Can the Middle East Reform?

Hind Aboud Kabawat spoke at the Woodrow Center for Scholars on Friday, October 10 on the subject of Middle East Reform. She opened by questioning why, in the Middle East, autocratic governments have remained the norm rather than the exception. Despite the unprecedented transfer of wealth to these governments, they have not matured; they still exercise complete and arbitrary power over their people. There is a direct connection between the immature government and the lack of social development evidenced by an inferior education system, inferior health care, and the lack of economy outside of the oil sector. Despite the accumulating wealth, most people remain stuck in ignorance and poverty.

Ms. Aboud Kabawat then moved on to discuss how to change this problem. The change she would like to see take place is the creation of an environment in which dissent is tolerated, there is political accountability, an independent judiciary, free press, and a government that serves the interest of all the people and is free from systemic corruption. She explained the problem of crediting the lack of current democracy to the absence of historical democracy. There is nothing in Arab societies, she argues, that inhibits democratic maturation. Another argument she discounts is that the presence of Israel in the region is some kind of external hindrance to democratic development. There has been too much time and energy, she stated, devoted to fighting when efforts could have been directed towards creating a fair and just society.

Then, what are the real causes of governmental immaturity? One, there is a lack of secular, Westernized elites who are not members of the ruling elite standing at the vanguard of society, creating a new pillar in the Arab world. Two, everyone is worried that fanatic Islam would be what the masses want. Both of these hindrances to democracy stem from the culture of fear that political elites foster through jailing and exiling advocates for change.

The signs that the government is immature are evidenced by the lack of infrastructure, and a lack of accountability to the people. There is no independent judiciary, free press or other checks on the government. There are no open elections, no transferring of power, no transparency. The shortage of transparency allows corruption to become systemic and further inhibit economic growth. The entire world is willing to pay for oil wealth, she stated, and these countries need to use this money transfer to develop other technologies and future wealth opportunities. This change will not happen effortlessly. The government is reluctant to embrace change because their absolute power gives them security and stability. However, change will happen. The Middle East is plagued by poverty, corruption, discrimination and unemployment.

So, what can be done? We can get a better future if we create a society where all can work together. There are four pillars Ms. Aboud Kabawat stated are important for maturing democracy in the Middle East. First, the rule of law must be established. There must be independent judges. Currently, the government does not want to share power, and results in suppressed civil institutions. However, the government should work with civil society and work on engaging everyone. She also asserts that secular government must be the norm; there must be a separation of state and religion because the state must be for all. The rule of law must stand free from religion.

The second pillar is the empowerment of women. This, she argues, is an essential part of modernization. In the Middle East, women have very few rights and the empowerment of women would lead of liberalization of the entire political system. Women are capable of doing great things, she states, we must let them do it. The third pillar is education. The current education is substandard. There must be quality education for all. This would result in more discussions and more ideas. Poverty, ignorance, and terrorism go well together. Fighting ignorance defeats poverty and the next generation of terrorists.

The fourth pillar is peace. Countries in the Middle East are spending money killing each other, while this money is spent on a fruitless war, it cannot benefit society. The U.S. is also guilty of this; money is being spent on the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, instead of building institutions. The poor are the ones suffering for this misappropriation of resources. There must be peaceful coexistence with Israel and the rest of the world. While fighting increases, there is a decrease in money spent on reform and chances for the country to improve.

She quotes Gandhi who says, “There is no way to peace. Peace is the way.” There is a need for an environment of change, a need to get everyone working together. The Middle East intellectuals must play a primary role in change. Even in jail, or oppressed, they can never give up. They must keep trying to improve society. This will help convince leaders that change should happen. These four pillars must become the norm, and there must be engagement with the Middle East in order to see reform.

Date: October 10, 2008
Location: Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars
Attended by: Emily Riff

Philip J. Rutledge Seminar: Leadership and Governance in Africa

The National Academy for Public Administration (NAPA) created the African Working Group (AWG), whose mission is to “enhance public administration in Africa through strategic collaboration with African partners.” In order to achieve this mission, the AWG holds meetings and symposia to foster an environment of collaboration and learning. This event was focused on Leadership and Governance in Africa: Developing High Performing Public Administrators to Manage Economic Growth and Social Prosperity.

