Project on Middle East Democracy

Project on Middle East Democracy
The POMED Wire Archives


Category: POMED

New POMED Policy Brief: Rethinking Development Assistance in the Middle East

February 23rd, 2011 by Alec

In the latest POMED policy brief, CIPE Executive Director John Sullivan explores the impact of the State Department’s Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR) in the wake of the dramatic events in the Middle East.  Click here for the full text, and click here to sign up to receive future briefs via email.

The QDDR highlights the need for development assistance that focuses on institutional reforms. Recent unrest in the Middle East makes it clear that, given the rising number of youth and the growing importance of the middle class, the region’s rulers must move beyond superficial reforms to build inclusive political and economic systems. Sullivan argues that the United States must support efforts to build democracies that deliver by addressing the underlying structures and practices within both governments and economies. U.S. development assistance should encourage the simplification of laws and regulations to reduce economic informality and the establishment of transparent institutions to address the political roots of corruption. The large number of unemployed youth in the region also requires governments, with U.S. support, to loosen labor market regulations and to reform the education system so that the private sector can become a strong alternative for young graduates seeking jobs.


Posted in POMED, Reports | Comment »

POMED Notes: “After Mubarak”

February 17th, 2011 by Alec

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace hosted a panel discussion on Wednesday entitled, “After Mubarak,” discussing the difficulties that lay ahead for Egypt in the aftermath of Hosni Mubarak’s ouster by protesters and implications for U.S. policy.  Marwan Muasher, Vice President for Studies at the Carnegie Endowment and former Foreign and deputy Prime Minister of Jordan, moderated the panel.  Marina Ottaway, Director of the Carnegie Endowment’s Middle East Program, and Michele Dunne, Senior Associate at the Carnegie Endowment and editor of the Arab Reform Bulletin, also spoke on the panel.  Amr Hamzawy, Research Director and Senior Associate at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, was scheduled to be teleconferenced in live from Cairo, but technical difficulties prevented his participation.

For full notes, continue below or click here for PDF.  For video, click here.

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Posted in Egypt, Event Notes, Reform, US foreign policy | Comment »

New POMED Policy Brief: A Multilateral Approach to Promoting Human Rights in the Middle East

February 17th, 2011 by Naureen

As protests continue across the Middle East, the question of US foreign policy with respect to the region looms large.  In POMED’s latest policy brief, Brookings scholars Ted Piccone and Emily Alinikoff address the US approach to the United Nations Human Rights Council, particularly as it pertains to the Middle East.  Click here for the full text, and click here to sign up to receive future briefs via email.

The Obama administration joined the UN Human Rights Council in 2009 as a means to promote human rights through a multilateral mechanism as well as to strengthen the imperfect body from within.  In the brief, Piccone and Alinikoff focus on the UN’s system of Special Procedures, a unique and effective mechanism which provides independent, periodic, and on the ground scrutiny of a country’s human rights record.  Countries in the Middle East and North Africa have not cooperated well with the UN Special Procedures.  Nonetheless, Special Procedures have had some success in changing states’ behavior.  Piccone and Alinikoff argue that the United States should remain actively engaged in the Council in order to strengthen the Special Procedures and to work to address the body’s flaws.  This includes challenging the candidacy of any country that has a poor record of cooperation with the Council’s mechanisms for membership on the Human Rights Council.


Posted in Human Rights, Multilateralism, POMED, Publications, United Nations | Comment »

POMED Executive Director Interviewed on the Role of MEPI in Egypt

February 16th, 2011 by Alec

POMED Executive Director, Stephen McInerney, was interviewed on Tuesday by Lisa Mullins on Public Radio International’s The World about the role of the United States’ Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) in funding Egyptian civil society groups and the influence this had on the protest movement.

For full audio, click here.  Download the mp3 here.

On democracy and governance assistance to Egypt in comparison to military aid:

“Proportionally, support for democracy assistance is in the neighborhood of 30 million dollars annually, through a variety of different accounts in Egypt, which is quite small.”

The role of MEPI funds on the protest movement:

“It has played some role in helping, kind of, support and sustain some of the young organizations that have wanted to be more politically active.”

“The protest movement is overwhelmingly indigenously Egyptian, and I think we would have definitely seen this protest movement emerge without any U.S. support or any U.S. involvement.”

“Some of the actors who have been involved with the protest movement have been more effective and more organized, connected, and networked than they might have been without our support.” 


