Conference Reports

The following reports are based on information supplied by the sponsoring organizations. Editorial changes were made to meet style, formatting, and space requirements.

Arab World 2000: Transformations and Challenges
Georgetown University
Washington, DC: March 30-31, 2000

In celebration of its 25th anniversary, Georgetown University’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies (CCAS) convened this symposium to explore future possibilities for the Arab world. Symposium participants discussed issues ranging from social and political reform, economic transformation, and the future of Arab nationalism to the empowerment of Arab women and the role of the US in the Arab world. More than 400 people attended all together.

The first panel, "Arabism: Old and New," addressed the ongoing debate between supporters and critics of Arab nationalism, and examined "Arabism" in contemporary Arab society. Saad Eddin Ibrahim of the American University in Cairo pointed to a cyclical pattern whereby Arab defeats in the political arena are followed by a social and cultural renaissance. Discussant Shibley Telhami of the University of Maryland reflected on the rise of mass-market media such as pan-Arab newspapers and satellite channels, noting that economic interest and market concerns drive the emergence of a homogenous "Arab" worldview.

During the panel on economics, Karim Nashashibi of the IMF noted that the Middle East has made significant progress in the areas of macroeconomic stabilization. Unfortunately, growth rates are far lower than they should be, growth is uneven, and unemployment has increased dangerously — largely because of low growth rates and high demographic curves. The solution, according to Nashashibi, entails reforming the trade regime away from its anti-export bias, improving the investment environment, raising the quality of public education, and strengthening the financial sector through more transparency.

In the panel discussion on "Authority, Authoritarianism and Democracy," Ibrahim Karawan of the University of Utah and Khaldoun Al-Naqeeb of Kuwait University focused on the growth of relative political pluralism (RPP) that has taken place in a number of Arab countries over recent years. Karawan attributed this growth not to a genuine commitment to democracy but rather to a confluence of circumstances such as the breakup of the socialist bloc, the dependence of Arab governments on Western assistance, and the fact that RPP entails little actual risk as the option of massive repression has not been relinquished. Al-Naqeeb concurred that the pluralistic trend is less a move toward "real" democracy than a way to control and manage social change through the manipulation of the political system.

In the final session on relations between America and the Arab world, former Arab League Representative to the UN Clovis Maksoud made an impassioned plea for more understanding and improved relations between the United States and the Arab world.

For additional information, contact Mr. Steve Brannon, Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, Georgetown University, 37th and ‘O’ Streets NW, Washington, DC 20057-1020, USA; phone (1-202)687-6177; fax (1-202)687-7001; e-mail ccasinfo@gunet.georgetown.edu; website http://www.ccasonline.org.

Third Meeting of the Mediterranean Development Forum (MDF)
Cairo, EGYPT: March 6-8, 2000

Seven hundred development practitioners and experts from across the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region and beyond met for this third meeting of the Mediterranean Development Forum (MDF). The MDF is a partnership of ten regional development think-tanks from Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian autonomous areas, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey and the World Bank’s Economic Development Institute.

The theme of the three-day gathering was ‘Voices for Change, Partners for Prosperity’, which highlights the central development dilemma facing the region - how to reconcile globalization with issues of local and national identity. It brought together representatives of the four groups whose partnership is now regarded as essential for successful development: national governments, private enterprise, development agencies and civil society.

The conference included more than 40 workshops on such topics as attracting foreign direct investment; fighting corruption; constructing an Arab free trade area; strengthening NGOs to make them more effective; transparency and the role of the media; and how companies can become globally competitive.

In the workshop entitled "Institutional Reform and Sustainable Development," participants identified ownership and involvement as the keys to success in local government. The experience from cities and communities across the region, including Rabat, Cairo and Byblos, confirms that without this dimension of broad local commitment even the best policies can fail. "Different cities have different formulas," according to Salim Nasr, workshop leader from the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies, an MDF partner, "but in every case the key element is involvement of the various sections of their communities in decision taking, policy implementation and promoting local initiatives. This includes business, civil society, individual citizens and others - all contributing resources, ideas, energy and volunteers."

Participants in the MDF workshop on Financing Development expressed concern that there are not enough financial institutions in the MENA region to support the development process, particularly in the private sector, and that the ‘financial power’ is highly concentrated among the existing ones.

