Building a New Yemen

The Middle East Institute, in partnership with the DT Institute, is pleased to announce a half-day conference, “Building a New Yemen.” This conference will address the various pathways forward for building a sustainable, peaceful future that will provide all Yemenis with the opportunity to build a positive, prosperous life for themselves and their families. While Yemen may still be embroiled in civil conflict, it is essential to envision a post-conflict society for when the right time arrives to enact lasting peace and change.

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11:00am – 12:00pm ET | Panel I: Building a New Yemen
When, sooner or later, Yemenis negotiate a peace settlement, they will face enormous problems. Regional states and the broader international community both want to see a stable and prosperous Yemen, and they can help Yemenis rebuild a new state by working with them as partners and learn from the misunderstanding of the past. But two critical prerequisites are that the Yemenis reach a historical reconciliation that can sustain peace and then gain the support of regional neighbors and the international community to start building a new Yemen. The authors of the book, Building a New Yemen: Recovery, Transition, and the International Community, will convene to discuss their comprehensive plan for a post-conflict Yemen. The researchers, who span the fields of international relations, political economy, and climate, will each address in detail the key political, social, and economic concerns associated with focused, intelligent interventions.

Speakers

Noel Brehony
Vice President, Honorary British-Yemeni Society

Laurent Bonnefoy
Researcher, CNRS

Helen Lackner
Research Associate, Department of Development Studies, SOAS

Charles Schmitz
Professor; Chair, Department of Geography & Environment Planning, Towson University

Amat Alsoswa, moderator
Former Minister for Human Rights, Yemen

12:15pm – 12:45pm ET | Keynote Address: Ambassador Timothy A. Lenderking, U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen

1:00pm – 2:00pm ET | Panel II: Human Rights in Yemen: Challenges and Opportunities for Advocacy and Accountability
The Middle East Institute, the DT Institute, and SAM for Rights and Liberties will convene a panel that presents an on-the-ground perspective on the status of human rights, the effect of the conflict, and the prevalence and patterns of human rights violations in Yemen. The speakers will discuss the layered nature of the status of human rights in Yemen, where the advocacy community could focus accountability efforts, and the various programs pioneered by the DT Institute in support of Yemen’s economic and political capacity-building efforts.

Speakers

Dan Wilkofsky
Researcher, DT Institute

Tawfik Al-Hamidi
SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties

Sophien Ben-Achour
Chief of Party, USAID Regional Violence Prevention Program, Middle East & North Africa Search for Common Ground

Olga Ruda, moderator
Senior Rule of Law Advisor, DT Institute

In partnership with