Democracy in the Arab world. No Peace Without Justice organizes a meeting in Jordan to discuss democratic transition

No Peace Without Justice, in collaboration with the Kawakibi Democracy Transition Center is orgnising a meeting in Amman (Jordan) on 17 to 19 June 2007, aimed at reinforcing the dialogue between non-governmental actors and governments of the Middle East and North Africa region on reforms needed in the field of democracy, human, civil and political rights and the rule of law.
 
The main themes to be discussed during the three-day meeting are the participation of civil society in the fourth Ministerial meeting of the “Forum for the Future”, to be held at the end of 2007 in Yemen, as well as the reinforcement of the role of non-state actors in their relations with their governments in the framework of decision-making processes. Moreover, part of the discussion will be dedicated to the "Community of Democracies" and to the possible interactions between civil society and governments of the Region on questions related to policies carried out within the framework of the United Nations.
 
The scope of the seminar – which is organised as part of the DAD (Democracy Assistance Dialogue) Program, established in the framework of the “Forum for the Future” promoted by the G8 and sponsored by the Governments of Italy, Turkey and Yemen – is to offer an occasion to strengthen and consolidate a habit of dialogue and consultation between governments, parliamentarians, NGO representatives, journalists, human rights advocates and others, and to transpose these mechanisms from a regional level to the national level.
 
Participants in the meeting will include, among others, Dr Saad Eddin Ibrahim, President of the Ibn Khaldun Center (Egypt), Rola Dashti, President of the Kuwait Economic Society (Kuwait) and Riad Malki, President of Panorama (Palestine).
 
The seminar is funded and supported by the Italian Government, through the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF).
 
For further information, please contact: Gianluca Eramo, email: geramo@npwj.org, phone: +32 2 548 39 10