Dear Friends,
When Egyptian opposition groups called for a “Day of Rage” on January 25, few predicted that the protests would escalate into a full-fledged uprising that threatens to unravel Egypt’s existing political order. As hundreds of thousands of Egyptians call for an end to President Mubarak’s 30-year rule, the crisis unfolding in Egypt has the potential to fundamentally transform Egypt’s political landscape and the balance of power in the Middle East. Will these protests ultimately lead to a more transparent and democratic political processes in Egypt? What impact may we expect across the Middle East? And what do these events mean for U.S. relations with Egypt and the region?
The Carnegie Endowment and the Project on Middle East Democracy will host a discussion with Bahey al-Din Hassan, director of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies in Cairo, and Neil Hicks, advisor to Human Rights First to discuss the rapidly evolving crisis in Egypt. Michele Dunne will moderate. Due to the unrest in Egypt, our originally-scheduled speakers - Ibrahim Eissa and Gamal Eid - have been unable to travel to the U.S.
Click here to RSVP for the event.
Date: Thursday, February 3, 2011
Speakers
Bahey El-Din Hassan is General Director of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies. A well known lecturer, Mr. Hassan is also the author of numerous articles and papers exploring issues associated with human rights and democratic transformation in the Arab region, as well as exploring the contextual challenges facing the human rights movement. Mr. Hassan is a board member of the EuroMed Human Rights Foundation (EMHRF) and recipient of both the Annual Award of “Human Rights Monitor” (presented by the Human Rights Watch, 1993) and the Annual Journalism Award of the Egyptian Press Syndicate (1987).
Neil Hicks advises Human Rights First programs on a wide variety of international human rights issues and serves as a resource to the organization in identifying opportunities to advance human rights around the world. He also writes and conducts advocacy on issues relating to human rights promotion in the Muslim world and on the impact of counterterrorism measures on human rights. Between 2002–2007, he was the director of the Human Rights Defenders Program. Before joining Human Rights First, he worked as a researcher for the Middle East Department of Amnesty International in London, where he worked between 1985 and 1991. He has also served as human rights project officer of Birzeit University in the West Bank.
Moderator
Michele Dunne is a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and editor of the online journal, the Arab Reform Bulletin. A former specialist at the U.S. Department of State and White House on Middle East affairs, she served in assignments including the National Security Council staff, the Secretary of State’s Policy Planning Staff, the U.S. embassy in Cairo, the U.S. consulate general in Jerusalem, and the department of state’s bureau of intelligence and research.
Please contact Anna Newby at anna.newby@pomed.org with any questions.
