The Campaign for a New American Policy on Iran, composed of groups across the political spectrum including POMED, is hosting a “Time to Talk with Iran” event and press conference from 10am to 1pm at the Canon House Office building.
Members of Congress, celebrities, former officials, and other citizens will use a row of 60’s-era red “hotline” telephones to talk directly to ordinary Iranian citizens.
The event aims to underscore the need for new, responsible and effective U.S. policies and leadership to reduce the likelihood of a conflict with Iran that would have disastrous consequences.
Shibley Telhami of the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution presented his most recent polling research entitled “Views from the Middle East: Public Opnion in the Arab World” conducted by the University of Maryland and Zogby International covering public opinion in six Arab states (Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and UAE). Poll questions included topics such as Lebanese Politics, the Arab-Israeli conflict, views of the United States and its efforts to spread democracy in the Middle East.
9:00 SAIS: Iraq - Learning Lessons and Exploring Pathways to Peace. Featuring Jonathan Steele, author of Defeat: Why America and Britain Lost Iraq; Lisa Schirch, professor of peace building at Eastern Mennonite University; and Paul Hughes, senior program officer in the Center for Post-Conflict Peace and Stability Operations.
12:00 Freedom House: Discrimination and Intolerance in Iran’s Textbooks. Featuring Dr. Hormoz Hekmat of the Foundation for Iranian Studies and Antonia Cortese of the American Federation of Teachers.
15:00 Georgetown: Coffee With a Policymaker: Eric Goldstein. Goldstein is research director of the Middle East and North Africa Division at Human Rights Watch.
12:00 CAP: Debating the Surge in Iraq. Major General Robert Scales (ret.) of the U.S. Army, Andrew Bacevich of Boston University, and Michèle Flournoy of the Center for New American Security.
Today, the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs of the House Committee on Appropriations heard testimony from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on the international affairs budget. Rice discussed new programs and aid allocation, as well as the administration’s general foreign policy direction for the coming year.
Check out POMED’s Event Calendar to see a list of events in the D.C. area relevant to democratic reform, U.S. foreign policy, and the Middle East.
Tuesday, March 11
10:30 USIP: The Civilian Surge in Iraq. Ambassador Charles Ries speaks on non-military issues and problems in Iraq.
14:00 Hearing: Neglected Responsibilities: The US Response to the Iraqi Refugee Crisis. Lawrence Butler, Lori Scialabba, and Greg Gottlieb testify before Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia and the Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
18:30 CCAS: Impasse in Lebanon: What Next? Panel Discussion. Bassam Haddad, Michael Hudson, and Dr. Augustus Richard Norton discuss prospects for Lebanon.
Wednesday, March 12
10:00 Hearing: International Affairs Budget. Condoleeza Rice testifies before the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs of the House Committee on Appropriations.
14:00 Hearing: From Gaza Disengagement to De Facto Power? David Welch testifies before the Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
18:30 AllMEP: 2008 Peacebuilders Reception. Alliance for Middle East Peace hosts a reception for NGO leaders featuring the Israeli-Palestinian Comedy Tour.
The Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) and the Middle East Program of the Woodrow Wilson Center hosted a panel discussion on the relationship between religious freedom and democratization in the Middle East. The speakers discussed the abuses of religious rights in the region and addressed how the United States can best incorporate religion into its strategy for democracy promotion.
Deputy Executive Director of Freedom House Thomas Melia, former Director of the State Department’s Office of International Religious Freedom Thomas Farr, and Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa Division at Human Rights Watch Joe Stork spoke to these issues. The Wilson Center’s Director of Middle East Program Haleh Esfandiari provided introductory remarks and POMED Executive Director Andrew Albertson moderated the event.
This morning at 10 am, POMED and the Woodrow Wilson Center are co-sponsoring a panel discussion entitled “Religious Freedom and Democratization in the Middle East: Links and Challenges.”
Speakers include Thomas Melia, Deputy Executive Director of Freedom House and former Director of Middle East Programs at the National Democratic Institute (NDI); Thomas Farr, Visiting Associate Professor of Religion and World Affairs at Georgetown University and former Director of the State Department’s Office of International Religious Freedom; and Joe Stork, Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa Division at Human Rights Watch and principal author of the recent report on Egypt, Prohibited Identities: State Interference with Religious Freedom.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies hosted a two-part, before-and-after discussion on the Pakistani parliamentary elections. On Friday, Sarwar Bari, Secretary General of Free and Fair Election Network in Islamabad, Pakistan, Staffan Darnolf, Country Director of IFES Pakistan in Islamabad, Osama Siddique, lawyer, activist and Associate Professor at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), and Ijaz Shafi Gilani, President, Gallup Pakistan gave remarks ahead of the elections. On Wednesday, executive director of Pakistan Institute Legislative Development and Transparency Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, Democracy International CEO Glenn Cowan, IFES Country Director for Pakistan Staffan Darnolf, and editor of Pakistan’s Daily TimesNajam Sethi gave their opinions on the outcomes and activities of Monday’s voting. Rick Barton, co-director of CSIS’s Post-Conflict Resolution Program moderated both discussions.
