Democracy promotion in the Middle East may be a goal of the Bush presidency, but calls for reform predate the administration. Throughout the region, dissidents and activists seek to promote freedom of speech and association, women’s enfranchisement, and the rule of law. This third installment in AEI’s Dissent and Reform in the Arab World series will feature participants from Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, and Bahrain who will share their documentation of impediments to democracy within their own countries and lay out their prescriptions for change. The series’ first two conferences brought to Washington activists from North Africa, the Levant, and the Arabian Peninsula.

9:00 a.m.	Registration and Breakfast
9:30	Introduction:	Danielle Pletka, AEI
9:45		Panel 1: Challenges to Reform in Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon
	Panelists:	Ayat Abul-Futtouh, Egypt, Ibn Khaldun Center for Development Studies Jad Al-Akhaoui, Lebanon, Cedar Revolution activist
	Moderator:	Emad Omar, Jordan, Search for Common Ground Michael Rubin, AEI
11:15		Panel 2: Challenges to Reform in Iraq and Bahrain
	Panelists:	Haider Saeed, Iraq, Activist
		Omran Salman, Bahrain, Arab Reformist Project:
		AAFAQ (Horizons)
	Moderator:	Michael Rubin, AEI
12:30 p.m.	Adjournment