International Conference
Democratic Transition in the Arab World – Roadmap
Conference Agenda
Friday, October 6, 2023
– All Day: Guest Arrival
– 08:00 PM- 10:00 PM : Dinner in honor of the guests
Saturday, October 7, 2023
• 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Opening Session
• 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM: Coffee Break
• 11:30 AM – 01:30 PM: Panel 1: Assessment of Democracy in the Arab World (2 hours)
◦ Topic: What are the causes of the failure of Arab democracy, the circumstantial and structural factors, and the internal and external influences that have contributed to obstructing the democratic transition or in penetrating and changing its direction?
• 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM: Lunch with Break
• 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Panel 2: The Future of Democracy in the Arab World (2 hours)
◦ Topic: What are the determinants and pathways that can form an internal or external dynamic in order to resume the stalled democratic transition in the Arab world?
• 5:00 PM – 5:15 PM: Coffee Break
• 5:15 PM – 7:15 PM: Panel 3: The Crisis of Democracy and the Revision of Concepts (2 hours)
◦ Topic: The crisis of representative democracy in the shadow of the domination of money lobbies over the media and its impact on elections? Is it still able to address the major challenges facing humanity?
Sunday, October 8, 2023
09:30-01:00 PM: Four parallel workshops where attendees will be grouped based on their expertise and interests, lasting for 3.5 hours, with a half-hour coffee break included during that time.
1- Conceptual Workshop
2- Political and Economic-Development Workshop
3- Establishing and Structuring a Network for Arab Democrats
4- Media and Communication Workshop
01:00 PM -02:30 PM: Lunch break
02:30 PM-03:30 PM: Sectoral meetings, special meetings, and media dialogues
03:30 PM-04:00 PM: Coffee Break
04:00 PM-05:30 PM: Closing Session
Details of the workshops and topics to be discussed:
Workshop 1: Conceptual Workshop
discussing the intellectual challenges facing the democratization process in the Arab region:
What are the key intellectual changes affecting the concept of democracy?
Is there a suitable intermediary model between representative democracy and direct democracy for the countries and peoples of the region?
Is there a new vision of democracy that integrates sustainable development criteria, good governance, social justice, and minority rights?
How can democratic governance systems adapt to challenges like climate change and technological developments?
How can democracy be protected from the influence of money and manipulation by traditional and new media?
Workshop 2: Political and Economic-Development Workshop on the challenges of democracy and the necessary economic reforms to build sound democratic governance in the Arab region:
What are the basic conditions for building a democratic model that can achieve a sustainable balance between political freedoms, social justice, and economic development in the region?
How can economic reforms be directed to contribute to enhancing democracy and improving the living standards of citizens?
What are the essential conditions that the political system must have to combat corruption, rentier economics, and establish good governance?
Workshop 3: Establishing and Structuring a Network for Arab Democrats
How can a network be established that brings together Arab democratic activists, political, social, and civil forces advocating for democracy, and provides an opportunity for exchanging experiences and joint struggles for common goals?
How can spaces and mechanisms for solidarity between civil society organizations and democratic activists be created? How can human rights work be coordinated among organizations and individual activists to pursue perpetrators of serious human rights violations in the Arab world?
How can actors be provided with accurate assessments of the state of oppression and the state of the democratic movement in the Arab world, as well as experiences and methods of democratic empowerment?
Workshop 4: Media and Communication
How can the media contribute to spreading democracy and shaping public opinion in its support? How can developments in media technology be leveraged to enhance Arab media?
How can a dynamic coordination and collaboration be established between media outlets and bloggers to support pathways of change in the region?
How can media outlets influenced by financial and foreign political lobbies that hinder the democratic transition be countered?