An MDF media briefing session on corruption heard that the first step was to break the taboo and start talking and writing about it. The experience in Morocco confirmed this perspective: "A few years ago in Morocco it was dangerous to talk about corruption," said Ali Belhaj of Maroc 2020, which has been a leading champion of reform. Another aspect of addressing this issue involves improving the justice system and simplifying administrative structures. In addition, public education is seen as an important long-term element in any strategy to deal with corruption. Low pay for public employees can be a major factor in corruption according to Fared Zahran, the head of the Mahronsa Centre for Press and Information in Egypt.

"We are actively committed to regional cooperation and we support trade liberalization," said the Prime Minister of Egypt, Atef Ebeid. He also drew attention to some of the constraints faced in the region, including the scarcity of resources, knowledge, and experience. "Globalization needs strong political support, there has to be a public dialogue," he said, adding that "regionalism is the preparatory stage for globalization."

For additional information, contact Mr.Tudor Lomas, MDF Communications Coordinator, Jemstone Network, P.O. Box 850191, Amman 11185, JORDAN; phone (962-6)585-3024; fax (962-6)585-3025; e-mail mdf@jemstone.net; website http://www.jemstone.net.

Opening the Channels: Television and Society in the Middle East
Columbia University
New York, New York, USA: February 19-23, 2000

Columbia University hosted this gathering of Arab television news anchors, correspondents, commentators, producers, talk show hosts, and network executives who are the vanguard of an electronic media revolution that has led to more open coverage and discussion in the Middle East.

Spurred by the introduction of news channels beamed by satellite to countries throughout the region, the Middle East is undergoing an explosion of hard-hitting news programming. The new channels are challenging the region’s definition of news and their reliance on government-owned stations, which can be outright propaganda instruments in some countries and elsewhere reflect political sensibilities and shy away from controversial subjects.

The conference was the first gathering of these media professionals and decision makers from the Arab world and included representatives from Al Jazeera, the satellite news channel originating in Qatar; Arab Radio and Television; Nilesat Thematic Channel from Egypt; "The Morning World" Future Television from Lebanon as well as Palestinian and Israeli documentary filmmakers.

One session featured talk show hosts Sami Haddad of Al Jazeera’s "More Than One Opinion" and Hala Sarhan of the Arab Radio and Television network, both of whom have examined taboo subjects on their programs, including prostitution and religious fanaticism. "We are beginning a new era of freedom of choice for the viewer," said Sarhan. "We’re trying to provoke people to talk about certain subjects, not to hide from them." Haddad noted that the satellite new channels had already had a beneficial impact on government-run stations, which are carrying reports from field correspondents where they had not existed before. "They are watching us very closely," said Haddad, "and there is some feeling of competition."

Despite the impact of satellite news channels, it was noted that they are available only to the wealthy in countries that are still largely poor. Others pointed out that tapes are available of popular news programming and piracy has helped to spread access to programs. Panelist Jon Alterman of the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, DC, said a major unknown in the Middle East television world is viewership statistics. He said that as television in the Middle East evolves, one major question is whether programming and news will bring people together in an Arab identity. He also said that in the past 10 years, television has done much to "demystify the other" in the Middle East.

The forum was sponsored by the Middle East Institute at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs and the Graduate School of Journalism with support from American actor Richard Dreyfuss.

Reprinted by permission of the Office of Public Affairs, Columbia University.

For additional information, contact Professor Richard Bulliet, Director, Middle East Institute, Columbia University, 420 West 118th Street, New York, NY 10027, USA; phone (1-212)854-2584; fax (1-212)854-1413; e-mail rwb3@columbia.edu.

Environment and Development in the Mediterranean:
Intensive Training Program for Mediterranean Journalists
TAPRI
Tampere, FINLAND: November 22-28, 1999
and Capri, ITALY: December 6-12, 1999

This training program provided an opportunity for environmental journalists from Mediterranean countries to acquire a deeper understanding of the connections between environmental issues and development, to enhance their journalistic skills, and to meet other journalists working on environmental topics. It was organized by the Tampere Peace Research Institute (TAPRI) in collaboration with the Department of Media and Journalism - University of Tampere, REMFOC (Paris), Fortem International (Paris), Jemstone (Amman), and Environment & Development magazine of Beirut.

