Emerging Trends Two Years After The Arab Awakening.

Emerging Trends Two Years After The Arab Awakening.

Presented by Marwan Muasher 

26th Camden Conference

Doug Mills

World and National Editor

RCN America Network

Marwan Muasher is a Jordanian diplomat who currently serves as Vice President for Studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, D.C. He began his career as a journalist with the Jordan Times before serving with the Ministry of Planning and in the office of the Prime Minister of Jordan. Foreign postings began as Director of the Jordan Information Bureau in Washington, D.C. In 1995 Muasher was Jordan’s first Ambassador to Israel. A year later he was Minister of Information and government spokesman in Amman. From 1997 to 2002 he was Jordan’s Ambassador to the United States. For two years he was Foreign Minister and then served as Deputy Prime Minister leading a reform and planning agenda for the government. From 2007 to 2010 Muasher was Senior Vice President for External Affairs at the World Bank. He is the author of The Arab Center: The Promise of Moderation (Yale University Press-2008) and is writing a book on the Arab Awakening.

Two years after it's beginning the Arab Awakening has yet to be defined. True, lasting change could take decades. We do , however, see six emerging trends in the Middle East.

1. A battle of ideas. For the first time in 100 years the political space is open. The previous governments ruled with no checks and balances and little regard for the common man. Now the landscape is open. This battle needs to be about more than just the secular vs. Islam, it must be about the people and rights for all regardless of their beliefs.

2. The Secular need to work on the ground. In the past the secular governments have been elitist and looking out for their own interests, apart from the common man. The new secular groups need to work with the people, create a plan and follow through on that plan.

3. Secular Religious Holiness is over. In the past to criticize the government leaders was considered a crime against god. Now the landscape is open and leaders are being held accountable. You are able to openly criticize the leaders.

4. Political reform must accompany Economic reform. Previous economic reform was to benefit the leaders not the common man. The people need to know that they will have a say in this reform and that they will see benefit from it.

5. The need for a 3^rd political party who is willing to pursue a true democratic process to benefit all. In the past there have been to parties, The Political Elite and the Islamist. They both talk democratic change but only what will benefit them and their views.

6. Talk of change alone will not work any more. The people are looking for results.

In light of these trends what should we the western world be doing? Marwan Muasher stated that we should stop trying to pick the winner and try to work with all to help produce an environment where each person and viewpoint is important. This may take decades but, the process has started and is very exciting.