For the POMED notes for the pre-election analysis, click here.
For the POMED notes for the post-election analysis, click here.
Check out POMED’s Events Calendar to see a full listing of events in the D.C. area related to democratic reform, U.S. foreign policy, and the Middle East.
The Middle East Institute hosted an event with Ambassador David Satterfield to give an update on the situation in Iraq following the President and Secretary of State’s trip to the Middle East region, including provincial and national leadership, and the diplomatic activities on a regional level. Ambassador David M. Satterfield became Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State and Coordinator for Iraq in August 2006.
Today the Brookings Institution hosted a panel discussion on the state of US-Turkish relations and on where the partnership is headed. Iraq emerged as the focal point of tension between the two allies, while Turkey’s increasingly assertive regional diplomacy is another area that represents both a challenge and an opportunity for reinvigorating the US-Turkish “strategic partnership.”
Ambassador Mark Parris, the Director of Brookings’ Turkey 2007 Project, moderated the panel discussion that featured retired Ambassador Gunduz Aktan (a Member of the Turkish Parliament from the National Movement Party), Dr. Emre Gonensay (a former Foreign Minister of Turkey), and Dr. Suat Kiniklioglu (a Member of the Turkish Parliament from the ruling Justice and Development Party). For full POMED notes, click here.
9:00 Wilson Center: The Israelis and their Politics. Former Israeli government officials will speak on the workings of the country’s political workings.
16:30 SAIS: Is Pakistan Ready for Elections? Three experts on Pakistani politics will analyze the possible positive and negative effects of the upcoming elections.
The Project on Middle East Democracy and the International Republican Institute hosted a panel discussion this morning entitled “From the Ground Up: Assessing Efforts to Promote Local Democratic Development in Iraq.” The panel examined the successes and failures of programs to support local democratic development in Iraq, what obstacles confront such efforts, and what lessons may be drawn from Iraq for future post-conflict reconstruction efforts.
Panelists include Christopher Holzen, Resident country director in Iraq for the IRI, Erin Mathews, Washington, D.C.-based Director of the Iraq Program for the National Democratic Institute; Paul Hughes, Senior Program Officer in the Center for Post-Conflict Peace and Stability Operations, and Ambassador Joseph Saloom, Advisor to Amb. Satterfield and former director of the Iraq Reconstruction Management Office.
Just a reminder that this morning at 10:30, POMED and The International Republican Institute will host a panel discussion entitled “From the Ground Up: Assessing Efforts to Promote Local Democatic Development in Iraq.”
Panelists include Christopher Holzen, Resident Country Director in Iraq for the International Republican Institute; Daniel Serwer, Vice-President of USIP’s Center for Post-Conflict Peace and Stability Operations and former executive director of the Iraq Study Group; Erin Mathews, Washington, D.C.-based Director of the Iraq Program for the National Democratic Institute; Dana Eyre, former Senior Advisor for USAID’s Iraq mission and the former USAID representative in the Coalition Provisional Authority’s Office of Policy Planning and Analysis; and Ambassador Joseph Saloom, Advisor to Amb. Satterfield (the Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State and Coordinator for Iraq) and former Director of the Iraq Reconstruction Management Office.
Click here for all details on the event, and we hope to see you there…
9:30 Brookings: Iraq: An Assessment of Policy Options in 2008. Brookings experts Carlos Pascual, Martin Indyk, Mike O’Hanlon, Ivo Daalder and Peter Rodman will examine future Bush Administration options in dealing with the Iraq conflict.
10:00 Hearing: The Congressional Budget Office’s Budget. The House Committee on the Budget will hear testimony from Director of the Congressional Budget Office Dr. Peter Orszag.
10:00 Hearing: Foreign Assistance. The House Appropriations State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Subcommittee will hold a hearing on foreign assistance.
10:00 Hearing: CBO’s Long-Term Budget Outlook.The House Committee on the Budget will hear testimony from Director of the Congressional Budget Office Dr. Peter Orszag.
10:30 POMED/IRI: Efforts to Promote Local Democratic Development in Iraq. POMED and The International Republican Institute will host a panel discussion on various strategies for the United States to promote democracy within Iraq.