A total of thirty participants - twelve in Tampere and eighteen in Capri - attended the training program from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, the Palestinian autonomous areas, Syria, and Tunisia. They represented 28 media organizations: Algeria - Liberté, Le Matin and Le Soir d’Algérie; Egypt - Al-Osboa and Al Ahram; Jordan - Arabia on line, Friends of the Environment, Jordan Television, The Jordan Times, PETRA/Jordan News Agency and The Star; Lebanon - As-Safir Newspaper and The Daily Star; Malta - Integrated Management Co. Ltd. and The Times; Morocco - L’Economiste, Al Ahdath El Maghrebia, Maroc Hebdo, Agence MAP and l’Opinion; the Palestinian autonomous areas - Al Quds, BBC, Palestinian-Israeli Environmental Secretariat and The Palestinian Media Training and Co-production Center; Syria - SANA/Syrian Arab News Agency; and Tunisia - Agence TAP, Le Renouveau, and La Presse de Tunisie.

The training program consisted of lectures by specialists, application of the training through writing articles on environmental issues, and correction and improvement of these articles.

In addition to addressing specific journalistic skills and environmental journalism, lecturers examined the place of environmental issues in European Union policies, in the Barcelona Process, and in Euro-Mediterranean cooperation programs. They also discussed public policies in countries of the southern and eastern Mediterranean and looked at specific questions such as the water issue in the Middle East.

An important part of the training was the collective debate and critique of article drafts. Discussions were open and lively, with attention paid both to how the environmental issues were addressed and to the quality of writing. Fifteen of these articles have since been published by participants in their home countries. The article topics ranged from analyses of debates on environmental issues to more specific focuses on pollution cases and civil society initiatives that address acute environmental problems.

The program was financed by the European Commission.

For additional information, contact Prof. Tuomo Melasuo, Research Director, Tampere Peace Research Institute (TAPRI), Åkerlundinkatu 3, 4th floor, FIN-33014 University of Tampere, FINLAND; phone (358-3)215-76-92; fax (358-3)223-66-20; e-mail yttume@uta.fi; website http://www.uta.fi/tapri/med/.

Children’s Rights and Religion at a Crossroads
DCI-Israel, Wi’am, and the Nazareth Municipality
Nazareth, ISRAEL: November 21-24, 1999

This conference brought together over 150 scholars, government officials, clergy people, educators and social change workers from over 25 countries for a summit on the issues of children’s rights and religion. The presentations and workshops provided a rich opportunity for the exchange of ideas and experience, and resulted in an ongoing international information exchange network. It was sponsored by Defence for Children International-Israel, in conjunction with Wia’m-Palestine: Center for Conflict Resolution, and the Nazareth Municipality.

The schedule of activities included presentations by leading practitioners in the field of children’s rights, clergy people, and representatives of numerous international bodies. Topics discussed included education for tolerance, handicapped children, early marriage and marriage between relatives, and the right to identity. Much of the discussion centered on the deprivation suffered by Palestinian children due to the prolonged political strife in the region.

In addition to the formal proceedings, children from Israel, the Palestinian autonomous areas, and Ireland participated in a parallel program of activities designed to expose them to the ideas and concerns of those of different religions and to promote tolerance. This special programming led to an enhanced mutual awareness and increased communication between the two groups.

As a result of the conference DCI-Israel, in conjunction with Dr. S. Adwan, has initiated a new project entitled "Toward a Culture of Tolerance" as an offshoot of the conference, which entails educational programming for Muslim, Christian and Jewish children in Israel and the Palestinian autonomous areas.

Kluwer Law International will publish a book containing a selection of the conference papers under the title "Children’s Rights and Religion."

For additional information, contact Dr. Philip Vreeman, Director of Development, Defence for Children-Israel, 42 Aza St., P.O. Box 8028, Jerusalem 92384, ISRAEL; phone (972-2)563-3003; fax (972-2)563-1241; e-mail dci_il@alternat.com.

Conflicts and Religions in the Middle East
Center for Research on Arms Control and Security (CRACS)
Amman, JORDAN: November 9-11, 1999

This conference brought together participants from 20 countries for discussions on the topic of religion as a tool for international conflict resolution. It was sponsored by the government of Switzerland, the International Development and International Research Council of Canada (IDRC), the Mennonite Central Committee and the Foundation for Middle East Peace.

The papers presented addressed such issues as the co-existence of cultures in the Middle East, peace initiatives in the Gulf region, religious hierarchies, and political and religious terrorism.

