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On November 17, CDDRL’s Program on Arab Reform and Democracy (ARD) hosted Lina Khatib, a senior research associate with the Arab Reform Initiative, for a special talk on the Syrian crisis. Khatib was a co-founder of the ARD Program and managed its research agenda for four years before leaving CDDRL to lead the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut.
Former Egyptian MP Amr Hamzawy speaks on shifts in liberal thought in Egypt
On October 27, CDDRL's Program on Arab Reform and Democracy welcomed former Egyptian Member of Parliament Amr Hamzawy, who shared his thoughts on recent shifts in liberal thought in Egypt over the past several years.
ARD welcomes Egyptian intellectual Amr Hamzawy as a visiting scholar
The Program on Arab Reform and Democracy at Stanford’s Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law is pleased to welcome Egyptian academic and Former Member of Parliament Amr Hamzawy as a visiting scholar for the 2015-16 academic year.
Bassem Youssef on politics and satire
Hosted by the Program on Arab Reform and Democracy at CDDRL, Bassem Youssef spoke on politics and satire with the Stanford community on Monday, September 28. Youssef, famously known as the Jon Stewart of the Arab world, reflected on his journey to fame and the challenges he encountered in launching his award winning show Al-Bernameg.

Noura Erakat analyzes the political and legal contexts of the 2014 Gaza war [VIDEO]
As part of the Arab Reform and Democracy Program's speaker series, George Mason University scholar Noura Erakat examined the political and legal contexts for the 2014 Gaza war. In July and August of 2014, hostilities in the Gaza Strip left 2,131 Palestinians and 71 Israelis dead, including 501 Palestinian children and one Israeli child.
GWU scholar examines links between neoliberalism and Islamic charity in Egypt [VIDEO]
As part of the Arab Reform and Democracy Program's speaker series, George Washington University scholar Mona Atia discussed her book Building a House in Heaven: Pious Neoliberalism and Islamic Charity in Egypt. Islamic charities occupied a critical space in Mubarak-era Egypt.

Ben Ahmed examines the challenge of youth alienation in the Tunisian transition [VIDEO]
As part of the Arab Reform and Democracy Program's speaker series, Executive Director of the Mediterranean Development Initiative Ghazi Ben Ahmed examined the challenge of youth alienation in the context of the Tunisian transition. Social and economic grievances of Tunisian youth played a major role in igniting the uprising in Tunisia, and more generally, the so-called Arab Spring.

UCSB historian revisits Egypt's 1977 bread uprising [VIDEO]
As part of the Arab Reform and Democracy Program's speaker series, UC Santa Barbara Historian Sherene Seikaly discusses her research on Egypt's 1977 bread intifada. A return to the historical moment of the “Bread Intifada,” of 1977 interrupts the narrative resilience of the alternating sleep and wakefulness of the Egyptian, and more broadly the Arab people.

Paul Amar examines social militarization in Egypt and Brazil [VIDEO]
As part of the Arab Reform and Democracy Program's speaker series, UC Santa Barbara Political Scientist Paul Amar discussed his book The Security Archipelago, winner of the 2014 Charles Taylor Book Award of the American Political Science Association.

Sheila Carapico examines the paradoxes of political aid in the Arab world [VIDEO]
As part of the Arab Reform and Democracy Program's speaker series, University of Richmond Political Scientist Sheila Carapico discussed findings from her ground-breaking study Political Aid and Arab Activism: Democracy Promotion, Justice, and Representation (Cambridge University Press, 2013) which explores two decades’ worth of projects sponsored by American, European, and other transnational agencies
Stanford historian Joel Beinin analyzes role of workers in the Egyptian and Tunisian revolutions [VIDEO]
As part of the Arab Reform and Democracy Program's speaker series, Stanford Historian Joel Beinin discussed the role of workers in advancing revolutionary struggles in Egypt and Tunisia. Arab workers participated prominently in the popular uprisings of 2011.

Steven Heydemann examines the future of authoritarianism in the Arab world [VIDEO]
As part of the Arab Reform and Democracy Program speaker series, US Institute of Peace Vice-President for Applied Research on Conflict Steven Heydemann examined the future of authoritarian rule in the Arab region in the aftermath of the Arab uprisings. The uprisings that spread across the Middle East in 2011 created new hope for democratic change in the Arab world. Four years
ARD scholar on resurgence of authoritarianism in Egypt
On the fourth anniversary of Egypt's January 25 Revolution, Hesham Sallam, associate director of CDDRL's Program on Arab Reform and Democracy and Jadaliyya co-editor, remarks on the return of authoritarianism in Egypt under President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Sallam argues that the ruling military regime has become more repressive than that of President Hosni Mubarak, highlighting growing victimization of civil society members. Listen to Sallam's interview with KPFA 94.1 Berkeley below.
ARD scholar on Mubarak's acquittal
In a recent interview, Program on Arab Reform and Democracy Associate Director Hesham Sallam weighed in on the recent court ruling that acquitted former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and his security aides of the charge of killing protesters during the January 25 uprising in 2011. Tracing recent political developments in the past four years, Sallam sees Egypt's government regressing back to a deeper authoritatrian regime.
Can Arabs be human rights defenders?
In a recent article, Stanford Professor of Middle East History Joel Beinin examines the controversy over the decision of a European Parliament bloc to withdraw their nomination of Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah to the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought after a Wall Street Journal editorial accused Abdel Fattah of inciting hatred against Israel on social media.
Ben Abdallah leaves Stanford for the UK

Program on Arab Reform and Democracy welcomes new leadership

Stanford scholar examines entrepreneurship in North Africa
Rethinking Libya’s Political Isolation Law
Khatib to lead Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut
New scholars from Egypt and Morocco join ARD program this year
Stanford is seeking Middle East faculty
Is it Safe for Transitoligists and Consolidologists to Travel to the Middle East and North Africa?
One of the routine assumptions of students of democratization has been that there is a close, causal relationship between liberalization and democratization. The former is said to drive those who concede it toward convoking credible elections and, eventually, tolerating ruler accountability to citizens. The link between those processes of regime transformation is alleged to be the mobilization of civil society.
Political Reform in the Arab World: Problems and Prospects
On May 10-11, 2010 the Program on Good Governance and Political Reform in the Arab World at CDDRL held its international inaugural conference. In line with the Arab Reform Program's vision, the conference featured internationally renowned scholars, activists, and practitioners from the Arab world, Europe and the United States.