAR retired as professor of Global Studies at a Malaysian university in 2012. He is author and editor of 32 books in English and Malay.