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About

The Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to examining how genuine democracies can develop in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and how the United States can best support that process. Through dialogue, research, and advocacy, POMED works to strengthen the constituency for U.S. policies that peacefully support democratic reform in the MENA region.

POMED advances a vision of a democratic and human rights-respecting MENA region supported by pro-democracy and anti-autocracy policies of the United States through three interconnected goals:

      1. Support pro-democracy actors across MENA to advocate for why democracy matters.
      2. Influence the U.S. government and its democratic allies to prioritize democracy and human rights in MENA as a core national security interest.
      3. Expose and counter authoritarian tactics, trends, and narratives of MENA governments and their enablers.

POMED is a small organization of about 10 full time staff across three main teams – advocacy, research, and regional engagement. The work of these teams is publicly supported by a communications team and is led by a Managing Director and an Executive Director.

Programs

Advocacy

The advocacy program promotes a pro-democracy U.S. foreign policy toward MENA. We engage with policymakers in Congress and the executive branch and collaborate with a broad coalition of activists and advocates in Washington and MENA.
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Research

The research program produces innovative, rigorous analysis from the brightest minds in MENA to uncover the latest authoritarian trends, demonstrate the importance of democracy and human rights for peace and prosperity, and provide policy recommendations in collaboration with our advocacy team.
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Regional Engagement

The regional engagement program supports the work of the entire organization by developing relationships with fresh, dynamic, and diverse pro-democracy voices in MENA. It serves as POMED’s hub for fostering reflection, analysis, and action amongst these actors; and it develops comparative lessons learned with activists and experts from other regions of the world.
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History

In 2004, a small group of graduate students at Georgetown University began meeting regularly to discuss the need for a stronger voice in Washington in support of democratic principles in the Middle East and North Africa. The group was driven by a firm belief that the advancement of democratic values is not only in the interest of the region’s citizens, but also very much in the strategic interest of the United States. In 2006, this group formally established the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) to help fill gaps it had identified: to inform the Washington policy community on key political developments in the MENA region and the impact of U.S. policy on the prospects for genuine democratic change; to carry out sustained advocacy on behalf of greater U.S. support for democratic values; and to help broaden U.S. engagement beyond relationships with the region’s governments and narrow sets of traditional elites. Since that time, POMED has also grown to help build the capacity of dozens of independent civil society organizations in the MENA region that wish to play the same role locally that POMED plays in Washington—of undertaking independent research and analysis, generating independent recommendations for policy, and carrying out advocacy to advance those recommendations.

Principles

Democracy is an inalienable right.

Every political community has the right to govern itself democratically through free, fair, and open processes and institutions.

Democracy functions differently in every country in which it is practiced.

This diversity is a central reason why democracy is a universal value and can be adopted successfully by any society. Each country’s citizens, through deliberative processes, have the right to determine the specific nature of their democracy.

America’s fundamental values call for the United States to support democracy.

The United States was founded on principles of democratic governance and freedom of expression, yet its policy towards the Middle East has often sacrificed democracy at the altar of other interests. To be true to its founding principles, the United States must consistently and credibly support democracy abroad.

Supporting democracy in the Middle East and North Africa is in the long-term interest of the United States.

Continued support for the Middle East’s authoritarian status quo will jeopardize American national security and economic interests. While genuinely promoting democracy requires the courage to bear short-term risks, free and open political processes will ultimately reduce incentives to resort to violence.

The United States cannot be neutral on democracy in the Middle East.

The billions of dollars the United States provides to Middle Eastern governments each year in military aid and economic assistance reflects America’s substantial and enduring interests in the region and preclude any pretense of neutrality on democracy. The United States must carefully examine the consequences of its actions on political reform.

The United States has the potential to make a positive impact on democratization in the Middle East.

America has a credibility gap on democracy because it often tolerates authoritarian behavior by friendly regimes while calling for democracy and regime changes in unfriendly ones. By consistently supporting democracy, the United States will begin to overcome this legacy and repair its credibility gap.

The United States must respect democratic outcomes.

In the short term, free and fair elections may result in some governments that are less favorable to U.S. interests. Regardless, America must respect democratic processes. The long-term benefits of improved credibility and democracy outweigh the short-term costs.

Democracy cannot be imposed.

Engagement through peaceful means, such as dialogue and diplomacy, is the only legitimate and effective way to promote democracy in the region. The United States can and will help but, ultimately, stable and secure democracies in the Middle East can only be built from within.

Every political community has the right to govern itself democratically through free, fair, and open processes and institutions. as well as U.S. foreign policy toward these issues.

This diversity is a central reason why democracy is a universal value and can be adopted successfully by any society. Each country’s citizens, through deliberative processes, have the right to determine the specific nature of their democracy.

The United States was founded on principles of democratic governance and freedom of expression, yet its policy towards the Middle East has often sacrificed democracy at the altar of other interests. To be true to its founding principles, the United States must consistently and credibly support democracy abroad.

Continued support for the Middle East’s authoritarian status quo will jeopardize American national security and economic interests. While genuinely promoting democracy requires the courage to bear short-term risks, free and open political processes will ultimately reduce incentives to resort to violence.

The billions of dollars the United States provides to Middle Eastern governments each year in military aid and economic assistance reflects America’s substantial and enduring interests in the region and preclude any pretense of neutrality on democracy. The United States must carefully examine the consequences of its actions on political reform.

America has a credibility gap on democracy because it often tolerates authoritarian behavior by friendly regimes while calling for democracy and regime changes in unfriendly ones. By consistently supporting democracy, the United States will begin to overcome this legacy and repair its credibility gap.

In the short term, free and fair elections may result in some governments that are less favorable to U.S. interests. Regardless, American must respect democratic processes. The long-term benefits of improved credibility and democracy outweigh the short-term costs.

Engagement through peaceful means, such as dialogue and diplomacy, is the only legitimate and effective way to promote democracy in the region. The United States can and will help but, ultimately, stable and secure democracies in the Middle East can only be built from within.

Who We Are

The POMED team is a diverse group of leaders, experts, and advocates from the United States, the Middle East and North Africa, and around the world.

Meet Our:

Support Our Work

Donate now to help support democratic reform and human rights in the Middle East and North Africa.

Your support helps POMED continue our expert analysis and research, nonpartisan advocacy efforts, and partnerships with grassroots organizations in the MENA region.