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02 January 2008
U.S. Official Discusses Middle East Partnership Initiative
USINFO Webchat transcript, January 2
Laura A. Schultz, the civil society and rule of law manager in the Office of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) at the State Department, answered questions in a January 2 USINFO Webchat on the role of civil society in promoting democratic reform in the Middle East.
Following is the transcript:
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of International Information Programs
USINFO Webchat Transcript
Middle East Partnership Initiative: Strengthening Democratic Participation Through the Empowerment of Civil Society
Guest: Laura Schulz, MEPI
Date: Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Time: 9:00 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT)
Moderator: Welcome to today's webchat. The webchat will begin at 09:00 EST/14:00 GMT. We welcome your questions now or during the live event.
Laura Schulz: Hello. My name is Laura Schulz, and I manage civil society programs in the Office of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), U.S. Department of State. Thank you very much for your questions and for participating in today's discussion about the role of civil society in promoting democratic reform in the Middle East. This is an important topic -- the work of civil society in any country is critical, as it includes NGOs, trade unions, associations, journalists, academics. In the MENA region, this sector is vast and growing. There are thousands of civil society organizations in the MENA region. These organizations work to promote human rights, empower women and youth so that they can be active and informed citizens, monitor elections, train elected leaders in democratic practices, and promote civic education.
Most importantly, these organizations are working in their home countries and setting their own agendas and priorities rather than just following those that come from the outside. The work of MEPI in this regard is to provide support for this work to amplify these priorities, but not to determine the priorities or specific work in any country. Since 2004, MEPI has supported hundreds of civil society organizations, from Morocco to Iraq, as well as projects that have a broader regional focus. Through its support, MEPI aims to strengthen both the activities and the sustainability of this sector.
There are many challenges that are faced by civil society in the Middle East, including laws that make it difficult to establish or operate independent organizations. However, there are also important successes. One example of success is the Parallel Civil Society Forum recently held in Yemen. This meeting, organized by a coalition of 24 Yemeni civil society organizations, brought together more than 300 civic leaders from throughout the MENA region to discuss critical priorities towards advancing democracy and reform in the region. The agenda, developed by the coalition, focused on how to strengthen freedom of expression and freedom of association, the role of the private sector in reform, women's empowerment, and the importance of independent media. Over the course of the three-day meeting, participants outlined work plans for 2008 to address these priorities, and also issued an evaluation report. The most important success of this Parallel Forum was that it was entirely organized and led by a Yemeni coalition of civil society organizations and the meeting led to tangible steps, articulated by participants, on how to strengthen democracy in the region in the upcoming year.
I look forward to our discussion today on this important topic. Thank you.
QUESTION [darsh]: How far is the US administration willing to support the civil society in addressing the cause of democracy especially in the prevailing unfavourable atmosphere of suspecion of the motives of the human rights and democracy advocates?
ANSWER [Laura Schulz]: Thank you for your question. We understand the risks that human rights and democracy activists take to promote change, and the tremendous amount of courage displayed in their daily work. We need to be humble in our efforts and recognize that it is these activists, struggling in the region every day, who will ultimately affect change. We are encouraged by the fact that we see a growing interest among many civil society organizations to partner with and receive support from MEPI, even in very challenging environments. Our support for democratic, peaceful civil society is a critical component of MEPI and will remain so. MEPI looks forward to continuing to expand partnerships with civil society organizations so that they can continue to advance reform in their home countries, based on their own, home-grown priorities.
Q [Bina]: Really we need it to develop the education system in Iraq, is there any other opportunity to work with and we became active in these projects?
A [Laura Schulz]: Thank you, Bina. There are, in fact, many U.S government -- funded democracy projects in Iraq. While Iraq is not a primary focus of MEPI, there are specific offices within the State Department, as well as in the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), that are investing heavily in these projects. If you are interested in being involved in these programs, there are many ways to do so. In terms of MEPI, there are many ways that Iraqis are involved in our regional programs, including trainings, workshops and networks, and I would be happy to discuss this with you further.
Moderator: Learn more about MEPI at: http://mepi.state.gov/
Q [OMAIMA]: How can (we) be part of this forum and participate with views and share the experience because our organization working in the field of the human rights and the rule of law and democracy?
A [Laura Schulz]: Thank you, Omaima, for your question. MEPI has partnerships with organizations throughout the MENA region. I am not sure where you are writing from, but I would be happy to put you in contact directly with local organizations in your country that are organizing activities in which you may wish to participate. In fact, one of the things that we try to do at MEPI is to build partnerships among activists and organizations in the region, so that these efforts are strengthened and sustainable.
Moderator: To those of you just joining us, welcome. Our guest speaker is reviewing your questions. Your questions will appear on this screen only after they are answered by today's speaker.
Q [Yasser Khalil]: Hello Dear Lady. When I look at democracy and freedom at my area (Middle East) before and after MEPI I see differences, and tangible achievements that were performed depending on that important initiative.
I touch those achievements every day, however I would like to hear to your vision as an expert in that field, and how you see the future of democracy in our area, depending on your previous experience and your future plans?
