Originally posted August 2011
It was a small group that set out on January 25, marching on National Police Day to decry the quotidian indignities they suffered at the hands of Husni Mubarak’s abusive police. Public protest in Egypt had long been a minority practice, rarely mustering more than a few hundred, or at best a few thousand, core movement activists. The organizers of the January 25 march expected the same base of dedicated demonstrators, and were shocked when the crowd swelled to more than 10,000.
Looking across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), there is a real fear that both reform movements and revolutions risk snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. The momentum that made so many inspirational gains a few months ago is slowing, and the forces of conservatism remain in control. The only hope is that stamina, vigilance, and strategy will lead to a complete transition to democracy in at least one of the region’s countries. Not one revolution has yet been completed. If such a success is to happen soon, I hope it will be in Egypt.
Two big misconceptions have been circulated about the Egyptian revolution in January 2011: first in the international media, research, and policy circles, and second inside Egypt itself through the Egyptian media. In the international sphere, the misconception was that the Egyptian revolution was a “cute” Facebook, social media, social network, or internet revolution (in which scrappy youths banded together over the internet to create change). Inside Egypt, the second misconception is that it was a pre-planned, organized, orchestrated, well-led revolution.
*This article was first published by Freedom House on July 18, 2011.
The Middle East Institute and the UNDP are proud to host a discussion with UNDP Administrator Helen Clark, Under Secretary for Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs Robert D. Hormats, and Middle East Institute Scholar Amb. Edward Walker about how best to address political, economic and human development needs in the Arab world today.
*Co-written by James P. Farwell. This article originally appeared in the National Interest online on June 9, 2011
Informed observers are increasingly raising the fear that new elections will put the Muslim Brotherhood in control of Egypt’s parliament and the presidency. Of course it will try. Senior Brotherhood leader Sobhi Saleh, who helped write Egypt’s interim constitution, said in a recent video that he expects the new government to be Islamist.
A version of this article appeared first in the interest review AmericanDiplomacy.org on May 30, 2011
2011 marks the beginning of a new era for both Egypt and Sudan, opening new possibilities to overcome the decade-old Nile water conflict. After the revolution in Egypt, many hope for a reorientation of the country’s foreign policy towards Africa and a potential new approach to negotiations on allocation of the Nile waters.
Most of the numerous articles written about the ongoing revolutions in the Middle East have focused on their political and/or economic causes and likely consequences. However, environmental and natural resource-related issues, which are also at the center of these revolutions, have received little or no attention.
This Opinion first appeared in the Huffington Post on May 17, 2001
As the Arab world is getting ready to listen once again to a major speech by the U.S. President Barack Obama, many Egyptians wonder about how the outcomes of the political change will be received outside of the country, and especially from the U.S.
This Opinion first appeared in the Huffington Post on May 6, 2011
As the shadow of the Egyptian revolution that succeeded in the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak's 30 years reign has generated an explosion of new political parties and activists movements representing all colors of the political spectrum, debates within Egyptian political landscape are not anything but chaotic and inflammatory.
Originally posted May 2011
The Middle East Institute is proud to host Dr. Mona Makram-Ebeid, Professor of Political Science, American University of Cairo, and former Egyptian Parliamentarian, for an examination of the unprecedented changes that have taken place in Egypt over the last three months. Dr. Makram-Ebeid will analyze the current situation in Egypt, as well as expectations for upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections.
The Middle East Institute is proud to host Dr. Mona Makram-Ebeid, Professor of Political Science, American University of Cairo, and former Egyptian Parliamentarian, for an examination of the unprecedented changes that have taken place in Egypt over the last three months. Dr. Makram-Ebeid will analyze the current situation in Egypt, as well as expectations for upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections.
Speaker: Mona Makram-Ebeid