DOHA, Qatar — The Second Forum on Democracy and Political Reform in the Arab World that I attended this week in Doha, Qatar, is an exercise in hope and determination, despite the lack of practical results to date. The Arab region remains the world’s last collectively non-democratic region, having resisted the repeated attempts of Arab democrats, liberals, human rights activists, Islamists and constitutionalists to bring their societies into the growing club of democracies around the world.
One of the driving forces behind this gathering, Egyptian sociologist and democracy activist Saad Eddin Ibrahim, reminded us that the Arab world was part of the first three global “democratic waves” in the late 19th Century, between the two world wars, and after the mid-1970s, and Arabs remain eager to participate in the current wave.
Yet they are not part of today’s democratic trend, because Arab political systems remain firmly in the hands of soft hereditary monarchies or brutal security states. Nevertheless, Arab democrats and liberals persist. They meet, write articles, publish reports, hold conferences, create political parties and non-governmental organizations, occasionally demonstrate in the street and even sit and talk with their autocratic leaders, reminding them that non-democratic regimes are also non-sustainable.
So there is something impressive — even heroic at times — about the 350 Arab men and women from every corner of this region who gathered here in Qatar for three days to discuss in detail what needs to happen for Arab societies to become democratic. They look in detail into areas like the rule of law, independent judiciary, robust parliaments, active civil societies, quality education, open media, women’s participation, transparency and accountability, transitional justice, and the role of the private sector and foreign actors. When democracy raises its head one day soon in some Arab country, a cohort of old and young democrats alike will be ready for the occasion.
Some take hope from the fact that Qatar itself has hosted this gathering, seeing in this pesky Gulf emirate the potential for change from within the Arab world. Skeptics abound, noting Qatar’s own system of limited political participation. Others point to Qatar’s track record in shaking up the media scene with the formation of Al-Jazeera television a decade ago.
I gather that some Qataris and organizers of this Arab democracy forum were motivated in part by concerns that foreign-, especially American-driven, democratization initiatives in the Arab world were hurting rather than helping prospects for reform, causing Arab democracy activists to be discredited as American puppets — and silly fools — before their own people.
An alternative democratization mechanism is needed in the face of failed Western campaigns. An Arab-formulated, -funded, and -managed process is now being attempted, or perhaps just discussed. There is talk of an Arab Democracy Fund being established with seed funding from Qatar.
Perhaps the most impressive moment at the forum here — one of the reasons why hope persists — was the opening session with its two guests of honor. Ironically, the two were former military generals who seized power in coups, then handed over governance to democratically-elected leaders as they had promised: Colonel Ely Ould Mohamed Vall of Mauritania in 2006, and Marshal Abdulrahman Siwar Al-Dahab of Sudan in 1985.
They both stressed the importance of democratic governance as the basis for stability and prosperity in the Arab world, and they acted on their words. Unlike most incumbent Arab leaders who speak democracy and practice autocracy, these two men removed dictatorial and corrupt regimes, organized democratic elections for new and legitimate leaderships, and stepped down as they had promised. They received long and warm applause from the audience here.
Are they examples who might pave the way for others? Not likely, given the current crop of “republican” Arab leaders like Hosni Mubarak, Bashar Assad, Ali Abdullah Saleh, Zein Al Abidin Bin Ali, Omar Hassan Al Bashir, and Muammar Gadhafi. Arab monarchies and emirates inherently are hierarchical and paternalistic, allowing various degrees of public participation and free expression but not ceding real control of power in the core areas of economy and security.
So it is hard to see where and how democratic change will come in the Arab world. That is why gatherings such as this Second Arab Democracy Forum are so impressive — not for their nonexistent democratic achievements, but rather for their persistence, faith and commitment. These brave and serious, but powerless Arabs believe deep in their bones that democracy will spur the sensible and stable statehood that has been such an elusive goal throughout the modern history of sovereign Arab states.
Their day will come. Until then, they meet, talk, write and honor the few honorable men among them who promoted genuine Arab democracy, even for brief shining moments.
Rami G. Khouri is an internationally syndicated columnist, the director of the Issam Fares Institute at the American University of Beirut, editor-at-large of the Beirut-based Daily Star, and co-laureate of the 2006 Pax Christi International Peace Award.
Copyright ©2007 Rami G. Khouri / Agence Global
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Released: 29 May 2007
Word Count: 787
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