Thank you, (IRC, US Embassy in Cairo) - Yasser Khalil, Egyptian - researcher and journalist
Q [Laura Schulz]: Thank you very much, Yasser, for your comments and question. What you mention is very important -- there are tangible achievements that civil society has accomplished throughout the MENA region, and we must continue to work to sustain these areas of success and work against challenges. There is a tremendous amount of expertise and human capacity that exists within the region, and an opportunity to harness and build upon these successes so that this collective experience can be shared in the areas of elections, women’s empowerment, strengthening the rule of law.
There are hundreds of Arab civil society organizations, thousands of Arabic resource documents on democratic development, and countless Arab experts on all topics related to democracy. The key is how to build upon this foundation of work and expertise, and, for those of us on the outside, to listen to and understand local priorities.
Q [awagih]: I think that the key to Democracy in Egypt is in the development of the Education System! My daughter attended an American school where she had to compete for the post of class [representative]. That taught her how to prepare a program and sell it to the crowd to get their votes.
I also think that voting cards shouldn't be given to illiterates. The government of Egypt requires anyone who apply for a drivers license to be literate, so I think the same should apply to voting, since voters drive the country as a whole.
A [Laura Schulz]: Thank you for your question. We agree that education plays a critical role in a democracy, and that civic education needs to begin at a young age. MEPI sees a direct, supportive relationship between education, economic and political reform, and for that reason, supports programs in all of those areas. Reform must be holistic -- political change without strong education or economic institutions will be limited, and vice versa.
Furthermore, we believe that the role of youth -- often overlooked in terms of societal participation, must be emphasized, particularly given the demographic realities of the Middle East region. MEPI has many programs that focus on how to strengthen education institutions in the MENA region so that students from the start are active participants and decision-makers.
Moderator: If you are just joining us, welcome. Ms. Schulz continues to review your questions. Answers to your questions will appear on this screen.
Q [Kuba]: Today, youth are internet based, does this program support youth internet grassroots activism or internet access?
A [Laura Schulz]: Yes, many of the projects we support focus on the role of youth as well as the use of technology to strengthen grassroots activism. We have seen important, recent examples of this in Lebanon, Kuwait, and Yemen, and have also seen the growth of Arabic web resources and virtual networks. We see this as a critical area for expansion and are always open to new ideas as to how to expand this sector.
Q [Chat Participant]: To what degree MEPI receives cooperation from governments? Do Mideast governments help or hinder MEPI?
A [Laura Schulz]: Thank you for your question. What makes MEPI unique is that we are supporting democratic reform both through tangible programs as well as through diplomacy. MEPI supports the work of non-governmental organizations through direct grants and financial assistance, but also provide technical assistance to government institutions (e.g. Ministry of Education) to advance reform, and this is an important area of cooperation.
Moreover, MEPI supports projects that strengthen cooperation and reform dialogue between civil society organizations and their governments on critical, home-grown demands such as guaranteeing freedom of expression and freedom of association. The Parallel Civil Society Forum recently held in Yemen that I mentioned above was an important outgrowth of this government-civil society reform initiative that is called the Democracy Assistance Dialogue (DAD).
If anyone is interested in speaking in more detail about MEPI's civil society programs and opportunities in their home countries, please contact me directly at schulzLA@state.gov.
Moderator: Ms. Schulz continues to review your questions. Thank you for your patience. Participants in today's chat may wish to join us tomorrow for a webchat to discuss "After Annapolis: The U.S. Commitment to the Palestinian People".
Q [Kuba]: What does this program do for promotion of girls education?
A [Laura Schulz]: Education for all -- girls and boys -- is a critical component of MEPI's work. MEPI supports many programs in this important sector -- you can find information about these programs on our website. I can also provide more specific information if you are interested in certain countries.
Q [amadal]: There are contradictions and conflicting issues to be addressed when dealing with the MENA area. Dictatorships are the norm. Democratic civil societies are far and between but nonetheless democratic and progressive organisations exist in the region: Algeria, Turkey, Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon, Israel...
My questions are:
1) Why has the USA disengaged from North Africa leaving the area to anti-American French Arabophile influence that has allowed the extension of the spawning grounds of Arabo-Islamic fascism to such an extent that local regimes encourage the ideology of terrorism to prevail even at schools?
Q [Laura Schulz]: MEPI has many projects and local partnerships in North Africa, with programs that strengthen judicial independence, civic education, the capacity of elected women leaders, human rights networks, and political parties. MEPI's projects in North Africa represent an integral component of our overall program.
Moderator: Dear participants, if you have more than one question, please ask each one separately.
Q [amadal]: My (second) question:
2) Movements that struggle for liberty and democracy against Islamism of the both the states and the armed groups -- often linked to clans from the ruling circles -- have been left unsupported?
Thank you
Q [Laura Schulz]: MEPI has partnerships with a broad cross-section of civil society organizations that are working promote peaceful change and reform in their home countries, based on their priorities. There are many such organizations in the MENA region -- organizations which are working as a middle ground between the extremes of authoritarianism and Islamic extremism.
Thank you for your important, thoughtful questions and participation in today's discussion. For MEPI, the work of civil society is a critical component in the promotion of democracy and reform in the MENA region, and is represented by thousands of courageous, inspiring leaders and organizations. I look forward to future opportunities to continue our debate and potential opportunities to partner together in the future.
Moderator: We wish to thank Laura Schulz for joining us today. The webchat is now closed.
Please visit our USINFO Webchat Station homepage for more information on upcoming events and a transcript of today’s discussion (usually posted within one business day).
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(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
