Prospects for Democratic Transition in the Middle East and North Africa: Implications of the Central/East European and African Experiences
October 18-20, 2007
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From October 18-20, 2007, the Council for a Community of Democracies brought together scholars and democratic activists from around the world, leaders of successful democratic transitions in Eastern Europe and Africa, and leading voices from the Middle East and North Africa seeking to advance democracy in their region.  This conference, held in Budapest, Hungary, sought to identify the lessons of the democratic transitions in Eastern Europe following the Cold War and several democratic transitions in Africa including that of South Africa, drawing on these experiences to suggest ideas and strategies for democracy advocates in the Middle East and North Africa.  CCD was joined by the host International Centre for Democratic Transition, the Kawakibi Democracy Transition Center, and the Center for Democracy and Election Management in the sponsorship of the conference.

The three-day conference was attended by 33 participants representing 14 countries, who brought a diverse set of expertise and experiences to the discussions.  Their task was not only to present the individual case studies of democratic transitions, but also to identify which elements of these experiences could be applied to the challenge of democratic transition in the Middle East and North Africa.  Academic experts provided the framework for considering the opportunities for democratic transition.  In-depth studies of the transitions in Hungary, Slovakia, Lithuania, Ukraine, South Africa, and Ghana were presented, along with analyses of the challenges of transition in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iran.  Crucial issues discussed included the obstacles to overcoming authoritarian regimes, the identification of opportunities for democratic transition, the development and nature of effective opposition movements, the necessary ingredients for a successful democratic transition, and the opportunities for external support for democratization.  A special meeting was held at the Hungarian Parliament, where leaders of the democratic transitions in Hungary, Lithuania, and South Africa shared their personal experiences in the transition process.  Participants emerged from the conference with practical lessons and concrete steps that can be taken to help advance democracy in the Middle East and North Africa.