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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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.

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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: ...

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 ...

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."  Ambassador Mark Parris, the Director of Brookings' Turkey 2007 Project, moderated the panel discussion that featured retired ...

Tuesday, January 29 9:00 Wilson Center: The Israelis and their Politics. Former Israeli government officials will speak on the workings of the country’s political workings. 16:30 SAIS: Is Pakistan Ready for Elections? Three experts on Pakistani politics will analyze the possible positive and negative effects of the upcoming elections. Wednesday, January 30 12:00 Georgetown: Discussion on Recent Developments in Pakistan.   12:00 Georgetown: Lunch with a Policymaker: Carl Gershman. Gershman is President of the National ...

The Project on Middle East Democracy and the International Republican Institute hosted a panel discussion this morning  entitled "From the Ground Up: Assessing Efforts to Promote Local Democratic Development in Iraq."  The panel examined the successes and failures of programs to support local democratic development in Iraq, what obstacles confront such efforts, and what lessons may be drawn from Iraq for future post-conflict reconstruction efforts. Panelists include Christopher Holzen, Resident country director ...