Tunisia Seeks Support from West During Critical Time
In an interview with NPR, Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki described the challenges the country faces in preventing a reversion to dictatorship. Marzouki spoke about the country's efforts to balance the power of the president and prime minister so that ...
More Bloggers Join Tunisian Hunger Strike
Three additional Tunisian bloggers joined Ramzi Bettaib's ongoing hunger strike this week in protest of violations of freedom of the press. Leena Ben Mhenni, Azyz Amami, and Emine M’tiraoui join Bettaib's 10 day hunger strike protesting government confiscation of two of his ...
“The Economic Agenda of the Islamist Parties”
In a piece titled "The Economic Agenda of the Islamist Parties," Ibrahim Saif, Senior Associate at the Carnegie Middle East Center, writes that Islamist parties are going to be increasingly powerful in the Arab world. They are also going to face major economic problems, exacerbated by the political instability of the past year. Ennahda in Tunisia, the Islamic Action Front in Jordan, the Freedom and Justice Party in Egypt, and ...
Dept of State: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2011
The U.S. Department of State released its annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2011. Particular emphasis was placed on the Middle East and North Africa, where developments in the Arab Spring led to significant changes in ...
Prosecutor Requests Death Penalty for Ben Ali
In Tunisia, the prosecutor of the military tribunal, has called for the death penalty in the trial of former leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali for his role in the deaths of 338 protesters during the uprising that ended his reign. ...
Universal Periodic Review of Tunisia
The United Nations High Commission for Human Rights held a Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on Tunisia on May 22. A delegation from Tunisia presented the following as positive achievements; the revolution of last year has led to a democratic transition, the new government has taken several measures to safeguard civil society, and efforts have been made to prevent violence against women. Delegations in the hearing also noted other positive changes, ...
State Department to Fund Governance and Political Participation
In a written statement, the State Department announced it will provide $1.5 million in funding to the Organization for Economic and Cooperative Development (OECD), through its U.S. Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) office, to support open governance and political participation in the Middle East and North Africa. The funding will be provided to Jordan, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia, as the governments work with civil society organizations to increase government transparency and accountability. The four ...
May 23, 2012
Category: Civil Society, Democracy Promotion, Foreign Aid, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, US foreign policy
May 22, 2012
4 comments
Category: Congress, Congressional Hearing Notes (Senate), Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Featured, Foreign Aid, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Legislation, Syria, Tunisia, US foreign policy
Tunisia Extradites Former Qadhafi Prime Minister
The Tunisian and Libyan governments have finalized negotiations regarding the extradition of former Libyan Prime Minister Ali Al-Mahmoudi. Mahmoudi was arrested (French) in September 2011 when he crossed the border into Tunisia and is currently detained in the Mornaguia prison, south of Tunis. The NTC ...
POMED Notes: “The Arab Spring: Getting it Right”
On May 3rd, the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID) hosted its 13th Annual Conference entitled, "The Arab Spring: Getting it Right." The conference featured a series of four panels, and a set of luncheon and concluding keynote addresses. For full event notes, continue reading below or click here for the PDF. Panel 1 – Getting it Right: Elements of Successful Democratic Transitions The first panel of the 13th Annual ...
May 21, 2012
Category: Algeria, Civil Society, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Event Notes, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Libya, Political Islam, Reform, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, US foreign policy, Youth
U.S. Pledges Support to Tunisia Democratic Transition
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton signed a loan that guarantees $100 million dollars to be transferred to Tunisia as part of U.S. support to the country in its democratic transition. During the signing ceremony with Tunisian Ambassador to the United States Mohamed ...
May 21, 2012
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Category: Featured, Islamist movements, Legislation, Political transition, Tunisia, US foreign policy
Summary and Highlights of the FY13 House State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill
On Thursday (5/17), the House Appropriations Committee approved the fiscal year 2013 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill. According to a committee press release, the bill totals $40.1 billion in regular discretionary funding, which is $2 billion or 5 ...
May 21, 2012
Category: Bahrain, Civil Society, Congress, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Featured, Foreign Aid, Human Rights, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Legislation, Libya, Morocco, NGOs, Oman, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, UN Human Rights Council, US foreign policy, Women, Yemen
Economic Challenges of Tunisia Remain Stark
More than a year after that the street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi set himself alight, Abdelaziz Barrouhi assessed (French) the Tunisian situation, insisting the economic and social issues are the "real problems." Barrouhi expressed concerns that the economic situation has worsened in ...
POMED Notes: “Delivering Dignity in the Arab World through Political and Economic Reform”
On Tuesday, the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) held a luncheon discussion exploring the linkages between political and economic reform in the Arab world. Steve Clemons, Editor at Large of The Atlantic, moderated a panel featuring Larry Diamond, director of Stanford University Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law; Michelle Dunne, director of the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East; and John D. Sullivan, ...
Tunisia Affirms Commitment To Tolerance of Jewish Minority
On Thursday, Tunisia facilitated a Jewish pilgrimage to one of the oldest synagogues in Africa, El Ghriba, on Tunisia's Djerba island. The pilgrimage traditionally attracted thousands of visitors, but turnout declined dramatically following an al-Qaeda attack in 2002 ...
POMED Notes: The Role of ‘Outside’ Supporters: Government, NGO, Education, the Diaspora
On Wednesday, Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs hosted a conference, sponsored by Hill & Knowlton Inc., titled “Building Civil Society After the Arab Spring: Progress, Challenges, Needs.” The third panel discussed, “The Role of ‘Outside’ Supporters: Government, NGO, Education, the Diaspora.” Panelists were Aimee Fullman, manager of cultural relations and networks at the British Council, Cole Bockenfeld, director of advocacy at the Project on Middle East Democracy, ...
May 11, 2012
Category: Bahrain, Civil Society, Diplomacy, Egypt, Event Notes, Freedom, Tunisia, US foreign policy, Yemen
POMED Notes: “Security Sector Transformation in North Africa and the Middle East”
On Thursday, May 10, 2012, the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) held a conference entitled “Security Sector Transformation in North Africa and the Middle East.” In the first panel, featuring representatives from the region, the speakers were: Radwan Masmoudi, President of the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy in Tunisia; Magda Boutros, Criminal Justice Reform Director at the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights; Dr. Murhaf Jouejati, Chairman ...
May 11, 2012
Category: Countries, Egypt, Foreign Aid, Libya, Morocco, Political transition, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, US foreign policy, Yemen
POMED Notes: The Impact and Current Role of Social Media and New Communication
On Wednesday, Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs hosted a conference, sponsored by Hill & Knowlton Inc., titled “Building Civil Society After the Arab Spring: Progress, Challenges, Needs.” The conference explored the long lasting implications of the Arab Spring on United States’ foreign policy and the American business sector from a variety of perspectives. The conference was moderated by Chad Tragakis, senior vice president in Corporate Practice, ...