10:00 Hearing: U.S. Strategy and operations in Afghanistan. The House Committee on Foreign Affairs will hear testimony on the assessment of U.S. strategy and operations in Afghanistan and the way ahead.
12:00 Wilson Center: Iran’s 2008 Parliamentary Elections: Slogans and Stakes. Dr. Farideh Farhi will discuss how various individuals and political groups are organizing and preparing for the elections and perceiving the stakes involved for the upcoming March 2008 elections in Iran.
On Thursday, POMED and The International Republican Institute will host a panel discussion on various strategies for the United States to promote democracy within Iraq. The discussion will investigate how to establish democratic institutions at the local level of society.
Panelists include Christopher Holzen, Resident Country Director in Iraq for the International Republican Institute; Daniel Serwer, Vice-President of USIP’s Center for Post-Conflict Peace and Stability Operations and former executive director of the Iraq Study Group; Erin Mathews, Washington, D.C.-based Director of the Iraq Program for the National Democratic Institute; Dana Eyre, former Senior Advisor for USAID’s Iraq mission and the former USAID representative in the Coalition Provisional Authority’s Office of Policy Planning and Analysis; and Ambassador Joseph Saloom, Advisor to Amb. Satterfield (the Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State and Coordinator for Iraq) and former Director of the Iraq Reconstruction Management Office.
Moderators:Thomas Garrett, Director of Middle East and North Africa Program, International Republican Institute and Andrew Albertson, Executive Director, Project on Middle East Democracy.
Date: Thursday, January 24th, 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Location: The International Republican Institute, 1225 Eye Street, NW, Suite 700
Yesterday, Project on Middle East Democracy and Freedom House presented a panel of speakers addressing the issue of reform in Saudi Arabia and the other Arab Gulf states. Thomas Melia, Deputy Executive Director of Freedom House and former Director of Middle East Programs at the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, and Ali Alyami, Executive Director of the Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia, spoke on reform in Saudi Arabia. David Mikosz, Associate Director of the Center for Democracy and Election Management at the American University in Washington, D.C., and Nathan Brown, Professor of Political Science at George Washington University and Senior Associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, spoke about reform in the other Gulf states.
The overall consensus of the panel was that Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf states are among the least free in the world and the minimal reforms that have taken place are largely symbolic. However, there is some hope that democracy could develop gradually though accretion of power by parliaments or other consultative bodies. The panel also encouraged US pressure on the Gulf states to support reforms.
Event Details
Date: November 1, 2007 2:30pm
Panelists
Thomas Melia, Deputy Executive Director of Freedom House
Ali Alyami, Executive Director of the Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia
David Mikosz, Associate Director of the Center for Democracy and Election Management at the American University
Nathan Brown, Senior Associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Moderator:
Stephen McInerney, POMED’s Director of Advocacy
Downloads
Click here to read POMED’s full notes on this event.
Click here to watch a video transcript of this event on fora.tv or use the embedded player below.
POMED and the International Development Program at the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies (SAIS) co-sponsored a panel discussion today of recent developments in Turkey and Morocco, focusing on the pressing questions of Islamism and democratization currently facing the Middle East and North Africa.
Author Geneive Abdo, IRI’s Anthony Chang, and Matthew Frumin of NDI engaged in a vibrant discussion of the recent elections in Morocco and Turkey, and also addressed issues of Islamist political participation across the region. The event was moderated by POMED Research Director Shadi Hamid.
(left) Prince Hassan bin Talal speaks with former United Nations Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali at the opening of the Amman conference. (right) Participants at the Jordan conference develop policy recommendations in small group discussions.
Event Summary
In spring 2007, the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) joined with Americans for Informed Democracy (AID) and four regional partners to convene conferences in Jordan, Egypt and Morocco, bringing together 152 young Americans and Middle Easterners to discuss America’s impact on political reform in the region. In these conferences, participants discussed the U.S. – Middle East relationship, consequences of American policies in the Middle East, and how the U.S. could better support democratization in the region. Participants also jointly developed, debated and ratified policy recommendations for the U.S. government, regional governments, the media, and civil society organizations.
The conferences provided an open forum for young Americans and Middle Easterners to directly engage each other about U.S. democracy strategy and about Middle Easterners’ hopes and ambitions for political reform in their countries. The conferences included thematic panel discussions featuring regional experts, small group discussions to formulate policy recommendations, and a general session to debate and vote on the recommendations. Conference workshops trained participants on how to hold follow-up events on their own campuses and in their own communities to discuss the policy recommendations and what they had learned.
