Background and Purpose. The Middle East Research and Information Project (MERIP) was established 29 years ago. The original conception of MERIP was to provide information and analysis on the Middle East that would be picked up by the existing media. Issue number one of MERIP Reports, published in May, 1971, was a six-page mimeographed publication with three brief articles. Throughout 1971 and 1972, the Report appeared irregularly, and it was only in 1973 that the group made a commitment to publish it on a regular basis. Since then, MERIP has never looked back and, in the words of French journalist Eric Rouleau, "No person, specializing or not in Middle Eastern affairs, can afford ignoring Middle East Report." Professor Rashid Khalidi, a leading American scholar, says "Middle East Report is the best periodical (in English) on the Middle East bar none."

MERIP is a non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Washington, DC. A completely independent organization, it has no links to any religious, educational or political organizations in the US or elsewhere. Income needed to produce the magazine is earned from subscriptions to Middle East Report, sales of MERIP books and pamphlets to the general public, grants from European and American foundations, and small gifts from private individuals. By virtue of its tax status as a registered 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization in the US, MERIP is exempt from the payment of income taxes to the US federal government. Individuals who donate money to MERIP can deduct these gifts from their federal taxes to the extent allowed under the law.

MERIP is governed by a board of 12 directors and by four working committees who reside throughout North America and serve three-year terms of office. The board members serve voluntarily and are not compensated for their work. They meet twice annually and provide managerial, financial and editorial guidance and oversight to MERIP's professional staff.

MERIP provides news and perspectives about the Middle East not available from mainstream news sources. The magazine has developed a reputation for independent analysis of events and developments in the Middle East.

Understanding of the Middle East in the United States and Europe is limited and plagued by stereotypes and misconceptions. MERIP successfully addresses these limitations by addressing a broad range of social, political and cultural issues, and by soliciting writings and views from authors from the Middle East not often read in the West. A leading diplomat, Mohamed Sahnoun (former Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Somalia) says, "Middle East Report's independent and well-informed coverage of issues of governance, social trends and economic development make is a unique resource for people who need to keep abreast with the situation in the Middle East..." Middle East Report does not hesitate to be critical of US foreign policy in the region and is respected for its independence. According to a leading analyst, Graham Fuller of the Rand Corporation, "Middle East Report is the single most valuable periodical I receive on Middle East affairs, offering a wealth of material unavailable elsewhere. This outstanding journal provides truly fresh, unconventional, insightful information and views that are still essential to my research even years after publication."

Recognized as a leading magazine of analysis on the region, Middle East Report has about 3,100 subscribers, and a readership considerably enlarged by more than 700 subscriptions to university libraries, and to other institutions. Additional copies of the magazine are sold in bookstores and newsstands throughout the US and Europe. While the circulation of Middle East Report is limited in the Middle East, it has developed a loyal following among leading Arab scholars and intellectuals.

Middle East Report is published four times a year, and every 48-page issue focuses on a specific theme. The magazine serves as a resource for academic specialists but is also accessible to the general public. Many issues include "primers" which provide basic but essential background on a theme or a country. Over the last 25 years, MERIP also has produced a substantial amount of special educational materials in addition to the publication of the magazine. For example, during the Gulf war, MERIP distributed thousands of primers on US-Saudi military relations and on the history of the Iraqi-Kuwait conflict to high schools and colleges in the United States. MERIP also publishes books, including two on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and sponsored a recent publication on the effects of the sanctions on Iraq. MERIP continually responds to requests for information from students, churches, community organizers, librarians, journalists, scholars and teachers as well as business analysts and consultants. Every year, American university professors order back issues of Middle East Report to assign readings to their students.

The Media and Policy Outreach Project, partially funded by the Ford Foundation, allows MERIP to provide timely analyses of on-going political events and crises via e-mail and fax. The overall goal of the program is to generate more informed information on the Middle East to media experts and policy-makers. The Press Information Notes, a central aspect of the Media and Policy Outreach Project, are available on MERIP's website.

MERIP also engages in a number of other outreach programs:

1. Speakers: MERIP and its network of associates are able to respond to invitations to speak on both general and specialized topics.

2. Media work: MERIP provides the print and electronic media with interviews on topics ranging from the Gulf War to US foreign aid programs in the area. During the recent crisis in Iran, for example, MERIP staff handled dozens of calls from journalists from around the world.

3. Research Assistance: MERIP provides information and research assistance to others, including church and community leaders and activists, members of Congress, students and the general public.

4. Public Events: MERIP organizes film showings and public lectures on current developments in the Middle East.

5. Teacher Outreach: MERIP has worked closely with the Middle East Outreach Council of the Middle East Studies Association in the United States, as well as with the Peace and Justice Caucus of the National Education Association to assess the educational resource needs of US secondary teachers teaching about the Middle East.

6. Intern Program: MERIP helps train college students and recent graduates interested in Middle East peace and justice issues through summer- and semester-long internships.