The keynote speaker, Dr. John-Mary Kauzya focused on governance, economic growth and prosperity in post-conflict countries. He explained that the post-conflict environment is a unique atmosphere because it has different challenges and opportunities than other political situations. He further elucidated that post-conflict issues are of special importance in Africa due to the high number of African nations in a post-conflict state. Dr. Kauzya first clarified that for the purpose of his speech, governance meant accountability. Governance is crucial in post-conflict situations because even pouring money into a problem will not fix things without a disciplined public administration.

Dr. Kauzya then moved on to talk about the issues confronting post-conflict governments. The first challenge of the government is to restore trust in the government, or establish trust in a new government. Post-conflict political leadership must reconstruct capacities in public administration, as it is the public administrators who carry out the daily tasks of governing the country. The second challenge is to assess the reality of the situation, and ensure a shared understanding of challenges facing the country. Through this challenge there is an opening for the third critical function of government: design and create a national vision and strategy.

The fourth critical function of the government is to sustain development oriented leadership and nurture future leaders for the country. The fifth critical function is to provide a framework for managing diversity and inclusivity in public administration. It is essential that all sectors of society are represented and have a voice in the public administration sector so that the new situation is free of the tensions that came before. Finally, the government must maintain and promote self-reliance. This is tied to promoting a message of hope: “we have been through so much and made it through, we have been poor for a long time, if no one will help us in the way that we want, on our terms, we will not be forced to submit, we will endure.”

Because post-conflict situations are highly tenuous, there are four political capacities required in a post-conflict world. The first is integrative leadership: one cannot govern a society that is fragmented and must work to integrate all facets of society. The second is entrepreneurial leadership: the leader must look at the country and establish a goal for how the country should be and map a path to get there. The third capacity required is administrative leadership: post-conflict everyone is used to an environment where the law is suspended, the leader needs to establish administerial procedure that is known to everyone. The fourth is operative leadership: the government needs to take action. In order for a post-conflict government to be successful these capacities must be integrated into one system.

Dr. Kauzya closed by defining two post-conflict faults that need to be corrected in order to create an effective government. In the process of public service reform and modernization issues related to the undeveloped professional status of human resource managers in the public sector is often neglected and there is often inadequate attention given to the strengthening of institutions responsible for building and sustaining public administration capacities.

Following Dr. Kauzya, a panel spoke about their lessons learned and experiences working in public administration in Africa. The first was Dr. Bernham Mengistu, who has worked in Addis Abba, Ethiopia. In order to promote public administration and managerial standards while in Ethiopia, he held book drives, provided technical support to universities and NGO’s, provided technical training to government, trained in comprehensive post-conflict parliamentary analysis, trained government officials for national and regional level offices, and graduated 35 people in public administration from the University in Addis Abba.

The second panelist was Dr. Jeanne-Marie Col who worked in Uganda. She explained that she has learned three important lessons while working in public administration. The first is that training in teams and organizations is more important than training individuals. The second is that sensitivity to cultures and neighborhoods is more important than theories and skills. The third is that data driven results that are tracked over time is more important than management fads. She concluded by explaining that with an increase in public administration there is more possibility for success.

Sponsor: National Academy of Public Administration
Date: September 23, 2008
Time: 1:00pm – 5:30pm
Representative Attending: Emily Riff

