Three years after the Arab world was rocked by the uprisings that brought down longstanding autocratic regimes in Tunisia and Egypt, the region remains embroiled in a transformational struggle for the future. The long-term historical process of building institutions and societies capable of responding to Arab citizens’ longing for freedom and opportunity has begun. Success will be measured in years and decades, not weeks. Only through the painstaking process of constructing an Arab world defined by pluralism and tolerance can this dream be realized.
Carnegie’s Marwan Muasher offered his perspective, sharing insights from over two decades as a diplomat, practitioner, and scholar of the region detailed in his new book, The Second Arab Awakening and the Battle for Pluralism (Yale University Press, 2014). The New York Times’ Thomas Friedman moderated the discussion.
Marwan Muasher
Marwan Muasher is vice president for studies at Carnegie, where he oversees research in Washington and Beirut on the Middle East.
Thomas L. Friedman
Thomas L. Friedman is the New York Times’ foreign-affairs columnist and author of six bestselling books on global affairs.
