Tag Archives: Arab Democracy

The Archbishop of Canterbury speaks out on the situation in Egypt

Posted on October 19, 2011 by

Yesterday the Archbishop of Canterbury issued a statement – copied below - on the recent disturbances in Cairo. The statement draws attention to Egypt’s long history of peaceful interfaith relations and the urgency of ensuring the rights of all citizens are assured.  In a … Continue reading →

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Reflecting on the economics of the Arab Spring

Posted on September 13, 2011 by

Yesterday, I escaped the usual Monday morning rigours to attend a one day conference at Chatham House on the economics of the Arab Spring. Core to the conference was the thesis that despite the region’s political transformations addressing political grievances … Continue reading →

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The Arab Spring, Food Security and the Baguettes of War

Posted on May 18, 2011 by

The events in North Africa and the Middle East might now seem like a regular feature on the news agenda, but we shouldn’t forget that they caught us unaware. In our rush to speculate on how the Arab Awakening might eventually play … Continue reading →

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Bishop Packs a Punch on Libya and the Arab Spring

Posted on April 1, 2011 by

The Rt Revd John Packer, the Bishop of Ripon and Leeds, made a useful intervention in today’s debate in the House of Lords on Libya and wider developments in the Middle East   The debate is still on going but you … Continue reading →

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Guidelines for Making a Successful Transition from Autocracy to Democracy

Posted on March 8, 2011 by

With public and political attention firmly transfixed by events in Libya are we at risk of loosing focus when it comes to Tunisia and Egypt? Are we in danger of seeing these revolutions as self-contained events rather than the start … Continue reading →

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How Healthy is The State of Israel’s Democracy?

Posted on March 3, 2011 by

Earlier this week I gently explored Israel’s phobia of Arab democracy. I suggested that if Immanuel Kant’s thesis held – ie that democracies don’t wage war - then much of Israel’s anxiety although understandable is overblown and excessive. I subsequently came across … Continue reading →

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Reading Kant to Confront our Fears about Arab Democracy

Posted on March 1, 2011 by

The popular upheavals of recent months in North Africa and the Middle East have generated substantial public commentary about what happens next. What type of regime might replace Mubarak’s Egypt? Will the Muslim Brotherhood come to power? Will Egypt become … Continue reading →

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