The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) has published the Arabic edition of "Rights and Civilisations: A History and Philosophy of International Law" by Gustavo Gozzi, as part of the Kalima Project for Translation. The book was translated by Dr Hussein Mahmoud and reviewed by Dr Ezzeddine Anaya.

The book explores two pivotal moments in the origins of modernity: the birth of the system of sovereign states and the affirmation of Europe’s "civilising mission". These perspectives are easily discernible in the works of the fathers of modern international law, and have been maintained in various forms, not only on the basis of natural law in the 16th and 17th centuries, but also during the positivist philosophy era of the 19th century and the era of pragmatism in the 20th century.

The book examines the form that the "civilising mission" took in the post-colonial era and poses the following questions: Is it possible to have an international law capable of genuinely promoting justice without being an instrument of imperial projects? Can there really be a global international law based on principles derived from the plurality of civilisations and legal systems? Does the contemporary attempt to extend good governance (human rights and democracy) to third-world countries represent the modern transformation of the Western civilising mission?

The author, Gustavo Gozzi, is an Italian university professor of history of international law at the University of Bologna. His research focuses on human rights issues, humanitarian intervention, and the development of constitutional democratic systems. His published works include "Political Models and Social Issues in Italy and Germany between the 19th and 20th Centuries" and "Democracy and Rights in Germany: From the Rule of Law to Constitutional Democracy".

The book’s translator, Dr Hussein Mahmoud, is Dean of the School of Linguistics and Translation at Badr University in Cairo, Egypt. He began his career as a journalist before moving into academia to establish several Italian language departments in Egyptian universities. Dr Mahmoud has received several prestigious awards, including the "Flaiano" and "Palliarani" awards. His Arabic works include "Mahfouz in Italy" and "Selections from Modern Italian Poetry", while his Italian works include "Poetry of Public Squares". He has translated numerous Italian works, such as "The Unknown Islam in the West", "Venice: Gateway to the East", and "Arabic Literature from the Renaissance to the Present Day".