Rethinking track two diplomacy -- Key issues and questions -- The state of the field -- A normative framework -- Defining track two -- Applying track two -- A regional focus -- Historical precedents -- Comparing the Middle East and South Asia -- Roles for track two dialogues -- Socialization of participating elites: creating a constituency for regional cooperation -- Filtering: making others' ideas your own -- Transmission: turning ideas into new policies -- Limits of track two dialogues -- Regional security dialogues in the Middle East -- Introduction -- Overview of dialogues -- UCLA and the Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation -- The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) -- The search for common ground -- Depaul University -- United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) -- Cooperative Monitoring Center -- Canadian-sponsored maritime activities -- The U.S. Geological Survey and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory: regional seismic monitoring cooperation project -- European-sponsored activities -- Gulf security track two forums -- Roles -- Socialization -- Filtering -- Policy impact -- Limits -- Elites -- Domestic constraints -- The regional environment -- Conclusion -- Regional security dialogues in South Asia -- Introduction -- Overview of dialogues -- Neemrana process -- Balusa group -- Kashmir Study Group (KSG) -- Shanghai process -- Stimson Center dialogues -- CSIS meetings on nuclear risk reduction centres (NRRCs) -- Cooperative Monitoring Center, Sandia National Laboratories -- Maritime activities: the confidence and cooperation in South Asian Waters Project -- Roles -- Socialization -- Filtering -- Policy impact -- Limits -- Elites -- Domestic constraints -- Regional environment -- Conclusion -- Conclusion -- Central arguments -- Regional comparisons -- Regional lessons -- Improving track two dialogues -- Expand the types of participants -- Create or strengthen institutional support and mentors for track two activities -- Localize the dialogues -- Bibliography.