Revolution Under Siege: Is there hope for Egypt's democratic transition?

   

High hopes for a genuine transition to democracy in Egypt via legitimate elections for parliament and president were upended by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), which recently moved  to disband parliament, seize most governmental powers for itself, and establish martial law.  The victor in the disputed presidential election will inhabit an office largely stripped of executive authority and beholden to the military.  Egypt appears to be a country on the verge of serious and prolonged political upheaval as the Muslim Brotherhood and revolutionary forces square off against the SCAF and its supporters in a struggle for power and the future of the country.  What do the results of the presidential runoff mean for Egypt?  What does the future hold for elected democracy and liberal forces in the country?  Can the democratic transition move forward again? And will the country descend into violence as this struggle plays out?

Speaker Biographies

Mohamed Elmenshawy is a scholar, and the director of the languages and regional studies program at the Middle East Institute in Washington, DC. He writes a weekly column for Egyptian daily Ashorouk News. He was the editor in chief of Arab Insight, a journal communicating Arab perspectives on the Middle East issues to American audiences. Also he was the founding editor of Taqrir Washington that provides Arab-speaking audiences an understanding of American politics and the factors that shape the decisions behind American actions, as well as the complexities of American culture and society. Both projects sponsored by the World Security Institute in Washington, DC. Elmenshawy holds a master's degree in international relations and Middle Eastern politics from the University of Akron, Ohio and an MBA in international strategy from American University in DC. He earned his bachelor's degree in political science from Cairo University in Egypt.

Dr. Nancy Okail is the director of Freedom House Egypt programs, she has more than 12 years of experience in promoting democracy and development in the MENA region working with prominent international organizations. She has comprehensive knowledge of Egypt’s politics having worked in the Egyptian government as senior evaluation officer of foreign aid  at the Ministry of International Cooperation, as well as program manager Ibn khaldun Centre for development studies, a pro-democracy organizations known for its long struggle against Mubarak’s regime.  Okail has a PhD in International development from university of Sussex with a focus on the power relations of aid.  For the past eight months she has been on trial in Egypt as a defendant in the highly publicized NGO case.

Anwar E. El Sadat is President of Reform & Development Party in Egypt. Actively involved in politics, he has been elected in 2005 to the Egyptian People’s Assembly. He was a member in the Foreign Relations Committee of the People’s Assembly. He is also an active member in the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs (ECFA). He participated in a number of international political, economical and social conferences and workshops in Egypt, Arab world and Europe. He published various articles in Egyptian newspaper with special interest on political and development issues in Egypt. He is the founder and chairman of El Sadat Association for Social Development and Welfare – a non-governmental organization in Egypt (NGO), aiming at enhancing development, alleviating poverty and promoting human rights and political participation. Recently Mr. El Sadat was elected on 6th of March 2010, as a member of the Board of Directors of the General Federation of NGOs/Foundations – Egypt. Mr. El Sadat currently serves in Parliament, where he is the chairman of the Human Rights Committee.

Ruth Wedgwood is the Burling Professor of International Law and Diplomacy at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C. She is a former federal prosecutor and trial lawyer, and consults on civil and criminal litigation in domestic and international courts. In 2006 Professor Wedgwood was reelected to a second term by United Nations member states as the U.S. member of the Human Rights Committee in Geneva and New York.
 

Lunch will be provided.

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