In addition to academic presentations, the conference participants also generated an inter-faith declaration covering a number of issues. It included statements urging that: conflicts between peoples, nations, and religions should be resolved by peaceful means; interfaith dialogue should be increased to promote understanding and reduce misperceptions; and efforts should be made toward the reduction of conventional arms and the elimination of weapons of mass destruction.

Moreover, the future of Jerusalem was considered by the participants to be of paramount importance because of its profound historical significance to the three major monotheistic faiths in the Middle East and people throughout the world. Recognition of the rights of Palestinian refugees was also accorded a high level of importance.

For additional information contact Dr. Ayman Khalil, Director, CRACS, P.O. Box 141939, Amman, JORDAN; phone (962-6)818-062; fax (962-6) 818-062; e-mail hostmaster@jo.rdg.ac.uk.

Regional Workshop on Substance Abuse
Palestine Council of Health (PCH) and Economic Cooperation Foundation (ECF)
Ramallah, PNA: October 13-14, 1999

This workshop brought together, for the first time, representatives of the Israeli, Palestinian, Jordanian, and Egyptian anti-drug communities as well as experts in the field of substance abuse treatment and prevention. It was the sixth workshop conducted under the ECF-PCH "Building Bridges Through Health" Project. Altogether, more than 40 policemen and policewomen, judges, district attorneys, researchers, academicians, and representatives of NGOs participated in this event.

The goals of the workshop were (1) to create a regional forum and comprehensive dialogue about this topic with the understanding that "drugs know no borders," (2) to continue and advance the dialogue of the five previous workshops between parallel Israeli and Palestinian professionals in the field of substance abuse, and (3) to provide an opportunity for Palestinian participants in particular to benefit from other regional experiences, which could be useful for their emerging system to combat substance abuse.

The major themes of the workshop were Awareness and Prevention, Treatment Models, Capacity Building, Enforcement Issues, and Legal Issues. All sides engaged in frank discussion about the needs, experiences, and difficulties encountered by the different systems, and spoke of ways in which cooperation and coordination could be helpful in addressing those challenges.

All the participants recognized that without communication and cooperation the only winners are the drug dealers and traffickers, and that the issue of drugs might then become an area that creates tension and distrust rather than joint efforts and coordination. As Mr. Robin Kealy, the British Consul-General in Jerusalem stated, "Unfortunately, while people-to-people initiatives have made rather slow progress in the past year or two, Mafia-to-Mafia and dealer-to-dealer relationships have flourished only too much."

The workshop was sponsored jointly by the British Consulate General in Jerusalem and the British Embassy in Tel Aviv.

For additional information, contact Dr. Hikmat Ajjuri, Palestine Council of Health, P.O. Box 51681, Jerusalem, ISRAEL; phone (972-2)627-6001/2963; fax (972-2)627-4059; e-mail pchealth@planet.edu.

Water in the Gulf: Challenges of the 21st Century
Water Sciences and Technology Association (WSTA)
Manama, Bahrain: February 13-17, 1999

The 4th Gulf Water Conference brought together 360 participants from the GCC States and various Arab and foreign countries to discuss sustainable water resources development in the Gulf region in the 21st Century. The conference provided an opportunity to identify future priorities and challenges in the GCC States regarding water needs, allowed for discussion of current methods and practices in water conservation and utilization, and encouraged the exchange of experience and information at the technical, scientific, and management levels.

Nearly 100 papers were presented at the meeting, the majority of which addressed regional water issues and the development and preservation of current water resources. In addition, the participants emphasized the need for development of a database on water resources and utilization, scientific and technological research in these two areas, and the formulation of new legislation to control water use.

Among the topics addressed were planning and management of water resources, natural water resources, desalinated water, treatment and reuse of sewage waste-water, water applications in agriculture and irrigation effectiveness, drinking water, and environmental protection.

The conference was organized by WSTA, in cooperation with the Ministry of Electricity and Water of the State of Bahrain, the Secretariat General of the Cooperation Council (GCC) for the Arab States of the Gulf, the Arabian Gulf University (Bahrain), the Bahrain Centre for Studies and Research and a number of regional and international organizations.

For additional formation,contact Mr.Abdullatif Ebrahim Al-Mugrin, President, Water Science & Technology Association, P.O. Box 20018, Manama, BAHRAIN; phone (973)826512; fax (973)826513; e-mail almugrinalatif@hotmail.com; website http://www.wsta.org.bh/.