Arab League

After the devastation of two world wars and the demise of the Ottoman Empire, the idea of unity among the Arab people and Middle East nations, called Pan-Arabism, became a movement for those strongly opposed to colonialism and Western political involvement in the Arab world. In 1945, officials from six nations signed the Arab League Pact to form the Arab League. Today, the league has 22 members and 6 observers-the latter include non-Arab nations such as Venezuela and India-and represents a population of approximately 314 million. In its early years, the Arab League concentrated mainly on economic, cultural, and social programs. It since has widened its scope to include the settling of disputes between member countries, the shaping of school curricula, the advancement of women in Arab society, the encouragement of measures against crime and drug abuse, and the handling of labor issues. Book jacket.Toffolo, Cris E. is the author of 'Arab League', published 2008 under ISBN 9780791095652 and ISBN 0791095657.