The false promise of regime change
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s repeated assertion around the time of the Iraq war that Washington’s pursuit of “stability at the expense of democracy” in the Middle East had produced… Read more »
Category: Arab Spring
Tunisia’s political wrangling: Disarray & dysfunction boosts support for populists
The Tunisian Crisis and Migrations: Myths and Reality https://t.co/MVy9tgKx8X — Democracy Digest (@demdigest) August 13, 2020 A Tunisian populist politician who aligns herself with an ousted dictator has been… Read more »
Essential weekend reading: Why the West is worth saving
No historical rhythm guarantees that democracy is just around the corner in China or Russia or anywhere else, argues Michael Kimmage, Professor of History at The Catholic University of America…. Read more »
Fostering resiliency for MENA civil society
The Gezi trial, where 16 civil society activists and human rights defenders face possible life sentences for attempting to overthrow the government, has been a “tragic case study of the… Read more »
Why Tunisia’s transition succeeded
Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed has appointed Elyes Fakhfakh to be prime minister on January 20. Fakhfakh, who served as tourism minister following the revolution, and then as finance minister in… Read more »
Fear and learning: Arab world not finished with democracy
A vibrant protest movement is visible in Iran and across the Middle East — but it isn’t calling for Islamic revolution, much less the tired misrule of the mullahs, The… Read more »
How (not) to advance democracy: Why liberalism works
Is democracy overrated? the conservative British philosopher Roger Scruton once asked. “In my view, the idea that there is a single, one-size-fits-all solution to social and political conflict around the… Read more »
Democracy for Palestinians? Election talk rekindles hope
The European Union is pressuring the Ramallah-based Palestinian leadership to hold legislative and presidential elections, as the body appears to be moving toward a more strong-armed approach to Palestinian affairs… Read more »
Algeria crackdown as election looms: Is a democratic transition possible?
Algeria‘s contentious presidential election campaign is highlighting the deep gulf between young people at the heart of a street protest movement and an ageing elite they see as clinging to… Read more »
Arab democrats need ‘realistic pathways for change’
As a fresh wave of protests generates speculation about an Arab Spring 2.0, the challenge for MENA democrats is to move beyond calls for regime change and focus on building… Read more »