Progress and Challenges in Malawi’s Educational System

As the movement to reduce global gender inequality is gaining speed with international agencies like the UN (it is one of eight Millennium Development Goals), it is becoming increasingly apparent that improving the global education system is key to lessening the gender gap. Dr. Shirley Miske, who has worked with USAID, UNICEF, and CARE-US in over 30 countries reforming educational systems, presented conclusions on USAID funded educational projects in Malawi, Africa. The power-point presentation and roundtable discussion examined both obstacles and successes in USAID education projects in the region since 1991, and emphasized the inter-connectedness between gender equality and the quality of a country’s educational system. Initial challenges in Malawi in 1991 included the extremely poor literacy rate of females (a mere 28%), and cultural norms which lead teachers to believe the males were superior to females, thus hindering female scholastic success. Cultural norms had substantial effects on safety for females in school, as girls were harassed, beaten, and in some cases impregnated by their male teachers. This treatment garnered little or no reaction among leaders to ensure female well-being. USAID’s subsequent educational projects in Malawi sought to reform both schools’ environments (addressing safety and social health concerns) as well as academic programs, which were showing little success at the time. The following is a list of USAID projects in Malawi since 1991:
-Girls’ Attainment in Basic Literacy and Education, 1991-1998: This project sought to increase female attendance and completion by funding school construction and new materials. It engaged the school-district community by educating them about gender equality and its positive effects.
-Quality Education through Supporting Teachers, 1998-2003: QUEST focused on school-level changes, mainly better teacher quality and infrastructure. It resulted in decreased drop-out rates and better student retention rates.
-Malawi Education Sector Assistance, 2003-2006: A key component of this program was HIV/AIDS education. Engaging community members in education proved successful, as did using locally available resources for learning.
-Malawi Teacher Training Activity, 2004-2008: MTTA made great strides by training over 6,000 primary teachers, building networks where teachers could conference about methods and techniques used in the classroom.
-Primary School Support Program, 2006-2008: A pilot program under a US Congressional mandate to reduce school fees in Malawi.

The round table discussion debated on ways these successful programs could be implemented on a wider geographical scale, as well as extend beyond primary education to encourage equality in the work force. The positive ripple-effect that women’s empowerment has on community health, infant mortality rate, and poverty reduction was discussed in depth, and the discussion concluded with the agreement that further dedication from international organizations and governments is necessary to keep gender equality in educational systems in the foreground of international policy.

Sponsor: U.S Agency for International Development
Date: 7/8/2008
Representative Attending: Emma Gring

Resettled Refugees Remember Those Left Behind

June 20, 2008 marked the eight annual World Refugee Day, a bittersweet day of remembrance for the over 11 million refugees and 26 million internally displaced people. It is unfortunate, recalled numerous presenters, that this day must be celebrated, but it is fortunate to hear the hopeful and inspiring stories of refugees who have ameliorated their lives and to hear of the countless volunteers who dedicate their efforts to assisting them. Protection for refugees and for those who serve them was the theme of this year’s event led by UNHCR's Deputy High Commissioner L. Craig Johnstone. He stressed the need to respect the human rights of refugees and volunteers.

A diverse myriad of speakers paid homage to the plights of refugees from four countries: Iraq, Sudan, Afghanistan and Burma. NPR correspondent Deborah Amos anecdotally recalled her meetings with Iraq refugees and the challenged which affront them living in urban refugee settlements throughout Syria and Afghanistan. Sad stories of Sudanese refugees were recounted by Daoud Hari, whose memoirs are vividly depicted in his book The Translator. After losing much of her family in Afghanistan, The Other Side of the Sky author Farah Ahmedithanked the UNHCR for resettling her and her mother in the US. Joining her was Thimothy Ju, a young refugee from Myanmar whose recent journey from camps in Thailand to a home in Texas was documented in the MTV show True Life: I’m Coming to America. Although they all endured different experiences, they were united in their gratitude from the good works of the UN and their remembrance of those left behind. Poignantly stoic and blindly hopeful, their stories captivated the thousands in the crowds and depicted the triumph of the human spirit amidst unbelievable adversity.

This sad yet triumphant celebration concluded with the presentation of the Humanitarian of the Year Award, awarded to Chicago Bulls forward Luol Deng. Born in Sudan, he relocated to Egypt and later to Great Britain, where he developed his skill and passion for basketball. He is an instrumental partner in the UNHCR’s Ninemillion Campaign that aims to bring education and sport programs to the world’s nine million child refuges by 2010. Deng donates $50 to Ninemillion for every basket he scores and encourages people around the world to follow his example. Deng delivered a heart-warming speech that placed his basketball career second to his job as a humanitarian and volunteer. The joy and exhilaration from giving a helping hand far succeeds the thrills of any championship ring.

Sponsors: The National Geographic Society and the UNHCR
Date: June 20, 2008
Time: 12-1 p.m.
Representative: Elizabeth Caniano

How the State of Utah is Addressing Global Challenges

The Center for Strategic and International Studies, CSIS, hosted Governor Jon M. Huntsman (R-Utah) on June 23, 2008 to discus the role of states in “A Local Perspective on Global Challenges and Opportunities.” As a part of the Smart Power series, this discussion was designed to address the role the US and state actors play in how the country integrates soft and hard power to better balance economic, security, and environmental concerns.

