While wars, terrorism , and rapidly changing economic conditions in the Middle East grab headlines, the close links between these issues and governance are increasingly relegated to back pages. Carnegie’s Middle East program and Stanford University’s Center for Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law hosted an in-depth discussion with experts from the region and leading American scholars about these issues, including lessons learned from other regions and implications for U.S. policies.

Agenda

10:30 a.m.

Registration

11:00 to 11:05 a.m.

Opening Remarks 
William J. Burns

11:05 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Economic Challenges and Governance: Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Palestine 
Olfa Sourki Cherif, Mudar Kassis, Jamal Khashoggi
Moderator: Lisa Blaydes

12:30 to 1:00 p.m.

Lunch

1:00 to 2:30 p.m.

Security Challenges and Governance: Egypt, Morocco, and Yemen 
Farea al-Muslimi, Samia Errazouki, Nancy Okail
Moderator: Amr Hamzawy

2:30 to 2:45 p.m.

Break

2:45 to 3:45 p.m.

Global Comparisons to the Middle East and North Africa
Larry Diamond, Francis Fukuyama
Moderator: Sarah Chayes

3:45 to 5:00 p.m.

Implications for U.S. Policy
Elliott Abrams, Michele Dunne, Jake Sullivan
Moderator: Michael McFaul

Speakers

Elliott Abrams

Elliott Abrams is senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. 

Farea Al-Muslimi

Farea Al-Muslimi is a nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Middle East Center. 

Lisa Blaydes

Lisa Blaydes is an associate professor of political science at Stanford University and a senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies. 

William J. Burns

William J. Burns is president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He previously served as U.S. deputy secretary of state.

Sarah Chayes

Sarah Chayes is a senior fellow in Carnegie’s Democracy and Rule of Law and South Asia programs. 

Olfa Soukri Cherif

Olfa Soukri Cherif is a member of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People of Tunisia. 

Larry Diamond

Larry Diamond is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies. 

Michele Dunne

Michele Dunne is a senior fellow and director of Carnegie’s Middle East Program. 

Samia Errazzouki

Samia Errazzouki is pursuing her PhD in history at University of California Davis where her work focuses on state formation in Morocco. She previously worked as a correspondent for Reuters based in Morocco. 

Francis Fukuyama

Francis Fukuyama is the Olivier Nomellini senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI), and the Mosbacher director of FSI’s Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law. 

Amr Hamzawy

Amr Hamzawy is a senior research scholar at the Middle East Initiative at Stanford University and nonresident senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 

Mudar Kassis

Mudar Kassis is an associate professor of Philosophy and co-director of the Windsor Birzeit Dignity Initiative at Birzeit University.

Jamal Khashoggi

Jamal Khashoggi is a journalist, columnist, and author. 

Michael McFaul

Michael McFaul is a senior fellow and director of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and professor of political science at Stanford University. 

Nancy Okail

Nancy Okail is the executive director of the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy.

Jake Sullivan

Jake Sullivan is a senior fellow in Carnegie’s Geoeconomics and Strategy Program and a Martin R. Flug visiting lecturer in law at Yale Law School.