The Decentering Arms in Middle East Security (DAMES) Forum fosters an ongoing dialogue to reimagine security in the Middle East. With a focus on solutions and community-building, the inaugural meeting of the forum addressed a key question: How can stakeholders in and engaged with the Middle East reduce the reliance on arms as a cornerstone of their security strategies? The forum sought to dissect the complexities of militarization in the region, addressing both the entrenched challenges and the critical incentives for pursuing alternative approaches.
The discussions were framed by three key pillars: 1) the evolving regional and global dynamics that shape militarization in the Middle East, including global power shifts, regional realignments, and domestic changes; 2) the significant obstacles to moving away from arms-centered security, linked to power structures, regulatory frameworks, ongoing rivalries, and cultural norms; and 3) ideas to move forward and address the critical need to decenter arms in favor of sustainable security that emphasizes human and environmental well-being, along with regional stability.
This synthesis paper encapsulates the core insights from the forum, offering a detailed examination of how the region’s evolving landscape affects security calculations and why decentering arms, though challenging, remains essential.
