09 March, 2011

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The Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS), in cooperation with the Faculty of Legal, Political, and Social Studies at the University of Carthage, is organizing a conference entitled "Revolutions, Reform, and Democratic Transition in the Arab Homeland from the Perspective of the Tunisian Revolution".

Dr. Azmi Bishara, general director of the center, will open the conference with his paper, "The Arab Condition and the Spark of the Tunisian Revolution" in which he will discuss the backdrop of the Tunisian revolt, its effects on the Arab World, and an overview of the developments taking place in the region in general.

Dr. Muhammad al-Arabi Fadhil Musa, dean of the Faculty, will present an opening note at the start of the conference, and the participants will discuss an array of themes relating to the revolution's background and fate, as well as its regional and international fallout.

The conference will touch upon four main themes:

  • "The Tunisian Revolution, Background and Context"
  • "How did the Tunisian Revolt Succeed?"
  • "The Challenges of Democratic Transition"
  • "Arab Reactions to the Revolution"

The participants, who will come from Tunisia and various Arab countries, will discuss an array of issues that are directly related to these themes, such as authoritarian rule, the closed political system, the absence of participation in governance, the popular depth of the revolt and the army's attitude towards it, and the problematic of the transfer of authority. In addition, a number of activists in the Tunisian and Egyptian Revolution will present their testimonials on their experience in and activism within the two revolutions.

This Conference comes as a follow-up to the discussion session on "The People's Revolution in Tunisia: Its Causes, Outcomes, and Effects on the Arab Scene," which was held by the ACRPS in Doha on January 20, 2011, with the participation of a select group of researchers and scholars from Tunisia and other Arab countries, in addition to experts studying issues of democratic transition in the Arab Homeland.