Democratization and Human Rights challenges in the Middle East

Democratization and Human Rights challenges in the Middle East

Alternatives invite you to a public conference on


« How do we address the Democratization and Human Rights challenges in the Middle East today? »


in thThe human rights situation e Arab world is very grave. Positive developments in some countries, such as Morocco and Mauritania, are overshadowed by a continuing pattern of human rights abuses, political violence and a faltering Arab-Israeli peace process. A wave of Democratization has not swept through the Middle East because of the absence of the Arab governments’ political will for reform, the chronic weakness of the democracy movement in the region, the loss of US credibility and moral standing, following the difficult occupation of Iraq and troubling images of prison torture in the Abu-Ghraib prison, combined with strong forces of terrorism, loss of identity, threats of civil war and popular support for Islamist forces.


In the Middle East today, Human Rights defenders are faced with tremendous challenges. To overcome these, they must develop strategies to build the moral standing of human rights among the public and improve the responsiveness of human rights practice to Arab concerns.


With


M. Bahey Eldin Hassan


*** Bahey Eldin Hassan is Director of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, Member of the Board of the EuroMed Human Rights Foundation (EMHRF) and Lecturer and Author of several articles and papers on Human Rights and Democratic Transformation in the Arab Region.


Hassan has also edited several books in Arabic, and contributed to others, such as:


Regional Protection of Human Rights in the Arab States In Statu Nascendi, in Janusz Symonides, Editor Human Rights: International Protection, Monitoring, Enforcement. UNESCO, 2003


What ? Conference : How do we address the Democratization and Human Rights challenges in the Middle East today?


When ? May 8 2008, 7 pm


Where ? Alternatives’ Office, 3720, av. du Parc, 2nd floor, Montréal, Métro Place-des-Arts


INFORMATION Tel : (514) 982-6606