Conference: Egypt before the upcoming elections (Brussels, 20 Sept, Medea/EPD)
The European Partnership for Democracy and the MEDEA Institute, with the support of Generation Europe Foundation organised a conference on Egypt before the upcoming elections : Position, role and challenges for the civil society on 20 September 2011 in Brussels.
After a short presentation by representatives of key Egyptian civil society organizations, the conference focused on the latest stage of the political transformation in Egypt; the role of the civil society in the upcoming elections; the status of the popular mobilization; and the chances for collective empowerment promised by the Arab spring in Egypt.
The participants addressed a number of vital questions, such as: In the absence of an official international election observation mission, how can the EU and its member states (EU&MS) support local observers? Which instruments could the EU&MS use for supporting democratic development in Egypt? What is the EU&MS agenda and what could be the role of Egyptian civil society in this process? What can we expect from the upcoming elections for a constitutional assembly in Egypt? Which are the most relevant political actors at present and what are the chances of reaching a political consensus in a democratic process.
Speakers:
Dr Magdy Abdel Hamid
Chairman of the Egyptian Association for Community Participation Enhancement
Ms Nadine Abdalla Iskandar
Researcher at the Arab Forum for Alternatives and EuroMeSCo Liaison Officer.
Mr Ahmed Samih
Executive Director of Andalus Institute for Tolerance and anti-Violence Studies
Ms Emilie Dromzee
EU Coordinator, Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN), Brussels Office