Governor Huntsman’s background as a White House Staff Assistant, Deputy US Trade Representative, US Ambassador, and appointee to both the Commerce Department and State Department has contributed greatly to his ability to serve the state of Utah as they face the challenges of population and resource management. The Western States face trends in demographic changes and gradual urbanization, and are confronted with seven major challenges along with the rest of the world: water, power, technological innovation, development and dissemination of information and knowledge, economic integration, conflict, and governance.

According to Governor Huntsman, we are all under the same ideological umbrella: we know where we should be heading, but we don’t know exactly how to get there? In regards to proving clean and accessible water, Governor Huntsman expressed the need to re-introduce market mechanisms for water as a resource and to develop alternative forms of water generation and consolidation. The issue of power requires increases in efficiency and the need to obtain the ability for adequate transmission capacity. Both water and power are vital to life in the US and are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive to utilize.

As a strong believer in the value of education and research, Governor Huntsman emphasized challenges affronting both technological innovation and the development of information and knowledge. He argued that the US should invest in basic research at every level. Recently there has been a decline in research funding by nearly 3%. Huntsman drew upon Toronto’s MaRS Centre as a program that adequately prioritizing research. This program translates basic research into commercially viable entities. Governor Huntsman also stressed the role of the free market and the risk in entrepreneurship as a catalyst for growth and development. It is the willingness to embrace failure that accompanies entrepreneurship that produces technological innovation. The delegation of responsibility for developing and disseminating both information and knowledge has changed throughout time. This task, once belonging to the nation-state and later to corporations, is currently held by the internet. Today, many rely on the internet as their source of knowledge; this fact provides both opportunities and challenges for all actors.

The final three challenges are economic integration, conflict, and governance. These require intimate relations between states, the federal government, and the international community. With increased economic integration, states like Utah have seen a rise in exports and therefore a need to conduct foreign policy with countries such as China. The issue concerning conflict is illustrated by the competition for resources such as water and clean air as well as the need to combat climate change. Lastly, the question of governance will require innovation to combat issues like energy and immigration. Governor Huntsman expressed the need for a new, hybrid leadership model to address these seven challenges in today’s globalized world to preserve the quality of life for the next generations. In his home state of Utah, Governor Huntsman proudly discussed advancements concerning personalized medicine and carbon capture. At the state level, research can be conducted to begin to address both the challenges and opportunities that lie before the entire international community.

Image Source

Sponsor: The Center for Strategic and International Studies
Date: June 23, 2008
Time: 10am – 11:30am
Representative Attending: Jessica Walker

Education is Vital in the Western Balkans

As membership in the European Union becomes increasingly competitive, post-conflict countries in the Western Balkans must focus on strategies to increase their levels of development. Dr. Arben Hajrullahu, a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, is currently conducting research on strategies to achieve peace and stability in the Western Balkans. His work reveals that shifts in development usually come in three stages: dependence, independence, and interdependence. However, he concludes that countries in the Western Balkans face three main challenges; they lack:

• Functional states
• Regional cooperation
• Sustainable economic and social development.

Remedying these shortfalls will presumably elevate Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro to the standards of other nations in the EU.

According to Dr. Hajrullahu, education is the catalyst that will transform the Western Balkans into functional, cooperative, and developed states. Improving education will supply the younger populations in these countries both with the tools to negotiate peacefully with their neighbors and the ability to focus on economic and social growth. The most beneficial educational reform is to allow young people to travel freely, especially on study abroad programs. This will reduce stereotypes and broaden the worldview of the next generation of Western Balkan leaders. Such exchange will also demonstrate to other European countries that the Western Balkan region is more than just a security threat. This shift in perception will stimulate much-needed investment and interest in these post-conflict countries.

Unfortunately, education is a relatively low priority for most countries in the Western Balkans. The few international groups working on educational initiatives have not created a sense of ownership among local populations. Consequently, their initiatives fade away relatively quickly. Responsibility rests with governments in the Western Balkans to improve their educational systems and reduce travel restrictions. Eventually, leaders will emerge with the knowledge, understanding and tolerance necessary to lay aside age-old differences and focus on economic and social development.

Image Source

Sponsor: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Date: May 28, 2008
Time: 12-1 pm
Representative Attending: Kate Lonergan