It was logical that we would hold our conference on ”Democratic Transition in the Arab World: Roadmap“ in an Arab capital, with the attendance of guests from various Arab nations…
Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we couldn’t locate any Arab capital willing to host a conference on the future of democracy in the region. We couldn’t find a single Arab city where advocates for democracy from various Arab countries and the Arab diaspora could gather without concerns about visas, entry denials, or government pressure. Regrettably, we were unable to find an Arab capital willing to establish a secure and inclusive setting for peaceful discussions, retrospective analysis, and future planning.
This unfortunate situation in our region motivates us even more to hold this conference, intensify meetings, and enhance coordination among Arab democrats to succeed in the democratic project, making it possible to hold such meetings in various Arab capitals in the future.
While waiting for that bright future, which we see as imminent while dictators see it as distant, we will not fold our hands and will continue to hold conferences and activities wherever it is feasible and suitable for us.
Ok, but why Sarajevo?
Our choice of Sarajevo was not arbitrary but a well-considered one among several options.
We chose Sarajevo because of its significant symbolism as a city that endured war, conflicts, and devastation, and transformed into a symbol of recovery, coexistence, and cultural and religious diversity.
We chose Sarajevo because it offers us, as Arab elites living in the midst of conflict, valuable lessons about post-conflict situations, how to establish peace, reconciliation, transitional justice, and nation-building.
We chose Sarajevo because we aspire to build bridges of cooperation with Bosnian elites, including intellectuals, politicians, civil society activists, and peacemakers, to exchange experiences and opinions regarding democracy and peace efforts in the region.
We chose Sarajevo because it represents a great cultural extension and an advanced bridge between the East and the West for us, the Arab elites, from various sects, Muslims and Christians. We know that all our guests, with their diverse identities, are eager to visit and get to know Sarajevo, enjoy its breathtaking nature and beautiful weather, ensuring a more effective presence at our conference on the future of democracy in the Arab region.”