POMED Seminars for Policy Professionals
POMED Seminars offer a low-cost opportunity for policy professionals to receive graduate-level training in political analysis and support for democracy in the Middle East. Seminars feature a different guest lecturer every week, and classes are kept small to encourage interactive discussions.
This summer, we will offer the course “Between Reform and Revolution: Sources and Varieties of Change in the Middle East.” The class will meet on Tuesday evenings from 7:00-8:30, for 10 weeks, at the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) 2121 K St NW, Washington DC 20037.
The course begins May 31, and will be capped at 12 participants, so sign up today!
We will accept participants on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Between Reform and Revolution: Sources and Varieties of Change in the Middle East
Tuesday Evenings, 7:00-8:30
May 31 - August 2
**REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS NOW CLOSED.
Click here for more detailed information on this course, including a full list of recommended readings.
The purpose of this seminar is to equip participants with an understanding of the internal dynamics that led to the historic uprisings currently sweeping the Middle East, to assess the prospects for genuine democratic change in the region, and to identify ways in which the United States can support democratic development in countries undergoing transitions. These skills will be particularly important for professionals who design, review and implement project proposals in the area of democracy and governance in the Middle East. Lectures will highlight conditions and factors common to the region through the lens of particular country cases.
Schedule:
1. Between Reform and Revolution: Understanding the Present Climate and Implications for Democracy Support (May 31) – Michele Dunne
2. Opposition Actors: Islamist Organizations (June 7) – Michael W.S. Ryan
3. Opposition Actors: Secular Parties (June 14) – Scott Mastic
4. Civil Society Organizations (June 21) – Les Campbell
5. Labor, Business, and the Political Economy (June 28) – Steven Heydemann
6. Youth Movements and Social Media (July 5) – Adel Iskandar
7. Women’s Organizations (July 12)- Manal Omar
8. The Military (July 19) – Steven Cook
9. Setting the Scene in Egypt (July 26) – Shadi Hamid
10. Designing Democracy Support Strategies in Egypt (August 2) – Brian Katulis
PREVIOUS COURSE OFFERINGS:
Supporting Democracy in the Middle East: Tools and Strategy
Wednesday Evenings, 7:00-8:30
April 13 – June 15
**REGISTRATION FOR THIS COURSE IS NOW CLOSED.
Click here for more detailed information on this course, including a full list of recommended readings.
This course will examine the tools and strategies available to U.S. policymakers for encouraging genuine democratic progress, the links between these tools in theory and practice, and the process of policymaking from budgeting to decisions to execution. Its aim is to equip participants to navigate and influence various instruments of US policy relevant to democracy support.
Schedule:
1. Rethinking U.S. Policy in a New Middle East (April 13) – Nathan Brown
2. Diplomacy (April 20) – Ambassador Barbara Bodine
3. The Congressional Appropriations Process (April 27) – Congressman Jim Kolbe
4. From Appropriations to Programs: MEPI and DRL (May 4) – Scott Carpenter
5. From Appropriations to Programs: USAID (May 11) – Eric Bjornlund
6. Leveraging Assistance to Achieve Democracy Promotion Goals (May 18)- Stephen McInerney
7. The National Endowment for Democracy (May 25) – Richard Kraemer
8. International Actors (June 1) – Ted Piccone
9. Public Rhetoric (June 8 ) – Tom Malinowski
10. Supporting Democracy in the Middle East: Tools and Strategy (June 15) – Stephen Grand