In November 2003, President George W. Bush jettisoned half a century of American foreign policy, declaring that “stability can not be purchased at the expense of liberty.” America, he announced, would adopt a “forward strategy of freedom in the Middle East.”

But any freedom strategy in the Middle East is lost unless it builds on the work of the many Arabs who champion, often at great personal expense, change at home. Contrary to the conventional wisdom, there are activists throughout the Middle East battling for individual rights, free markets, and the rule of law. Risking ostracization, prison, and worse, these men and women are the building blocks of a new Middle East. They are the authentic voices of the people of the Arab world, with practical (and occasionally revolutionary) strategies for reform. 

For the last several years, AEI has worked to identify and support dissidents and reformers throughout the Arab world. Each participant of this event has put forward a specific outline for change in his or her own country, addressing topics as diverse as press freedom, economic and political reform, religious freedom, and the perils of engagement with the United States. We are pleased to welcome the first of a series of talks on dissent and reform in the Arab world.

Please join AEI for first of these conferences, which will focus on Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, and Yemen. Renowned Egyptian human rights activist and director of the Ibn Khaldun Center for Development in Cairo, Saad Eddin Ibrahim, will deliver opening remarks.

Arabic translation services will be provided.