This Week’s Events

August 4th, 2008 by Adam

Wednesday August 6, 2008

11:oo Brookings Institution: Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan: U.S. Foreign Policy Challenges This Fall and Beyond
3:30 Brookings Institution: The Implications of Turkey’s Constitutional Court Decision on the Justice and Development Party (AKP)

Thursday August 7, 2008

2:00 NDI/IRI: New Directions for Democracy Promotion: Opportunities and Challenges for the Next Administration in Pursuing Global Good Governance
7:00 Politics & Prose: Kenneth Pollack

And you can always check out POMED’s Events Calendar for a current listing of events in the Washington D.C. area related to democratic reform, U.S. foreign policy, and the Middle East.

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POMED Notes: “Democratic Development in the Middle East and North Africa”

July 29th, 2008 by Adam

Today, the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED), the Middle East Institute (MEI), and Americans for Informed Diplomacy (AID) hosted a discussion with representatives from three conferences sponsored this spring by POMED and AID, in which young Middle Eastern and American leaders developed and ratified policy recommendations on how to improve America’s impact on Middle East reform. The participants included Erika Spaet and Sara Ait Imoudden from the Rabat Conference, Dina Elshinnawi and Mohamed Sabbah from the Cairo Conference, and Emily Crawford and Tharwat Alazab from the Amman Conference.

For POMED’s complete notes on the discussion, click here.

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Posted in Democracy Promotion, Event Notes, Events, Foreign Aid, Reform, US foreign policy | Comment »

This Week’s Events

July 28th, 2008 by Adam

Tuesday July 29, 2008

12:00 Middle East Institute/Project on Middle East Democracy: Democratic Development in the Middle East and North Africa
2:00 United States Institute of Peace: Thwarting Afghanistan’s Insurgency: A Pragmatic Approach to Peace and Reconciliation
4:00 Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia: Update on the Situation in Lebanon

Wednesday July 30, 2008

10:00 United States Institute of Peace: Iraqi Minister of Interior, Jawad al-Bolani
12:00 Wilson Center: The US and the Middle East: Assessing the Bush Era Balance Sheet

Thursday July 31, 2008

9:00 Center for American Progress: Senator Kerry: A New Approach to Fighting Terrorism
10:30 House Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade: Foreign Aid and the Fight Against Terrorism and Proliferation: Leveraging Foreign Aid to Achieve U.S. Policy Goals
2:00 Senate Committee on Foreign Relations: Defining the Military’s Role Towards Foreign Policy
2:00 Senate Committee on Homeland Security: A Reliance on Smart Power - Reforming the Foreign Assistance Bureuacracy

And you can always check out POMED’s Events Calendar for a current listing of events in the Washington D.C. area related to democratic reform, U.S. foreign policy, and the Middle East.

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POMED Notes: “Turkey’s Political Crisis: Implications for the Middle East”

July 25th, 2008 by Adam

Yesterday, the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) held a discussion regarding the current political crisis in Turkey and the potential consequences for Turkey, the broader Middle East, U.S. relations with the region, and prospects for democracy. Panelists included Abdullah Akyuz, President of TUSIAD, the United States office of Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association, Bulent Aliriza, Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and Director of CSIS’ Turkey Project, and Omer Taspinar, Professor of National Security Strategy at the U.S. National War College and Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution where he directs Brookings’ Turkey Project. The discussion was moderated by Stephen McInerney, POMED’s Director of Advocacy.

For POMED’s full notes on the discussion, click here.

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Posted in DC Event Notes, Democracy Promotion, Event Notes, Events, Events, Political Islam, Turkey | Comment »

Turkey’s Troubles and the Middle East

July 23rd, 2008 by Adam

POMED Research Associate Alex Taurel and our Director of Research Shadi Hamid write an interesting article in the Christian Science Monitor about the implications for democracy in the Middle East if Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is shut down by the Constitutional Court. They assert that it would send a troubling message to Islamists in the region that no matter how much they moderate, they will not be accepted as legitimate political actors. According to the two authors, this would only bolster radical Islamists that see violence as the only avenue of political influence. Taurel and Hamid conclude by urging President Bush to denounce the closure case to send the message that the U.S. is willing to defend political actors in the Middle East that abide by democratic principles.

