{
"authors": [
"Richard Youngs",
"Shadi Hamid",
"Sandra Pepera",
"Thomas Carothers"
],
"type": "event",
"centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
],
"collections": [],
"englishNewsletterAll": "",
"nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
"primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"programAffiliation": "DCG",
"programs": [
"Democracy, Conflict, and Governance"
],
"projects": [
"Rising Democracies Network"
],
"regions": [],
"topics": [
"Political Reform",
"Democracy"
]
}
Examining the Puzzle of Non-Western Democracy
Wed, December 2nd, 2015
Washington, DC
Many people in non-Western countries say that they want a democratic system of governance—but just not Western-style democracy. Yet what is meant by non-Western democracy often remains unclear, and at times is merely a cover for non-democratic practices.
A new book by Carnegie senior associate Richard Youngs, The Puzzle of Non-Western Democracy, examines the growing search for variation in democratic practice and the implications of this search for Western democracy assistance providers. Youngs argues that it is most useful to focus on the common challenge of democratic renewal in both Western and non-Western countries, and he identifies areas of democratic variation that may help to productively channel efforts for such renewal.
Richard Youngs presented the core arguments of his book in a roundtable event. Shadi Hamid, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and Sandra Pepera, director for gender, women, and democracy at the National Democratic Institute, offered comments on the different regional applications of these issues. Thomas Carothers moderated the discussion.
Richard Youngs
Richard Youngs is a senior associate in the Democracy and Rule of Law Program, based at Carnegie Europe. He works on EU foreign policy and on issues of international democracy.
Shadi Hamid
Shadi Hamid is a senior fellow in the Project on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World in the Brookings Institution’s Center for Middle East Policy. He served as director of research at the Brookings Doha Center until January 2014.
Sandra Pepera
Sandra Pepera is the director for Gender, Women, and Democracy at the National Democracy Institute. Previously, she spent thirteen years as a senior officer at the United Kingdom's Department for International Development, including leading programs in the Caribbean, Rwanda-Burundi, and Sudan.
Thomas Carothers
Thomas Carothers is vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He directs the Democracy and Rule of Law Program and oversees several other Carnegie programs, including Carnegie Europe in Brussels, the Energy and Climate Program, and the D.C.-based Europe Program.
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
Event Speakers
Richard Youngs
Senior Fellow, Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program
Richard Youngs is a senior fellow in the Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program, based at Carnegie Europe. He works on EU foreign policy and on issues of international democracy.
Shadi Hamid
Shadi Hamid is a senior fellow in the Project on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World in the Center for Middle East Policy. He served as director of research at the Brookings Doha Center until January 2014.
Sandra Pepera
Director for Gender, Women and Democracy, National Democratic Institute
Sandra Pepera is the director for gender, women and democracy at the National Democratic Institute. Prior to joining NDI, she was a senior officer at the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) leading programs in the Caribbean, Rwanda-Burundi and Sudan; a lecturer at the University of Ghana; and a political analyst in the Political Affairs Division at the Commonwealth Secretariat.
Thomas Carothers
Harvey V. Fineberg Chair for Democracy Studies; Director, Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program
Thomas Carothers, director of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program, is a leading expert on comparative democratization and international support for democracy.