Posted in Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Foreign Aid, POMED, US foreign policy | Comment »

POMED Notes: “After the Uprisings: U.S. Policy in a Changing Middle East”

February 11th, 2011 by Naureen

On Thursday, the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) hosted a discussion on recent and ongoing events in Tunisia and Egypt and their influence on U.S. relations with the region’s governments and people and what steps the U.S. government can take to support democratic transitions in Egypt and Tunisia. POMED Executive Director Stephen McInerney made opening remarks and introduced panelists: Larry Diamond, Senior Fellow at Hoover Institution at Stanford University and founding co-editor of the Journal of Democracy; Tom Malinowski, Washington Director at Human Rights Watch; and Mona Yacoubian, Special Adviser at the Center for Conflict Analysis and Prevention, United States Institute of Peace. 

To read full notes continue below, or click here for pdf.

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Posted in Algeria, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Egypt, Event Notes, Events, Freedom, Human Rights, Islam and Democracy, Jordan, POMED, Protests, Reform, Tunisia, Yemen | Comment »

Statement: POMED Congratulates the Egyptian People

February 11th, 2011 by Anna

The Project on Middle East Democracy congratulates the Egyptian people on this historic day. Their indomitable courage and resilience have been an inspiration to observers all around the world.  Following 18 days of protests that saw millions of Egyptians from all segments of society come together, the government has finally responded to the first of their clear demands: Hosni Mubarak has resigned. Through determined peaceful demonstrations, Egyptians have shown the powerful strength of a population united in pursuit of freedom. This struggle did not come without sacrifices, however, and we honor and remember those who lost their lives in their brave quest for freedom. 

 To see POMED’s full statement on this historic occasion, continue reading below or click here for the pdf. You can also see it on a page here.

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Posted in Egypt, POMED, Protests, Publications | Comment »

POMED Notes: “Recent Developments in Egypt and Lebanon - Implications for U.S. Policy and Allies in the Broader Middle East, Part 2″

February 11th, 2011 by Alec

The House Committee on Foreign Affairs hosted Part 2 of a hearing on recent political developments in Egypt and Lebanon and their implications on U.S. policy in the region.  The hearing was moderated by committee chair Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen with comments and questions from House Representatives Howard L. Berman (D-CA), Steve Chabot (R-OH), Gary L. Ackerman (D-NY), Ann Marie Buerkle (R-NY), Chris Smith (D-NJ), Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), David Rivera (R-FL), Theodore E. Deutch (D-FL), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), William Keating (D-MA), Dan Burton (R-IN), David Ciciline (D-RI), Edward R. Royce (R-CA), Eliot L. Engel (D-NY), Donald A. Manzullo (R-IL), Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Christopher S. Murphy (D-CT), and Mike Pence (R-IN).  Deputy Secretary of the State Department James B. Steinberg testified before the committee.

For a full transcript of Deputy Secretary Steinberg’s testimony, click here.

To read full notes continue below or click here for pdf.

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Posted in Egypt, Event Notes, Lebanon | Comment »

POMED Event: “After the Uprisings: U.S. Policy in a Changing Middle East”

February 10th, 2011 by Naureen

POMED will be hosting an event today, Thursday, February 10th, at the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 419 from 1:00pm-2:30pm to discuss recent and ongoing events in Tunisia and Egypt and how they will influence the state of U.S. relations with the region’s governments and people and what steps the U.S. government can take to support democratic transitions in Egypt and Tunisia. Panelists include: Larry Diamond, Senior Fellow at Hoover Institution at Stanford University and founding co-editor of the Journal of Democracy; Tom Malinowski, Washington Director at Human Rights Watch; and Mona Yacoubian, Special Adviser at the Center for Conflict Analysis and Prevention, United States Institute of Peace. For more information, please click here.


Posted in Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Events, POMED, Protests, Tunisia, US foreign policy | Comment »

POMED Notes: “The Role of Citizen Journalism and Social Media in the Middle East and North Africa”

February 10th, 2011 by Naureen

On Monday, the National Democratic Institute hosted a discussion about the role new and social media has played in the dissemination of information and in supporting offline mobilization across the region. Joelle Jackson, senior program officer at NDI made opening remarks. Chris Spence, chief technology officer at NDI moderated the event and introduced the panelists: Houeida Anouar, a Tunisian digital activist; Golnaz Esfandiari, senior correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and editor of the Persian Letters blog; and Raed Jarrar, Iraqi-American blogger and political advocate based in Washington.

To read full notes continue below or click here for pdf.

