In The
Spotlight

  • The Square of Change in Sana’a: an Incubator for Reform 9 May 2011 , by Atiaf Zaid Alwazir

    Yemen has witnessed widespread protests and sit-ins throughout the squares of change for the past three months. These squares became incubators for change and the birthplace of a new political culture.

  • Policy Brief: Libya, Searching for a Political Map 18 April 2011 , by Abdel Sattar Hatita

    Libyan Colonel Muammar Gaddafi left his country in a political vacuum as he banned the establishment of political parties for over forty years.

  • SSR: Democratic Transitions and the Latin American Military 15 April 2011 , by Augusto Varas

    One of the main challenges to democratic state building processes in Latin America has been the enforcement of civilian control over the military. The introduction of a reform agenda for the armed services has been particularly critical for democratic forces in transitional periods.

Recent Publications


Reform Watch

Yemen Opposition: Violence May Derail Deal 29 April 2011

Days before signing a Gulf-sponsored peace pact, a Yemen opposition bloc threatens to quit after more protesters killed.

Anti-Government Protests Hit Syria 29 April 2011
Palestinian Accord a Signal of Egypt Policy Shift 29 April 2011
Bahrain Sentences Protesters to Death 28 April 2011

Events

Noref Publication: Consequences of the Political Deadlock in Bahrain on Reforms in the Gulf 6 April 2011

Today’s unrest in Bahrain is deep-rooted and should be viewed in a local, domestic context that dates back to the “Manama Spring” of the 1990s.

2011 Draper Hills Summer Fellows on Democracy and Development Program 6 April 2011
Call for Papers for the 2011 Gulf Research Meeting 6 April 2011

The Arab Reform Initiative is a consortium of fifteen key policy research centers from the Arab world with partners from Europe and the United States, working to mobilize the Arab research capacity to advance knowledge and promote a home grown program for democratic reform.