The Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID) will hold its 12th Annual conference, this coming Friday, in Washington DC. The main theme for this year’s conference is “Tunisia`s and Egypt`s Revolution and Transitions to Democracy”.
The last few months have been momentous in the history of the Middle East and North Africa. The whole thing started when Mohamed Bouazizi, immolated himself on Dec. 17th in Sidi Bouzid, a small town in Southern Tunisia. Within days, demonstrations spread to all cities and towns, and in less than 4 weeks on Jan. 14th, President Ben Ali who ruled Tunisia for the past 23 years with an iron fist, fled to Saudi Arabia. Nine days later, on January 25th, a similar uprising began small, but quickly turned into a huge revolution that overthrew long-term dictator, Hosni Mubarak. Within days, similar revolutions started in Libya, Yemen, Bahrain, and Syria. There are also signs that protests are growing in Morocco, Algeria, and Jordan.
You can click here to view the full program of the conference and here to register for the Conference.
If you cannot make to Washington DC, you can watch the conference LIVE on Friday on the internet here.
Together, and with your support, we will build a more peaceful, tolerant, democratic, and pluralistic world for our children and future generations.
Tunisia and Egypt`s Revolutions and Transitions to Democracy
What is the impact on the Arab World? What Lessons can we learn?
Friday, April 15, 2011
The Jack Morton Auditorium, 805 21st Street, NW
George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052
TENTATIVE PROGRAM
8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. Registration
8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Welcoming Remarks
- Dr. Radwan Ziadeh, Chair, Program Committee
- Dr. Radwan Masmoudi, CSID President
9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Panel 1
The “Jasmine Revolution” and Transition to Democracy in Tunisia: Why and How?
- Chair: Radwan Ziadeh - CSID
- His Excellency Mohamed Salah Tekaya - Ambassador of Tunisia
- Samir Dilou - Tunisian Lawyer, member of al-Nahda Party, and member of the High Council for the Protection of the Revolution
- Mondher Ben Ayed - Tunisian Businessman
- Radwan Masmoudi - President, Center for the Study of Islam & Democracy
10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Coffee Break
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Panel 2
The Revolution and Transition to Democracy in Egypt: Why and How?
- Chair: Abdallah Schleifer, CSID
- Emad El-Din Shahin - University of Notre Dame
- Mona Makram-Ebeid - Council of Trutees of the Revolution - Maglis Omnaa Al-thowwar
- Larry Diamond - Stanford University
- Nathan J. Brown - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- Stephen Zunes - University of San Francisco
12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Break for Lunch & Friday Prayers
2:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Panel 3
The impact of the Revolutions on the Arab World - Libya, Syria, Yemen, and Bahrain
- Chair: Abdulwahab Alkebsi, CIPE
- Abdallah Schleifer - The American University in Cairo
- Radwan Ziadeh - Syrian Human Rights Activist
- Amina Rasul-Bernardo - Lead Convenor, Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy
- Mona Yacoubian - United States Institute of Peace
3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Coffee Break
4:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Panel 4
U.S. Foreign Policy and Democracy Assistance in the Middle East after the Revolutions
- Chair: Daniel Brumberg, USIP
- Tamara Cofman Wittes - Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern affairs
- Roland Rich - Executive Head, United Nations Democracy Fund
- Carl Gershman - President, National Endowment for Democracy
- Marc Lynch - George Washington University
- Shadi Hamid - Research Director, Brookings Doha Center
5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Concluding Remarks
Building Real and Genuine Democracies in the Middle East & North Africa
- Dennis Ross- Special Assistant to the President, and Senior Director of the Central Region, National Security Council
- Congressman Keith Ellison - 5th District of Minnesota
- Zalmay Khalilzad - Former Representative of the United States to the United Nations