On a related note, remember that POMED is hosting a public panel discussion tomorrow (Thursday, July 24th) at 2pm  entitled “Turkey’s Political Crisis: Implications for the Middle East” in the Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2212. For more details, click here.

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Posted in Articles, Events, Turkey | Comment »

This Week’s Events

July 14th, 2008 by Adam

Monday July 14, 2008
10:00 USIP: Israel’s Airstrike on Syria’s Nuclear Reactor: Preventive War and the Nonproliferation Regime

Tuesday July 15, 2008
11:00 Freedom House: Fighting Internet Censorship

Wednesday July 16, 2008
10:00 American Enterprise Institute: The Frontline Country Team: A New Model for Building Security Partnerships
12:00 Middle East Institute: Can the Taliban Win in Pakistan?

Thursday July 17, 2008
2:00 Senate Appropriations Committee: FY09 State and Foreign Operations Markup
3:30 Heritage Foundation: Notions of Liberty in Islam

Friday July 18, 2008
9:00 Center for American Progress: Humanity as a Weapon of War
12:00 Hudson Institute: Egypt’s Coptic Christians: The Experience of the Middle East’s largest Christian community during a time of rising Islamization

And you can always check out POMED’s Events Calendar for a current listing of events in the Washington D.C. area related to democratic reform, U.S. foreign policy, and the Middle East.

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This Week’s Events

July 7th, 2008 by Adam

Monday July 7, 2008
No events scheduled.

Tuesday July 8, 2008
9:00 SAIS: “Conflict Prevention and Resolution Forum: Isolation vs. Engagement: When Diplomats Do Their Job”
2:30 Senate Committee on Foreign Relations: Meeting The Iranian Challenge
3:00 Brookings: Europe’s Role in Nation-Building

Wednesday July 9, 2008
10:00 House Committee on Foreign Affairs: U.S. Policy Towards Iran
12:00 Center for National Policy: Mapping the Global Future
2:00 Subcommittee on Europe and Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia: Europe and Israel: Strengthening the Partnership
4:00 Wilson Center: Aid Effectiveness in Pakistan: Case Study of the Health and Population Sector

Thursday July 10, 2008
10:00 Brookings: Iraq, Afghanistan and Beyond: Military Operations in the 21st Century

Friday July 11, 2008
6:oo Middle East Institute: Deconstructing Myths, Part 2: “Turkish Groove”

And you can always check out POMED’s Events Calendar for a current listing of events in the Washington D.C. area related to democratic reform, U.S. foreign policy, and the Middle East.

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Posted in Events, Events | Comment »

POMED Notes: What Women Want: Voices From the Middle East

June 25th, 2008 by Adam

On Tuesday, the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) and the Heinrich Boll Foundation hosted a panel discussion regarding the role of women in the Middle East and strategies that could be pursued to improve their participation in society. Panelists included Rama Chakaki, Founder and CEO of the Dubai-based Baraka Group, Lama Hourani, Advisor to the PLO Secretariat General and former Gaza Branch Coordinator of the Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development in the Gaza Strip, Rahma Hugaira, Co-Founder and Chairwoman of the Yemeni-based Media Women Forum and former President of the Yemeni League to Defend Journalists, and Laura Schulz, Civil Society and Rule of Law Manager in the Office of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) at the State Department. Andrew Albertson, Executive Director of the Project on Middle East Democracy, moderated the discussion.

For POMED’s full notes, click here.

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Posted in Event Notes, Events, Reform, Women | Comment »

A Chance to Participate: Event Tomorrow

June 9th, 2008 by Sarah

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.

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POMED Notes: Brookings Event on Arab Public Opinion

April 17th, 2008 by Amanda

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.

For POMED’s notes on the event, click here.

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Posted in Egypt, Events, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Public Opinion, Saudi Arabia, UAE | Comment »

Upcoming Events

March 24th, 2008 by Kent

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. 

Monday, March 24

13:30 AEI: Iraq - The Way Head. Featuring AEI’s Frederick W. Kagan and the Brookings Institution’s Michael O’Hanlon and Kenneth Pollack.

