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The February 2015 conference commemorates the fourth anniversary of the revolts that began in Tunisia in the final days of 2010 and rapidly spread to nearly half the countries of the Arab region. The revolts provided a stellar example of the power of citizen engagement as millions of people took to the streets and toppled long-time authoritarian regimes or leaders, changing perceptions of the “Arab Street” for good. Four years later, where are those millions? How do we understand and assess their successes or failures in achieving their demands for freedom, dignity and social justice? Do we know enough about the historical roots of civil society activism in the region to ascribe cause-and-effect in regard to these events? What are the medium and long-term prospects for the future of citizenship participation in the public sphere, given the current realities? What are the factors that give rise to hope in some countries or open the pit of despair in others?<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n Exploring an Agenda for Active Citizenship<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n PROGRAM<\/strong><\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n Day 1: Friday, February 20, 2015<\/strong><\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n 8:00-8:45 <\/strong>Conference Registration<\/u><\/p>\n\n Bathish Auditorium, West Hall, American University of Beirut (AUB)<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n 9:00-9:30 <\/strong>Welcome and Opening Session<\/u><\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n 9:30-11:00<\/strong> Panel 1:<\/u> Civil Society in Arab region: Concepts and Case Studies (1)<\/u> <\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n Chair: Fateh Azzam, Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship, AUB<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n Lina Suleiman, KTH Royal Institute for Technology, Sweden; and<\/p>\n\n Michael Schultz, University of Gothenburg, Sweden<\/p>\n\n Ammar Djeffal, Universite D’Alger 3, Algeria<\/p>\n\n Heba Al Nasser, Chatham House, UK; and Mohammad Qasem Al-Hamad, Juman for Civil Society Empowerment, Jordan<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n 11:00-11:30<\/strong> Break<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n 11:30-1:15<\/strong> Panel 2:<\/u> Civil Society in Arab region: Concepts and Case Studies<\/u> (2)<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n Chair: Rania Masri, Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship, AUB<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n Dina El-Khawaga, Arab Reform Initiative<\/p>\n\n Dina Mansour, The Arab Council for the Social Sciences<\/p>\n\n Ayman Yousef, Arab American University, occupied Palestine<\/p>\n\n Maha Damaj, AUB<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n 1:15-2:30<\/strong> Lunch<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n 2:30-4:00<\/strong> Panel 3:<\/u> Civil Society in Arab region: Concepts and Case Studies<\/u> (3)<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n Chair: Bassam Haddad, Arab Studies Institute, George Mason University<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n Tariq Da’na, Birzeit University, occupied Palestine<\/p>\n\n Leila Hilal, New America Foundation, U.S.<\/p>\n\n Salam Kawakibi, Arab Reform Initiative<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n 4:00-4:30 <\/strong>Break<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n 4:30-5:30 <\/strong>Open Discussion<\/u><\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n Facilitator: Rania Masri, Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship, AUB<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n Day 2: Saturday, February 21, 2015<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n <\/p>\n\n 9:00-10:30<\/strong> Panel 4:<\/u> Citizenship in the Arab region: Concepts and Case Studies (1)<\/u><\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n Chair: Sami Attallah, The Lebanese Center for Policy Studies<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n Omneya Ragab, researcher and writer; and Asmaa Naguib, Zyara Egypt<\/p>\n\n Patrycja Sasnal, Polish Institute of International Affairs and Jagiellonian University<\/p>\n\n Leila Kabalan and Mark Bracher, Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs, AUB<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n 10:30-11:00 <\/strong>Break<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n 11:00-12:30 <\/strong>Panel 5:<\/u> Citizenship in the Arab region: Concepts and Case Studies (2)<\/u><\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n Chair: Hind Ghandour, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n Ala’a Shehabi, University of Lund, Sweden<\/p>\n\n Florence Borot, IRIS Sup – L'école des Relations Internationales de l'IRIS, France<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n 12:30-2:00<\/strong> Lunch<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n 2:00-3:30<\/u><\/strong> Panel 6:<\/u> Citizenship in the Arab region: Concepts and Case Studies (3)<\/u><\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n Chair: Omar Dewachi, AUB<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n Ali Al-Masoodi, Baghdad University, Iraq<\/p>\n\n Abdul Hussein Shaaban, author and human rights activist<\/p>\n\n Suzanne Hammad, International NGO Training and Research Center, U.K.; and<\/p>\n\n Tamara Alkhas, British Council, Jordan<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n 3:30-4:00 <\/strong>Break<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n 4:00-5:30 <\/strong>Panel 7:<\/u> Examinations from different lenses<\/u><\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n Chair: Sami Ofeish, University of Balamand, Lebanon<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n Marwan Al-Allan, University of Philadelphia, Jordan<\/p>\n\n Wael Gamal, Journalist and Researcher<\/p>\n\n Rima Majed, AUB<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n 7:00 <\/strong>Dinner and Cultural Evening, Metro el Madina, Hamra Street<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n DAY 3: Sunday, 22 February, 2015<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n <\/p>\n\n 9:00-10:30 <\/strong>Panel 8:<\/u> The rulers and the ruled<\/u><\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n Chair: Sbeih Sbeih, Birzeit University<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n Mohamed Elagati, Arab Forum for Alternatives, Egypt<\/p>\n\n Carmen Geha, AUB<\/p>\n\n Ziad Abu Rish, Ohio University, U.S.<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n 10:30-11:00 <\/strong>Break<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n 11:00-12:30<\/strong> Panel 9:<\/u> The rulers and the ruled (2)<\/u><\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n Chair: Hassan Abbas, Syrian League for Citizenship<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n Massoud Daher, Lebanese University<\/p>\n\n Samia Errazzouki, Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, Georgetown University, U.S.<\/p>\n\n Rim Turkmani, London School of Economics and Political Science, U.K.<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n 12:30-2:00 <\/strong>Lunch<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n 2:00-4:30 <\/strong>Open Discussion:<\/u> Elements for <\/u>A Future Agenda<\/u><\/p>\n\n Facilitators: Ziad Abdel Samad, Arab NGO Network for Development;<\/p>\n\n Fateh Azzam, Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship, AUB;<\/p>\n\n Bassam Haddad, Arab Studies Institute, George Mason University; and<\/p>\n\n Rania Masri, Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship, AUB<\/p>\n\n * * *<\/p>\n\n\n
\n By Arab Studies Institute and the Asfari Institute\n
\n 02/20/2015 03:00 am\n - \n 02/22/2015 12:30 pm\n \n \n <\/span>\n
\n Location: Beirut, Lebanon\n <\/p>\n
\nThe conference does not claim to assess the Arab uprisings as such. Rather, it aims to shed light on the dynamics of civil society and citizen activism in the region, and to promote an understanding of the historical, political, economic and legal factors affecting this activism. It also aims to gather collective wisdom as to the short-and long-term potential for continued citizen engagement, fill knowledge gaps, assist the Asfari Institute to develop its research agenda, and point the way to future programming.<\/p>\n\n
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