POMED Notes: Rethinking Democracy Promotion in Middle East at USIP

POMED Notes: Rethinking Democracy Promotion in Middle East at USIP

Yesterday afternoon, the U.S. Institute of Peace hosted an event entitled “Rethinking Democracy Promotion in the Middle East,” featuring Cairo-based writer and scholar Hugh Roberts, formerly of International Crisis Group, giving an analysis and critique of Western efforts to promote democracy in the Middle East, with suggestions for revamping the approach. Roberts largely criticized the current approach to promoting democracy as ineffective, counterproductive intereference in the internal affairs of Middle Eastern states.


Responses to Roberts were given by Stephen King of Georgetown and Matthew Frumin of NDI, moderated by USIP’s Dina Shehata, followed by a lively Q & A session.