Wednesday, March 26

12:00 Heritage: The Confrontation: Winning the War Against Future Jihad. Featuring Walid Phares and John Edward Hilboldt.
13:00 Heritage: Next Steps in Iraq and Afghanistan for Winning the Long War. Two-part panel discussion on different strategies in the two countries.
14:00 MCC: Press Freedom and Poverty Reduction. Public forum in anticipation of World Press Freedom Day.
16:00 Wilson Center: Book Launch - The Much Too Promised Land: America’s Elusive Search for Arab-Israeli Peace. Aaron David Miller discusses his new book.

Thursday, March 27

08:00 CCAS: Industrialization in the Gulf: CCAS Symposium, Day 1. A day of panel discussions on sociopolitical, demographic, and economic changes in the region.
10:00 CAP: Financial Costs of the War in Iraq. Featuring Linda Bilmes, Steve Kosiak, and Lawrence Korb.
12:30 IMES: Kuwait’s Government in Crisis - Implications for Democracy. Featuring former U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait Edward W. Gnehm.
15:00 CDACS: Syria in Transition: Dem Opposition & Prospects for Change. Featuring Ammar Abdulhamid.

Friday, March 28

08:00 CCAS: Industrialization in the Gulf: CCAS Symposium, Day 2.
12:30 SAIS: Reflections on Pakistan’s Election Process. Featuring Pakistani election observer Joshua White.

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Upcoming Events

March 17th, 2008 by Kent

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.

Monday, March 17

12:00 Wilson Center: Al-Qa’ida in Iraq - Options After the Surge. Featuring Brian Fishman of West Point.
18:30 MEI: Prospects for Tunisia and its Relations with the U.S. Featuring Oussama Romdhani of the Tunisian External Communication Agency.

Tuesday, March 18

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.

Wednesday, March 19

12:00 Wilson Center: Israel at 60 - Challenges on the Road to Tranquility. Featuring Raphael Cohen-Almagor of University of Hull.

Thursday, March 20

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.

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POMED Notes: Hearing on International Affairs Budget

March 12th, 2008 by Kent

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.

To watch Rice’s testimony, click here.

To read Rice’s full statement, click here

To read POMED’s notes on the hearing, click here.

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Posted in Events, POMED, US foreign policy | Comment »

Upcoming Events

March 10th, 2008 by Kent

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.

Thursday, March 13

12:00 CAP: No End in Sight: Conversations on Iraq. Charles Ferguson discusses his new book.

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Posted in Events, POMED | Comment »

POMED Event: Religious Freedom and Democratization in the Middle East

February 25th, 2008 by Kent

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.

 For full notes on this event, click here.

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Posted in Events, POMED | Comment »

POMED-Wilson Center Event This Morning

February 22nd, 2008 by Sharlina

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.

Click here for a full description of the event.

Click here if you are unable to attend and would like to view the event live online.

The video will also be made available for replay here at www.pomed.org soon after the event.

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Posted in Events, Human Rights | Comment »

POMED Notes: Before and After the Pakistani Election

February 20th, 2008 by Kent

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 Times Najam 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.

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Posted in Elections, Events, POMED, Pakistan | 1 Comment »

Upcoming Events

February 11th, 2008 by Kent

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.

February 11

11:00 IRI: Survey of Pakistan Public Opinion.  

12:00 Wilson Center: Myth and Reality of Women’s Entrepreneurship in the Middle East and North Africa Region. A new World Bank study presents new evidence of the extent and nature of women’s entrepreneurship.

Wednesday, February 13

9:30 Hearing: President’s Foreign Affairs Budget

2:00 Hearing: International Relations Budget for Fiscal Year 2009

Thursday, February 14

3:15 Hearing: From Gaza Disengagement to De Facto Power?

Friday, February 15

12:00 Carnegie: Researching and Writing about Human Rights in Iran. Abdulaziz Sachedina, Ph.D. speaks on the subject.

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POMED Notes: The Situtation in Iraq

February 7th, 2008 by Nicolas

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.

For POMED’s full notes on the event, click here.

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Posted in Events, Iraq | Comment »

POMED Notes-Back to the Future: US-Turkish Relations after the Bush Presidency

January 31st, 2008 by Nicolas

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.” 

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