Project on Middle East Democracy

We are entering a landmark year for elections worldwide. Nearly 100 countries comprising more than half the global population are scheduled to hold electoral contests in what should be the most decisive year for elections in world history. With so much at stake, I am excited to moderate this in-person event next week, with a keynote from USAID Assistant to the Administrator for the DRG Bureau Shannon Green, to examine the opportunities and challenges facing elections around the world. We will be joined by Dan Negrea, Tess McEnery, Rebecca Bill Chavez, Johanna Kao and william meeker. https://lnkd.in/e2SPzt7P

🚨 NEWS: We're thrilled to announce that POMED and The Freedom Initiative will merge, forming the Middle East Democracy Center (MEDC), a new organization dedicated to the pursuit of democracy, justice, & human rights in the Middle East & North Africa. https://lnkd.in/gXByaKZN

Full Statement— We are devastated by the horrifying news and images coming out of Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory. As the civilian death toll continues to climb well into the thousands, we mourn the unnecessary loss of life as a result of actions that numerous humanitarian experts describe as war crimes. This includes the murder of civilians by Hamas and the Israeli military’s ongoing indiscriminate attacks and collective punishment of Palestinians. No life is more valuable than another and we must seek to protect the human dignity of all peoples. POMED was founded in the aftermath of the indefensible U.S. invasion of Iraq with a firm commitment to the belief that the advancement of democracy is not only in the interest of the people of the region, but is also in the strategic interest of the United States. POMED believes in the potential of the United States to play a positive role in supporting democracy and respect for universal human rights in the Middle East and North Africa. We fully support the Biden administration’s assertion that democracies “are stronger and more secure when we act according to the rule of law” and agree that this is “a time for resolve and not revenge.” Right now, the administration and Congress should act accordingly by calling for restraint and the immediate cessation of hostilities and unequivocally demanding that all parties adhere to international law. This includes the protection of civilians, return of hostages, and safeguarding of human rights, as well as the immediate provision of humanitarian aid and resumption of access to electricity and water in Gaza. In addition, the United States must not be complicit in fueling, arming, or encouraging war crimes; it must adhere to U.S. law and ensure that its military assistance is used only for defensive purposes and does not support human rights violations. We urge U.S. policymakers to renew attention to the root causes of this violence. Any solution must grant Palestinians and Israelis equal rights and access to a life of freedom, dignity, security, and peace. https://lnkd.in/gR_9nttu

18 Human rights organizations—including Egyptian Front for Human Rights (EFHR), The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS), The Freedom Initiative, Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, & others—call on Turkish authorities to release stateless activist Ghada Najeb & refrain from deporting her to #Egypt. Read the full statement here: https://lnkd.in/ggfbmycT