Benedict Wilkinson will give a talk on Recasting the threat of al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula: Counter-Terrorism and Development Imperatives.

Benedict Wilkinson is an Associate Fellow of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) and a PhD candidate at the Department of War Studies, King's College London. He is the recipient of last year’s British-Yemeni Society academic grant for his research into counter-extremism strategies in Yemen and other countries.

The lecture will start at 6 p.m. (refreshments from 5.30 p.m.) at the Middle East Association, Bury House, 33 Bury Street, London SW1Y 6AX

Tickets on the door for non-Members: £10 (£5 if accompanied by a Member).

Please advise the Hon. Secretary, preferably by email 1.rebeccajohnson[at]gmail.com if you wish to attend.

BYS-LMEI Conference on Yemen – Call for Papers

The British-Yemeni Society (BYS) in collaboration with the London Middle East Institute (LMEI) at SOAS proposes to hold an international conference entitled:

“Yemen: Challenges for the Future”

at SOAS, University of London on 11 and 12 January 2013.

This will be the first academic conference in the UK for more than a decade to discuss in depth the many economic and social challenges facing Yemen. It is hoped that the conference will increase understanding of these challenges by presenting recent academic research on a wide range of relevant issues.

The conference will comprise panels of three or four participants who will present summaries of their papers and invite discussion. Presentations will be a maximum of 20 minutes, with 10 minutes for discussion. It is also expected to invite one or more keynote speakers.

The BYS and LMEI invite scholars to propose papers along the following broad themes: 

• State and Society
• Yemen, the Region and the World
• Population, Education and Employment
• Gender and Identity
• Economic Development
• Lessons from Yemeni History
• Water, Natural Resources and the Environment

The BYS will also consider panel proposals with up to four participants.

Proposers should explain how their paper would fit into the above themes, and provide abstracts of 300 to 500 words by 30 June 2012. These abstracts will be distributed to conference participants. If sufficient funds can be raised, the BYS and LMEI hope to publish an edited volume of selected papers.

To submit abstracts, or for further information please contact Louise Hosking (LMEI) at lh2@soas.ac.uk or Thanos Petouris (BYS) at agpetouris@soas.ac.uk.

Annual Subscriptions

Members are reminded that subscriptions for 2012 are now due from those Members who have not signed Banker’s Orders. Cheques for £20 should be made out to ‘The British-Yemeni Society’ and posted to the Hon. Secretary at the address below.

Facebook

Your Society now has a Facebook page, under the name ‘The British-Yemeni Society’, in both English and Arabic. It aims to keep the wider public informed about Society activities, provide a forum for the exchange of ideas on Yemen, and network people with common interests.

British-Yemeni Society Grant 2012

Members are reminded that applications must be received by 31 March 2012. Further details here.

Members’ contact details

We occasionally need to make last minute changes to the programme and make every effort to keep members up to date. Where members have provided an email address, this is a simple procedure; for members without email, the Hon. Secretary will advise as many as possible – and practical – via telephone.