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Posted in Egypt, Event Notes, Freedom, Iran, Iraq, Journalism, Middle Eastern Media, Protests, Reform, Tunisia | Comment »

POMED Notes: “Egypt on the Brink”

February 4th, 2011 by Naureen

On Thursday, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in partnership with the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) hosted a discussion on the rapidly evolving crisis in Egypt. Michele Dunne, Senior Associate in the Middle East Program at Carnegie Endowment moderated the event and introduced the panelists: Amr Hamzawy, Research Director and Senior Associate of the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut who joined the panelists from Midan Tahrir in Cairo; Bahey al-Din Hassan, director of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies; and Neil Hicks, advisor to Human Rights First.

To read full notes, continue below or click here for pdf.

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Posted in Civil Society, Egypt, Elections, Event Notes, Events, Foreign Aid, Human Rights, Military, Muslim Brotherhood, POMED, Protests, Reform, US foreign policy | Comment »

POMED Notes: “From Tunisia to Egypt: Protests in the Arab World”

February 4th, 2011 by Naureen

On Monday, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace hosted a discussion of the developments in Egypt and their implications of the Arab world, where protests began in Tunisia and have spread to Egypt, Yemen, Jordan, and Algeria. Marwan Muasher, Vice President for Studies at the Carnegie Endowment, moderated the event and introduced the other panelists: Amr Hamzawy, Research Director and Senior Associate of the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut who joined the panelists from Midan Tahrir in Cairo, Michele Dunne, Senior Associate in the Middle East Program at Carnegie Endowment, and Marina Ottaway, Director of the Middle East Program at Carnegie Endowment.

To read full notes continue below or click here for pdf.

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Posted in Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Event Notes, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Journalism, Muslim Brotherhood, Protests, Reform, Tunisia | Comment »

POMED Notes: “The Breakdown of Autocracy in Tunisia”

January 31st, 2011 by Naureen

On Monday, The Maghreb Center hosted a discussion at Georgetown University on the causes of the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia and the role of the United States and France before, during, and after the revolution. Dr. Néjib Ayachi, founding President of the Maghreb Center and International Development Consultant at the World Bank, opened the discussion and introduced the panelists: Stephen King, Professor of Government at Georgetown University, Robert Prince, Lecturer in International Studies at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver, and Rust M. Deming, former Ambassador to Tunisia from 2000 to 2003. The event was moderated by Ahmed El-Hamri, Economist at the World Bank and Associate at the Maghreb Center.

To read full notes continue below, or click here for pdf.

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Posted in Democracy Promotion, Event Notes, Human Rights, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Political Parties, Protests, Reform, Tunisia | Comment »

POMED Notes: “Tunisia and the Arab Malaise”

January 31st, 2011 by Naureen

On Tuesday, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars hosted a discussion on the uprising in Tunisia and the prospects for the Tunisian example spreading across the Arab World. Dr. Haleh Esfandiari, Director of the Middle East Program at the Wilson Center moderated the event and introduced the speakers: Alan Goulty, former British Ambassador to the Republic of Tunisia and current Senior Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center, and David Ottaway, Senior Scholar at the Wilson Center and former Cairo Bureau Chief of the Washington Post.

To read full notes continue below or click here for pdf.

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Posted in Egypt, Event Notes, Jordan, Protests, Reform, Sudan, Tunisia, Yemen | Comment »

New POMED Policy Brief: Tunisia’s Moment of Opportunity

January 28th, 2011 by Alec

Today, all eyes are on Egypt, where citizens have defied government warnings and intimidation by courageously protesting against their repressive, authoritarian government.  This follows on the heels of the historic uprising that ousted President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia, a popular revolt that has reverberated throughout the Arab world.  The Tunisian people have set an inspiring example for their neighbors, but their path to successful democratic transition is fraught with challenges.  To address the situation, POMED presents the second piece in its policy brief series, an analysis of the recent events in Tunisia and the difficulties that lie ahead, written by leading Tunisian democracy activist Amine Ghali.  Click here for the full text, and click here to sign up to receive future briefs via email.

To read full post, click below.

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Posted in POMED, Publications, Tunisia | Comment »

POMED Notes: “Christian Minorities Under Attack - Iraq and Egypt”

January 23rd, 2011 by Alec

The House Committee on Foreign Affairs through the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission hosted a hearing on discrimination and violence against Christians in Egypt and Iraq.  Co-Chairman of the Commission Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-VA) led the hearing with comments and appearances from Executive Members of the Commission Rep. Chris Smith of (R-NJ), Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA), Rep. Trent Franks (AZ) as well as Rep. Rush D. Holt, Jr. (D-NJ).  Testifying before the Commission were Tamara Cofman-Wittes, deputy assistant secretary for Near Eastern Affairs at the US State Department, Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA),  Michele Dunne, senior associate in the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Dina Guirguis, Keston Family Research Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Nina Shea, senior fellow and director of the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom and Commissioner of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), and Sister Rita (pseudonym), an Iraqi Catholic nun.

