المدونات الصوتية

The Middle East Institute is proud to host digital media experts Adel Iskandar and Courtney Radsch for a discussion on the nature of the cyberactivism that is fueling the uprisings spreading throughout the Middle East. Iskandar will examine the battle in Egypt between the government and the protesters to control online discourse, analyzing the obstacles and the successes.

The Middle East Institute is proud to host Staffan De Mistura, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan, for a lecture and discussion on the UN's mission in Afghanistan. De Mistura will speak at MEI following the UN Security Council debate on the mandate renewal of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). The Security Council resolution with the new mandate is scheduled to be adopted on March 22, 2011, the day of this event.

Speaker: Staffan de Mistura

The Middle East Institute is proud to host Joshua Landis and Andrew Tabler for a discussion about the current state of US-Syrian relations and the impact the changing regional dynamic will have on the relationship's priorities. How might the revolutionary wave crossing the Middle East effect Washington's discussions with Damascus? Should there be a greater emphasis on reform? Where does the Syrian-Israeli peace track stand and is it more urgent than ever?

Speakers: Joshua Landis, Andrew Tabler

The Obama administration's efforts to win a settlement freeze as a confidence-building measure have failed, and the U.S.has not presented a new vision for resuming the moribund peace process. Nevertheless, many analysts now recommend shifting the diplomatic focus to negotiations to define the border between Israel and the future state of Palestine. Resolving the border would address the issues of settlements and Jerusalem as well as potential land swaps between the two states.

The Middle East Institute is proud to host Janet Sanderson, Christopher Boucek and Charles Schmitz for a discussion about the challenges facing Yemeni President Abullah Ali Saleh as he confronts a third month of anti-government protests and growing calls for secession from southern separatists. Sanderson will examine US policy toward the Saleh government in the face of demands for reform, while Schmitz will examine the respective players in Yemen's protest movement and the government's response to their demands.

The Middle East Institute, in partnership with the Fondation Pour le Recherche Strategique, is proud to host Dr. Susanne Schmeidl and Dr. Geraldine Chatelard for a discussion situations of protracted mass displacement in Afghanistan and Iraq. Funded by the European Commission, the project aims to generate policy recommendations that will strengthen transatlantic cooperation to respond to the refugee crises in the above-mentioned countries. The event will feature the findings of the two project team leaders, based on more than two dozen field-research papers.

The Middle East Institute is proud to host the Honorable Robert Wexler and Dr. Yoram Peri for a discussion about the challenges facing Israel and the Middle East peace process in the wake of the resignation of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak. Some in Israel, including former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, argue that current events in the region make it imperative that Israel move quickly to secure a peace treaty with the Palestinians. Others insist Israel proceed with caution, given the increased instability in the region.

The Middle East Institute is proud to host Dr. Graeme Bannerman and Col. Joseph Engelhardt for an in-depth look at the Egyptian military and its anticipated role in the wake of the resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Bannerman and Engelhardt have had extensive interaction with members of the Egyptian military over the past thirty years.

Drawing on over thirty years' experience covering Middle Eastern and Islamic issues, mostly for the BBC, Roger Hardy argues that the media have all too often shown a chronic lack of understanding of Islam and Muslim societies – and by distorting or sensationalizing Muslim issues have made it harder to combat extremism and win the 'war of ideas.' As Arab and Muslim protesters take to the streets of Cairo and the Arab world, Hardy examines if coverage and understanding of the Muslim world has deepened or improved.

The Middle East Institute is proud to host Steven Kull and Shibley Telhami for an examination of Egyptian views and attitudes towards governance and their future. As Egyptian demonstrators celebrate the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak, many wonder what kind of system the Egyptian people really want. How do they view the Muslim Brotherhood? If Egypt were to become more democratic what are we likely to see in terms of its relation with the US, Israel and other countries in the region?

US-Libya Business Association Honorary Chairman Amb. David Mack and Executive Director Charles Dittrich traveled to Libya for five days in mid-December. They met with Libyan government officials, Libyan private business leaders and representatives of American companies working in the country. They will share impressions regarding the political and economic climate in Libya and the implications for both overall US-Libyan relations and the prospects for American business interests.

The Middle East Institute is proud to host Amb. Alan Goulty and Amb. Edward Walker for an examination of the unrest roiling Tunisia and Egypt and its implications for the region at large. Between them, Goulty and Walker have more than 60 years of experience serving in the Arab world. They will draw upon their unique experience and understanding of the region to examine the evolving crises in Tunisia and Egypt, the impact of the street protests on regional governments and the role that Western governments can play during this period of transition.

The Middle East Institute is pleased to invite you to a lecture and discussion with Andrew Exum, Fellow at the Center for A New American Security, assessing the possibility of a new Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan and its ramifications for U.S. strategy there. The past six months have seen some remarkable successes in southern Afghanistan. But if hard-won security gains collapse in the face of a renewed Taliban offensive in 2011, the NATO strategy to secure Afghanistan will be in grave danger.

The Middle East Institute is pleased to invite you to a lecture and discussion with Mark N. Katz examining the impact of the current and future US withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan on Islamic radicals. Katz argues that the US withdrawals from both countries will lead radicals to conclude they have defeated the US in the "War on Terror" and that US regional strength is on the decline. This, he argues, will spur Islamic radicals to seek further gains elsewhere.

The Middle East Institute is pleased to invite you to a lecture and discussion with MEI Scholar Herman Franssen examining the impact of changing market forces and policies on Middle East Oil.Oil from the MENA region represents close to 70 percent of global conventional oil reserves and close to 40 percent of global conventional gas reserves.