To read full notes continue below, or click here for pdf.  For full testimony, click here.

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Posted in Egypt, Event Notes, Iraq, Sectarianism, Terrorism | Comment »

POMED Notes: “Sudan: Post-Referendum Scenarios and the Way Forward”

January 14th, 2011 by Naureen

On Monday, the Center for Strategic and International Studies hosted a discussion on the future of Sudan after day one of referendum elections entitled “Sudan: Post-Referendum Scenarios and the Way Forward.” Richard Downie, Deputy Director and Fellow of the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Africa Program moderated the event which included discussions by Comfort Ero, Africa Program Director at the International Crisis Group, and Fouad Hikmat, African Union and Sudan Special Advisor at the International Crisis Group.

To read full notes continue below, or click here for pdf.

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Posted in Event Notes | Comment »

POMED Notes: Freedom in the World 2011: The Authoritarian Challenge to Democracy

January 14th, 2011 by Alec

Freedom House hosted a panel discussion on Thursday marking the release of their annual survey of political rights and civil liberties throughout the world.  Executive Director of Freedom House, David J. Kramer, made brief opening remarks and introduced the panel: Moderator Susan Glasser, editor in chief of Foreign Policy magazine, Director of Research at Freedom House Arch Puddington, Michael Posner, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Elliott Abrams, Senior Fellow for Middle East Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, and Tom Malinowski, Washington Director of Human Rights Watch.

To read full notes continue below, or click here for pdf

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Posted in Event Notes | Comment »

POMED Notes: “Meet the Press at Brookings: The Top Foreign Policy Issues for 2011″

January 14th, 2011 by Naureen

On Thursday, the Brookings Institute and NBC’s Meet the Press hosted a panel discussion focusing on the top foreign policy issues of 2011. David Gregory, host of NBC’s Meet the Press, moderated the session. Panelists included Brookings Senior Fellows Michael O’Hanlon, Kenneth Lieberthal, Robert Kagan and Stephen Cohen. Martin Indyk, Vice President and Director of Foreign Policy introduced the panelists.

To read full notes continue below, or click here for pdf.

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Posted in Event Notes | Comment »

New POMED Policy Brief: Confronting Egypt’s Dangerous Decline

January 6th, 2011 by Anna

POMED launched its new Policy Brief series today. The Policy Briefs are short analysis pieces for U.S. policymakers on issues of core relevance to democratic development in the Middle East and North Africa. The briefs feature leading American, European, and regional authors from academia, think tanks, practitioner organizations, and human rights groups. The inaugural policy brief by Cairo-based journalist Issandr El Amrani examines U.S.-Egypt relations in the wake of last week’s tragic bombing in Alexandria and fraudulent parliamentary elections. Click here for the full text, and click here to sign up to receive future briefs via email.

El Amrani writes that Egypt’s recent parliamentary elections and the exacerbation of sectarian tensions with the Alexandria church bombing confirm fears that the Egyptian regime has little interest in genuine reform, and that its attempts to maintain stability through repression are failing.  Efforts by both the Bush and Obama administrations since 2006 to encourage political reform and address human rights concerns have essentially been ignored by the Egyptian government, demonstrating the need for an alternative framework for U.S. engagement with Egypt on these issues.  While radical changes to the underpinnings of the U.S.-Egypt relationship are unlikely at this time, El Amrani suggests several modest but meaningful steps to uphold the credibility of American democracy promotion goals in the country.  These steps include enhancing engagement with a variety of Egyptian opposition actors, downgrading U.S. relations with institutions such as the People’s Assembly, and encouraging the Egyptian government to address key concerns of the Coptic community.


Posted in Egypt, POMED, Publications | Comment »

POMED Notes: “Voicing Dissent: Inside the Fight for Democracy and Human Rights”

November 16th, 2010 by Evan

On Tuesday, the Foreign Policy Initiative hosted a panel discussion titled “Voicing Dissent: Inside the Fight for Democracy and Human Rights” as part of its “Restoring America’s Leadership of a Democratic World” conference. The Washington Post’s Jackson Diehl moderated a panel composed of Ambassador Michael Kozak, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Win Min, a Burmese activist, and Michele Dunne Senior Associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Editor of the Arab Reform Bulletin.

To read full notes, continue below or click here for a pdf copy.

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Posted in Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Event Notes, Human Rights | Comment »